Samhi C

For years, the Abington campus has offered advanced dance courses geared towards a dance company setting, getting the students ready for an end of the semester performance. Unfortunately, these courses did not have enough enrollment this fall. But as the curtains were being drawn on this opportunity, Abington’s dance instructor, Scott Park, wished to open them back up. 

A recipient of various awards such as the Emerging Educator Award, Choreographer’s Award, Artistic Transformation Award, and once a member of the National Honors Society for Dance Arts, Park began dancing in his childhood by learning moves from music videos of various artists, from Michael Jackson to NSYNC. He gave his first performance in front of a crowd of more than a thousand people at his high school homecoming, performing Jackson’s choreography. An alumni of Penn State himself, during his college years at the Brandywine campus, Park started a dance club, focusing on hip hop and commercial jazz, with which he won an on-campus talent show. Afterwards, he decided to learn to dance professionally and enrolled himself in a modern dance class. Park says, “I had no idea what modern dance was when I signed up for my first class. I was pleasantly surprised at that style of dance and continued to pursue dance as a major at the collegiate level.” After earning a B.F.A. in Dance, he started a contemporary dance company that performed all over Philadelphia. Eventually, he also earned an M.F.A. in Dance at Temple University.

Today, Park is teaching a variety of dance styles, including modern dance, to a new generation of students at Penn State, including KINES 20 and DANCE 261 students. These two courses, one meant for Health and Wellness credits and the latter for Arts credits, are both Introduction to Modern Dance courses. Unlike the actual dance company courses in the past, these two courses include not only advanced dancers but intermediate dancers and beginners as well, as they are introductory dance classes.

Park took the initiative of asking this group of students whether they’d be interested in a dance company to keep the show going. With most of his students expressing their eager interest, the Abington Dance Company was able to start up again. According to Park, the purpose of the Abington Dance Company is “to try to bring a performance aspect of dance to the university… This company allows us to put on a performance at the end of the semester.” And by offering this option to the new set of students, Park and the Abington campus are now offering said performance opportunity to dancers of all levels.

One Company student, Mari Austin, who’s been dancing since the age of three, says “I feel honored to be a part of Dance Co since it’s the first year [the end of the semester show is] happening [in person] again since COVID hit and everything shut down. I decided to join to push myself more in dancing, enjoy myself, and feel a part of something on campus.” To that note, the Company is a chance for dancers to learn, practice, and grow in their creative and athletic ability. Park says, “it’s a chance for students to learn modern dance at a more difficult level while exploring and appreciating other styles of dance.” Company students not only dance to the pieces choreographed by Park, but also choreograph their own pieces. Student pieces can be of any genre or a combination of genres, and can be to music from any part of the world, lyrical or instrumental. Everything from ballet to Bollywood is theirs for the taking. 

Not only does Dance Company provide this team of dancers the opportunity to perform and develop their talent, but it also gives them a chance to develop their relationships with one another while they prepare for their performances. Another Company student, Andrew Harnishfeger, a first-time dancer and a transfer student who doesn’t know many people on campus yet says, “I’m pretty excited to be part of Dance Company. I do get a little nervous about performing but it’s nice to be part of the group and that’s half of why I joined in the first place. I really wanted to try something different and get out of my comfort zone, and company was a nice way to do that. It also is a good way to get to know more people.”

After coordinating with the Winter sports teams regarding their practice and game schedules as well as with other Fall performing arts courses which plan on putting on their own performances at the end of the semester, the Dance Company will set a date for their show predicted to take place some time in December. So, keep an eye on those Outlook inboxes and the campus bulletin boards for flyers regarding the Company’s Fall performance, and come out to the Mezzanine in the Athletics Building to support Abington dancers.