From studio to competition: Rebecca Fawley explains
Rebecca Fawley is a junior Business Administration major from Wisconsin Rapids, and she is a member of Viterbo’s competitive dance team. She has always had a love for dance, starting at four years old. Starting in ballet and tap, she later learning other dance styles such as jazz. She continued her dance career throughout high school, joining the dance team and participating in studio dance.
In her early years of dance, she was able to really focus on ballet, tap, and jazz. Fawley stated that in her early stages of dance, the help of various instructors helped her improve her technique and be able to move to the next level. She spent most of her dancing career studying dance to which she said, “[It] required many hours spent in class learning a great variety of styles.” She was not introduced to a dance team until she was in high school, which can be difficult for someone who has only participated in studio dance.
Transitioning to a dance team can be challenging since it primarily focuses on being uniform, whereas studio dancing does not. The goal of a dance team is to look like one dancer. Being on a team allows dancers to receive feedback from judges. It also promotes teamwork, which has since helped her continue to the collegiate level to dance. Both styles of dance require a great amount of discipline. Fawley stated that with her background in studio dancing and dance team, she has become a more well-rounded dancer.
When asked about her inspiration growing up, she mentioned Mark Goodman, a well-known dancer, who travels the world teaching different types of dance classes. Fawley was fortunate when she was in high school to participate in one of his classes. She loved the experience and gained a lot of knowledge from a world-renowned dancer such as Goodman.
After Fawley graduates, she does not plan to continue dancing, even though it has played a major role in her life. She is thankful to have the chance to dance in college. Although she says she will not be dancing after graduation, she is thankful for all the life-long relationships she has built and the memories she has created through her years of dance.