As someone who has been dancing their whole life, finding new opportunities on campus where I can express myself through dance is so important to me. Bucknell offers both academic and extracurricular dance opportunities for students of all backgrounds. This includes a dance minor and multiple dance teams. However, most of these opportunities require a substantial amount of commitment.
After coming across an Instagram post, I discovered BU Stampede, a hip-hop dance club, at Bucknell that looked like so much fun. I wanted to learn more about the club and shed some light on it at Bucknell, so I held a small interview with one of the Stampede’s founders and current President, Melaina Polan.
Melaina explained her background with hip hop dance and how she was looking for a dance club at Bucknell that wasn’t structured around performances. As a member of the cheerleading team, she knew that she would have other commitments. Since there was a common interest among her friends, they began hosting dance classes in November of 2019. As interest began to build, BU Stampede was officially recognized as a club in October of 2020.
Everyone has the freedom to express themselves in an inclusive space that requires low commitment. As Melaina states, “The purpose of the club is to present an inclusive space for dancers of all levels to commune biweekly to learn hip-hop choreography.”
The first time I went to dance with Bucknell Stampede, I had a really great time. The choreography was easy to pick up and the environment was very welcoming. It was also acknowledged that the club has leadership opportunities for members to take part in. Personally, I’m looking forward to attending more in the future and potentially teaching my own choreography as well. I definitely recommend attending if you want to get involved on campus or just to get some exercise in a fun way.
BU Stampede meets every two weeks on Sunday evenings. For more information, reach out to President Melaina Polan (mlap001@bucknell.edu)
Make sure to follow @bustampede on Instagram!