You might have noticed the billboards around town for the 37th Annual Black College Dance Exchange (BCDE) April 12-15. Prairie View A&M University’s performing dance company, Classic Dance Ensemble, along with the Health and Kinesiology Department within the Whitlowe R. Green College of Education, hosted the event this year with the theme, “Reflection, Refocus and Rejuvenation: Celebrating the Performing Arts Through Dance.”

“The Black College Dance Exchange is open to all college dance performing groups, private studios, community groups, and organizations. Over 100 people participated, including students from several schools in our K-12 community and dancers from eight other HBCUs across the nation,” said Sherry Harper, Dance Director, and organizer of this year’s event. “Conferences like these really show the community what PVAMU is about, and it lets everyone know we are in tune with the performing and liberal arts.”

The BCDE kicked off with a cross-campus procession featuring PVAMU’s Marching Storm, Panther Dolls, Iconic Living Legends, and Trail Riders. There was also a comedy show in conjunction with Spring Fest, a banquet, concerts, panel discussions, and dozens of Dance-focused classes during the four-day event.

“We had African Dance classes, Ballet, Modern Dance, Tap Dance, Jazz, Break Dancing, and Hip Hop classes, just to name a few,” said Harper. “Our master dance instructors represented some prestigious dance companies and organizations from coast to coast. Participants were able to interact with them and ask as many questions as time could permit.”

The BCDE also featured a scholarship audition in which students received awards to join summer intensive dance programs.

“Three PVAMU students received scholarships, two for our University’s performing dance company, Classic Dance Ensemble, and one alum was awarded a scholarship to the Dallas Black Dance Company Summer Dance Intensive,” said Harper. “It was a memorable occasion, not only for our students but for every student who attended the Black College Dance Exchange. I believe everyone needs to know what we do as dancers. Dance is a necessity, and the Performing Arts is an essential element in any academic setting. We appreciate the opportunity of hosting the BCDE this year and look forward to building on the tradition that was set forth by the conference which promotes dance education in America, and dance discipline in institutions of higher learning while expanding on opportunities for amateur dance performers and students.”

Harper was recently nominated to receive the position of first Vice President on the Black College Dance Exchange National Board of Directors.

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-This story by Marchita Shilo originally appeared in Academic Insights.