Energetic music pumps through the speakers in Carleton University’s combatives room. The choreography teacher, Selena Walker, demonstrates a fast-paced hip-hop routine while dancers look to mirror her movements.
Madison Clark and Senuli Kariyawasam, second-year Carleton students who share a passion for dance, founded the new CU Hip Hop club.
Dance helped the duo find their self-assuredness.
“I feel like I was very shy before, and now I’m confident,” Kariyawasam said. “Not only when dancing, but also in our day-to-day lives. I know I walk with confidence.”
Clark and Kariyawasam said they started the club to build a community and bring up other Carleton students’ self-esteem.
“Dance is so powerful in that way,” Clark said. “Having an open space to be able to try a new style of dance is super important, especially in college or university.
“It’s a time to discover, learn more about yourself and explore new things.”
Unsure whether their first dance workshop would attract any interest, the founders hired Walker, a second-year Carleton student and dance teacher at downtown dance studio Flava Factory, a downtown dance studio, to lead the choreography.
Eight people with beginner to advanced skills attended.
“To see those beginners do those hard moves and feel comfortable enough to know it was an environment where we weren’t gonna judge them — that’s what I was happy about,” Kariyawasam said.
CU Hip Hop is an important addition to Ottawa’s dance scene, because not many clubs focus on hip-hop or street dancing, Walker said.
The genre is all about creativity and expression, Walker said. Her best advice for beginners is to “just go for it.”
“The more you practice, the better you become.”
In the future, Clark and Kariyawasam said they hope to host events and collaborate with other clubs to bring more people to hip-hop.
“One of our biggest goals is to end next year with a showcase,” Kariyawasam added.
As the club continues to grow, the core mission remains simple.
“All we really want is to bring people together and enjoy dance,” Clark said.
Featured image by Madison Clark
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