Before coming to Hopkins, sophomore Brittany Sterrett was involved in a pre-professional ballet program with a rigorous practice schedule: three hours a day, six days a week. She decided to quit her sophomore year of high school because she knew she wasn't going to be a professional dancer. "I couldn't see myself just dancing for the rest of my life," Sterrett said.
Last year, she decided to take a crack at the modern dance class offered at Hopkins. "Coming to modern [dance] was difficult because I didn't have the discipline I was used to. As far as technique, ballet was much harder," said Sterrett, who has studied with teachers from the famous Kirov and Bolshoi ballet companies in Russia.
Sterret, now president of the 13-member Modern Dance Company, has been involved with the group since her freshman year. Dance groups are rare even among the sparse arts organizations at Hopkins, and the MDC has included men in the past, but is currently all-female. The company, whose 25th anniversary is next year, was one of the clubs that advocated for the Mattin center.
Most of the group's dances, which are choreographed by Marilyn Byers, are "dramatic pieces about some sort of issue," said Sterrett. "One piece last year was about the homeless." Her favorite piece is called The Crow, based on Hitchcock's movie of the same name. The beginning of the dance is set in a graveyard and many dance moves, including several leg extensions, reflect the somber mood. "It's the most technically difficult piece," Sterrett said.
In addition to rehearsing 10 hours per week, Sterrett teaches a ballet class at a local elementary school once a week. "The kids get really excited to come to class. In Baltimore, they don't really have any sort of arts at all. " Her main goal for the dance company is for it to become more recognized on campus. "I know a lot of people don't know it exists. I want to get a bigger core group who are interested in performing, including people who have no experience. I want dance to be a more integral part of Hopkins life."
