The Branson dance team has returned, hoping eventually to perform at pep rallies, games and other school events.
The dance team will be led by Annabelle Garfinkle ’28, Mika Chow ’28 and Ella McCracken ’29, as well as faculty adviser Christine Cali. They plan to offer a varsity program of five to nine students and a JV team open to all. The team held an informational meeting on Nov. 14 and is planning to have auditions later this year.
“Last year, Mika and I talked about wanting to have more opportunities to perform and dance at Branson, especially seeing other schools’ spirit teams. We felt inspired this year, and when we brought up the idea to others, they seemed excited about it too,” Garfinkle said.
Cali, who is in her first year at Branson, is looking forward to expanding the dance program beyond the current classes.
“The students approached me and seemed like they had been excited about the idea for a few years, but before we really didn’t have the bandwidth for it, as Alex [Escalante] was the only dance teacher at Branson,” Cali said.
While the Branson dance team is still working out exactly what it will look like, it aims to be a program with opportunities for all students, regardless of skill level.
“We’re still shaping what exactly the team is because we don’t want it to be super competitive. We’d like it to be really inclusive,” Cali said.
The team aims to give dance opportunities to more of the school.
“[One of the biggest goals is] to create a space for people to dance, whether or not they are involved in the dance program at Branson,” Garfinkle said.
Cali emphasized that she doesn’t want the dance location on campus to isolate them.
“We want to be a through line to dance at Branson; we’re not just over here in the studio. We want to draw people in,” Cali said.
The leaders hope that, in bringing back the dance team, they will create a program that continues far after their graduation.
“I hope just to help support dance as a meaningful form of expression at Branson but also to do that in a way that is inclusive and exciting and really powerful,” Cali said. “It’s just really about connecting people.”
