Name: Hannah Gold
Year: Senior
Major: Biology, Dance Minor
Extracurricular Activities: AHANA Dance President, Organic Chemistry EPASS Tutor, 1836 Dinner Host
Tameka: What is AHANA?
Hannah: AHANA is Emory’s largest student-run dance organization on campus. We hold auditions every Fall and Spring for dancers and student choreographers. We feature new work by our choreographers in a showcase at the end of each semester. We also audition other dance groups on Emory’s campus to perform in our show. Our members have a wide range of dance backgrounds in many different genres. One thing I love about AHANA is that each semester offers a completely new mix of dance styles. Our shows have included everything from hip-hop to bhangra to contemporary modern to jazz pieces. I’ve been in AHANA for eight semesters now and each show has been totally unique, and my friends have been to every show for eight semesters and never get bored of them–well, at least they never tell me they do.
T: How did you get involved?
H: I found out about AHANA in a meeting that the dance department held (yay Emory Dance!!) for new freshmen looking to find ways to get involved in dance. The senior girl who was AHANA president at the time stood up and told us about what AHANA was and when auditions were. I decided then and there that one day I would be AHANA president, and the dance department would ask me to come and speak to freshmen on AHANA’s behalf. I danced in AHANA my freshmen year, then served on the executive board my sophomore year as the Fundraising Chair. I became president the following year, and here we are!
T: What sparked your interest in dance?
H: I have been dancing since I was five years old. I love to dance. It’s great because it’s exercise like running on the treadmill is exercise, except dance is fun and interesting. When I was young I wanted to be a ballerina, but in first grade my ballet teacher told me I had too big of a belly in my leotard and had to stand at the back of the barre. I didn’t let this get me down and I kept trying but then my ballet teacher in 8th grade told me I was too short and that I should try modern dance. Turns out, modern dance is my thing. I still do ballet because I love it, and the great news is that my Emory ballet teachers have been nothing but supportive. That’s true of pretty much everyone associated with Emory Dance. I love Emory Dance!!
T: What is your goal for this year’s showcase?
H: I hope that our Spring showcase sells out. At every show, there is a moment before the performance starts where all of AHANA waits for the house managers to come backstage and tell us if there is room in the audience for us to watch each other. There’s usually room, because the Performing Arts Studio seats like 300 people. This semester, I hope they tell us there’s no room to watch. This honestly might happen, but that’s because my entire extended family has decided they must come see my last dance performance at Emory. Buy your tickets early, folks, or else your seat may be taken by my third cousin.
T: How can people get involved/stay up to date on performances?
H: If you like to dance, even if you think you can’t dance or don’t have enough dance background, come out to auditions at the beginning of each semester. Auditions are fun and low-key and while I can’t guarantee you’ll be cast, I can guarantee you’ll have a good time. If you like to watch dance, come out to our shows at the end of each semester. To stay up to date on all of these things, visit/like AHANA’s Facebook page where our fabulous Public Relations chairs are always posting information about auditions and performances: https://www.facebook.com/AHANA-Dance-537746089634017/