The Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment is reaching students in more ways than one.
Kelli Rhodes-Stevens, professor of dance, is the choreographer of a dance video posted to the Oklahoma City University YouTube channel that has gone viral. The video, set to the song “Torn” by James TW, has over two million views and 27,000 likes on YouTube.
Rhodes-Stevens said the dance was choreographed in the 2016 fall semester and uploaded to YouTube in January of 2017.
“We have different goals for the combinations we do in class. Sometimes we get things that has some artistic aesthetic that transcends the objectives of the syllabus,” Rhodes-Stevens said.
Rhodes-Stevens said she and the students liked the song chosen for the piece.
“I thought that this could be an interesting opportunity if we can get someone to film it. It could resonate with possible students and be great for recruitment,” she said.
The choreography was taught and filmed in the jazz B red class. The class was comprised of sophomores, juniors and seniors, all of whom have graduated.
Rhodes-Stevens said the video was not instantly viral.
“It was kind of interesting. It first started with a little surge, and then it died out,” she said.
Rhodes-Stevens said she is not sure what exactly caused the resurgence in popularity.
“I started to ask around, but apparently a couple of dance Instagram pages had shared it. Now when you search jazz dance on YouTube, it’s one of the first videos that pops up,” she said.
Rhodes-Stevens said the original dancers have since moved on to professional jobs, such as the first national tour of “Bandstand,” the North American tour of “Margaritaville,” “Newsies” in Washington D.C., the Royal Caribbean Cruise in eastern Asia, and the Celebrity Cruise Line in Alaska.
Rhodes-Stevens said the video has captured the attention of current and prospective students.
“I had hoped that it would be something that would resonate with prospective students, and I’ve had a few people who told me that that video made an effect on their decision to come to OCU,” she said.
Rhodes-Stevens said the video has boosted morale in the dance school.
“Even though none of the current students are in the video, it’s something fun for current students to rally around,” she said.
Jeffery Dubey, dance junior, said the video has made the dance program more visible to outsiders.
“It’s definitely made us feel less stuck in a bubble. More people know about what goes on here,” Dubey said. “It’s really exciting to know that other people can see what we are doing here and hopefully inspire more students to come.”
Rhodes-Stevens said she is proud of the work put into the video.
“I never expected it to have this many views,” she said. “I am proud of it, and I’m glad it does. Anything we can do to spread our talent and what we do here is a positive thing.”
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