Meghan Fluker  Tom Adams Scholarship

For Meghan, the audience is her main inspiration, and while performing she focuses
on filling the theatre with her presence. Meghan attended the American Dance Festival,
where, besides dancing, she enjoyed being an audience member and drawing from
other performers.

In ten years, after attending her dream conservatory (Julliard, of course), Meghan
hopes to still be performing professionally and to have opened an arts camp for children.
 


Meghan performs with BTWHSPVA at the 2008 Curtain Call Dance Festival
photo by Sharen Bradford

My summer at American Dance Festival was full of challenges and discoveries that helped me to grow both personally and artistically.

One of the advantages to ADF is that you get to create your own schedule and the Dean approves everyone’s schedule. My goal going into ADF was to go outside of my comfort zone and try things I have never done before.   I had the opportunity to take Pam Pietro’s class which is release technique. This was a technique I have never studied before but by the end I was comfortable with the class. It was because of the class that I learned to be grounded and dance bigger than I am use to. Since I’m short that was a very helpful skill to learn. I also found who I am as a dancer. I found the way I like to move and the way I choreograph. I like to dance slowly, fluid, and with tons of emotion. In the end I think the most important thing I learned was to inspire people with my dancing.  Being a dancer is not just about looking pretty or getting your leg up but what you make the audience feel. I hope that is a skill that I will keep with me forever.

Another important experience at ADF was performance opportunities.  I performed a new piece choreographed by Mark Dendy. I was also able to watch tons of professional companies perform. The companies I watched were Ailey II, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Battleworks, Trisha Brown Dance Company, Dayton Contemporary, Eiko & Koma, John Jasperse Company, Keigwin + Company, Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, Limon Dance Company, Martha Graham Dance Company, David Parsons, Pilobolus, Shen Wei Dance Arts, Paul Taylor Dance Company, and Doug Varone and Dancers. I learned so much from all of these companies. For example, I learned that it is ok to take chances when you dance. I learned that you don’t always have to have your leg up in the air in order to inspire someone in the audience. I also learned that I like to watch dancers enjoy themselves on stage. If they are not enjoying themselves then I am not enjoying watching them. I hope that I help a dancer realize what I realized.

At ADF I made so many connections.  I was able to get feedback from teachers that teach at colleges that I’m interested in attending. Also, I attended Dianne McIntyre’s award ceremony and the dinner that followed after. The dinner is where I was able to talk to Dianne about life and dance. She shared with me this quote “If we all danced the same dance, maybe then we would all be free. “ It is because of that quote that I see life and dance differently. I still remember the way I felt when she said that. I plan to share those words with other dancers.  I only hope that it helps other dancers like it has helped me.

My teachers at ADF were amazing. I learned so much from them. I was able to take Brenda Daniels class. Brenda teaches Cunningham technique at North Carolina School of the Arts. What I learned from her was to think like the dancer I want to be and dance like the dancer I am. I remember watching her demonstrate the combinations and thinking to myself “wow she is so beautiful.” I am so lucky to have studied with her. As I mentioned earlier I also was able to take class from Pam Pietro. Pam teaches release technique at New York University. Pam taught me to move like it is my last time to move, to savor every second while dancing. I hope all my teachers at ADF know how much they taught me and that I am truly grateful.

If I was not given the Tom Adams Scholarship I would not have been able to attend American Dance Festival.  I would not have learned everything I learned over the summer and I would not have FOUND MYSELF. It is because of this scholarship that I experienced the summer of my life. I will forever remember this summer and I will forever remember who made it possible. I hope you continue to give artists the opportunity to grow and find who they are by providing scholarships such as these

In closing my summer at American Dance Festival was full of challenges and discoveries that helped me to grow both personally and artistically.  It was the best summer of my life!

I would like to thank the Dance Council and everyone
who made this summer and amazing one.

Meghan Fluker