Saturday October 12th, 2013 was a wonderful day in New York City!

About 50 alum, representing 40 years of dance at Williams, participated in some or all of the events. From dance class in the morning, to a perfect weather picnic in Central Park, and then to a reception at the Chen Dance Center in Chinatown, where current seniors (Randy Reyes and Malik Sharpe) shared a bit about their work in dance, we had a chance to reconnect with old friends and soak in the creative energy that made the dance program a pivotal part of our Williams College experience.

I am so glad to have been a part of the first, and hopefully not the last event like this.  As the 10 year anniversary of the ’62 Center approaches, I believe that we the alumni need to build a strong voice to help support the future of the dance program and the students who participate in it.

I have had so many conversations over the years on how much the dance program provided a community and outlet for the relief of stresses that come from being in a college like Williams.  It not only was an inclusive and truly diverse community, but helped influence the career choices of so many of us, including me.  The arts provide a space in which we can process and reflect on ourselves and our surroundings.  Without the dance program and the dance groups at Williams, our memories of Williams would have been very different.

That said, as we move into 2014, your input and action is very much needed as we plan the next event and as we discuss development of the dance program at Williams.  Questions that have come up since we began have been as follows:

• How often do we gather and should they occur at Williams?
• Should they be just networking and fun events or should they be fundraisers for the dance program?
• What input should alumni have in the 10 year anniversary of the ’62 Center?
• Should alumni push to support the movement of the dance program into becoming a Concentration and/or a Major for students at Williams.

I am sure there are many more questions.  Please join the conversation as your input is a valuable resource.

Thank you Sandra Burton, Juan Baez, Aaron Jenkins, Renee Dumouchel, Ayanna Smith, Kyle Martin, Will Smith, and Heather Brubaker  for helping to make this first event such a success.

Thanks also to Andy and Juan for the wonderful pictures.