Emily Redd, who graduated from UNC-Greensboro (UNC-G) in December, is Northwood’s newest dance teacher. Redd is filling in as a substitute this semester for Leah Wilhelm, who is on leave.
Because Redd was not approved by the Board of Education before the semester started, her dance classes were taught by multiple substitutes.
“It was really slow,” said Natalie Martin, a senior in Dance IV. “We didn’t really do much. Ms. Oakes still led us through exercises and turns and leaps, but it wasn’t very organized. I could tell that [Oakes] was really stressed because of the situation.”
Because Oakes was responsible for all dance classes, she had to supervise up to two classes in the same space. According to Macie Marsh, a sophomore in Dance I, the crowded environment was especially stressful for students taking dance for the first time.
“They had to have all 60 of us the first two periods in the same classroom,” Marsh said. “We felt like we were holding everyone back, but we were only trying to learn.”
For about a week, Ebony Grissett-Delgado, Wilhelm’s temporary substitute last semester, filled in. This was comforting for junior McKenzie Johnson, who had Delgado last semester.
“It was scary, because you don’t know what the teacher’s going to be like,” Johnson said. “Ebony didn’t start out with us; we just had different [substitutes] come in. Ebony came in and we were more comfortable, but then she had to leave again.”
Despite students’ fears, Redd was embraced by Northwood.
“[The school] was very welcoming, like a family,” Redd said. “The whole arts department [is] so close, so it’s really nice to have several people to fall back on if I have questions.”
Redd trained as a dancer in a studio setting before majoring in Dance Education at UNC-G.
“I started off dancing in a studio, and from there I competed in competitions,” Redd said. “Then I went to UNC-G and did my dancing there. [I’ve done] contemporary mainly, ballet, jazz, some tap and some clogging.”
Redd utilizes her training in different styles when teaching.
“I think my style is different; I’m a little more contemporary-based, so it will be interesting to see how [the students] deal with that,” Redd said.
According to Martin, this new style of teaching is beneficial.
“I think that it’s going to be a really great class,” Martin said. “Her style of teaching is different, but really great… [She adds] her own style of dancing, and we also are learning different dance variations and different dance moves that are unfamiliar to us… It’s always good to have a different look upon the art of dance.”
– By Sara Heilman