Announcements
- Please fill out the form below to be added to our mailing list to receive club updates and more dancing opportunities!
- Stay tuned for information on our spring performance!
About Us
The Dance Club offers classes in ballet, contemporary, pointe, jazz, tap and hip hop. Classes are held weekly during the academic year. Every spring, we hold a recital in which dancers from each of the classes perform choreographed numbers. No experience is required and we encourage dancers of all experience levels to join!
Member Info
- We welcome all dancers ages 18 and older! Note that classes consist of mostly college-aged students and adults.
- The first week of classes is FREE!
- For RPI students the semester fee is $75 for unlimited classes.
- For Non-RPI students the semester fee is $105 for unlimited classes.
- All classes are held in the upstairs studios at the RPI Mueller Center.
Class Schedule
All classes take place in Mueller Center 2216
Monday
Ballet Variations
6:00 - 7:30 PMBeginner Ballet
7:30 - 9:00 PMTuesday
Int/Advanced Ballet
6:00 - 7:30 PMPointe
7:30 - 8:30 PMThursday
Jazz
6:00 - 7:00 PMHip Hop
7:00 - 8:00 PMSunday
Contemporary
5:00 - 6:30 PMTap
6:30 - 7:30 PMClass Descriptions
Wide variety of dance styles
Tap
Instructor: Emily Gunter
Tap is based on tap shoes, which have a thick metal on the bottom that's used to make unique sounds. Students will learn coordination and terminology and then apply rhythm into a tap routine. The class will have a warm-up to properly loosen the ankles and knees and then move into center floor work.
Beginner Ballet
Instructor: Natasha Nigam
The beginner ballet class begins with exercises at the barre and then moves to center for combinations that incorporate the movements practiced at barre in a more performance oriented fashion.
Contemporary
Instructor: Emily Gunter
Contemporary is a mix of classical ballet and modern dance. It adapts ballet choreography to today by allowing a greater range of movement than the strict body lines of traditional ballet. This class starts off with a warm up of classical ballet and then combines it with modern dance to move the body in a variety of ways. The dances in this class combine emotions, technique, and the use of space for a beautiful end result.
Hip Hop
Instructor: Nicole Ravella
This class will introduce students to the history of Hip Hop culture with basic moves and original choreography in order to build stamina and increase musicality. Each class begins with a warm up and stretch followed by across the floor and a short combo set to hip hop music. Each class will focus on different hip hop styles, breaking, dancehall, and traditional hip hop moves to develop body balance and coordination.
Ballet Variations
Instructor: Emily Lardizabal
Variations is an hour and a half long ballet class focused on learning variations (solo dances by characters) from classical ballets. Throughout the year, we will learn several variations and choose one or two to perform in the recital as a group. The class will begin with a short warm-up barre, and then the rest of the class will be focused on learning the variation. This class is more appropriate for students in advanced ballet, as the pace of the class will be semi-fast, but those with at least some prior ballet training are welcome.
Instructors
Emily Lardizabal
Ballet Variations Instructor
Emily Lardizabal started dancing when she was three years old at Acton School of Ballet, where she took ballet and contemporary classes, as well as taught ballet to young students. She joined the Commonwealth Ballet Company in her sophomore year of high school and performed many roles, including Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, and Cinderella in the ballet adaption of the story Cinderella. Currently, Emily is a third year student, working on her B.S in Biomedical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Natasha Nigam
Beginner Ballet Instructor
Natasha Nigam started dancing when they were seven years old and trained in classical ballet, contemporary, lyrical, and jazz at Dance Theatre International in California. While at Dance Theatre International, they danced in productions such as The Nutcracker, Alice in Wonderland, and The Carnival of the Animals, and soon began teaching in jazz and ballet. Nat completed their B.S. in Physics at Rochester Institute of Technology, throughout which they choreographed and danced for the Vis Viva Dance Company. Most recently, they have completed their M.S. in Physics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. While at RPI, they continued dancing and choreographing for the RPI Dance Club, for which they served as the President, Treasurer, and Showrunner, and now upon graduating, are teaching beginner ballet.
Alie Lindsay
Int/Adv Ballet Instructor
Alexandra Lindsay is an interdisciplinary performance artist from Upstate, New York. Her training comes from former New York City Ballet dancers, Union College, Northeast Ballet Company, Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre, Dance Works of Wilton as well as other notable performance based institutions. Furthering her understanding of artistic mediums, Alexandra enjoys her work as a part time Model, Actress, and Singer. Workshops attended include a choreography workshop with Complexions and a Teachers workshop at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. During Alexandra’s time with Northeast Ballet Company, Alexandra performed and assisted with productions of The Nutcracker, Melodies of Christmas, Stories that Dance, Hatties Annual Mardi Gras, Arts Fest and Myers Annual Spring Concert. Alexandra’s repertoire includes performing in Northeast Ballet’s 1st Act of The Nutcracker in the role of Mrs. Stahlbaum, as well as numerous lead variations in Act II such as Confections, Russian, Spanish, Arabian, and Snow Queen. Her collaborative projects and choreography pieces have been shown at Yulman Theater, Proctors Theater, Saratoga Arts Festival and Schenectady Art Night.
Emily Gunter
Contemporary Instructor and Tap Instructor
Emily Gunter is a performing and teaching artist based in New York's capital region. She holds her BA in Dance and Classics from Skidmore College and is originally from Hartford, CT. She has presented original choreography at local museums, is an avid tap dancer, and performs with the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company, resident company of the Egg Performing Arts Center in Albany, NY.
Performances
upcoming and past performances
Photo Gallery
Fun events
E-Board
Meet the officers
Emily Lardizabal
President
Emily Lardizabal started dancing when she was three years old at Acton School of Ballet, where she took ballet and contemporary classes, as well as taught ballet to young students. She joined the Commonwealth Ballet Company in her sophomore year of high school and performed many roles, including Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, and Cinderella in the ballet adaptation of the story Cinderella. Currently, Emily is a second year student, working towards her B.S in Biomedical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Pia Wilson
Treasurer
Pia Wilson has been dancing most of her life, training in ballet since she was 5 years old. She completed most of the Royal Academy of Dance ballet curriculum in South Africa, where she grew up, until moving to the US in 2021, where she continued dancing at a small studio. She is now a freshman studying Biomedical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and joined the RPI dance club to continue her love of dancing.
Miranda Lee
Showrunner
Miranda Lee started dancing when she was four years old and is trained in ballet, tap, jazz, and contemporary. She competed with The Force Dance Company for Broadway Bound Dance Center in Hunterdon County, New Jersey for 10 years. She has choreographed for Broadway Bound recitals, and children's musicals local to the Hunterdon area. Currently she is studying Chemical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where she is also the Showrunner of the RPI Dance Club.
Kaleigh Martin
Secretary
Kaleigh Martin began dancing at 4 years old and danced for about 8 years before taking a break. She has since been dancing again for a little under 2 years. She is trained in ballet, contemporary, hip hop, and a little in tap and jazz. Currently she is working on her undergrad in physics here at RPI. She is also a secretary for the club.
Ariana Torres
Choreography Chair
Ariana Torres started dancing at six years old at the Coleman School of Dance and graduated high school with a performing arts seal in dance. Balancing roles as both a performer and part-time instructor, she portrayed key characters like Coppelia, Odette, and the Queen of Hearts. Now in her second semester with RPI's Dance Club, Ariana is eager to continue refining her skills and exploring new avenues of expression.
Contact
Contact Us
Our Address
110 8th Street, Troy NY 12180