Alexis Fuscaldo ’22
EA students practice for countless hours perfecting their craft in their respective sports. However, the EA Dance Team is considered a winter sport and fulfills the sports requirement, even though they do not receive varsity letters as all other varsity sports do. Dance is a cut sport like most other sports at EA.
Head Coach Cara Lavallee said, “We can only carry a total of forty kids for lack of space and time. However, if we have less than forty kids everyone will make the team, but if we have more than forty like we do this year, we will have to make cuts. The dance team just like other varsity sports is divided into a JV and Varsity team but we practice together.” As for other schools in the area, Lavallee said “Agnes Irwin, Notre Dame, and Baldwin all consider dance at their schools a sport but whether it’s for sports or art credit is dependent upon the school.”
In her explanation of the absence of varsity letters, Lavallee adds, “Even though dance counts as a full interscholastic sport, EA only has a dance team in the winter. We do not compete against other schools because we practice for performance instead of competition and the different preparation for performances is different than for competition.”
Since Lavallee has been the head coach, she has introduced the National Honor Society for the dancers to fill the void of the varsity letters. Lavallee says, “Not everyone will get into the National Honor Society. There is a point system you that determines who is inducted into the Honor Society, as you must show a level of dedication to the dance team. But, it is nice to be able to recognize the dancers as a whole because I am unable to present them with varsity letters.”
Sona Bardakjian ‘21 believes that her fellow dancers should receive varsity letters for all of the hard work and dedication they put into learning and performing. Bardakjian says, “While the dance team does not compete competitively, the rigor, requires dedication, and comradery is the same as other winter sports.” However, other members of the dance team see a different point of view. Senior Dominic Minnicozi ‘20, who also contributes as a part of the varsity football team, is ok with not receiving a varsity letter for dance. Minicozzi said, “I understand why we don’t, we obviously don’t compete against other schools like other sports at EA. But I feel like I am satisfied being able to perform for the school in the preview and in our own concert. I’m not really concerned with how many varsity letters I take home.”
Some say that dance is an easy way out of filling a sports requirement. Bardakjian was upset by the way people see dance at EA. She said, “I think dance at EA is often looked down upon and is mistaken to be a fun, easy winter sports option. While it is very fun, it is not easy, and should not be seen as an easy way to fulfill a requirement. The art of dance is challenging, as it is the perfect blend of arts and athletics, and should be taken just as seriously as something like basketball or squash.”
Minicozzi’s point of view about the way dance is looked at, is quite different. He stated, “The comments I usually hear about dance are either that it is really difficult to get in front of an audience and do it, or that it is not as hard as other sports because we aren’t competing. I think the dance team has a pretty good reputation at EA. The student body supports us at our concert, and personally, while most of my friends think it’s funny, they definitely support my decision to do it.”
Lavallee believes, “Most people appreciate dance but they do not know how to interpret what they are seeing so they are not able to understand it. Dance is also not highly recognized or appreciated very well in school like other art forms which make dance feel like the lowest on the totem pole when comparing it to the other forms of art. I believe though that those who dance are happier people because it is such a great way to build confidence and express yourself.”