Shining the spotlight on Freeflow among traditional clubs

Freeflow has not always been an original club. It was started by a few students who stayed after school everyday to just dance and create choreography with each other. These students were hip hop dancers who wanted to start a club but could not do this on their own due to the lack of a sponsor. They would periodically get told that they had to leave by custodians and teachers for this reason.

“I would walk by and see them practicing very often so the custodian asked me if I could be the cosponsor and I accepted. He no longer works at BG,” Freeflow instructor Michelle Price said.

Then as Price kindly accepted, she began going to the students practices. The students were able to continue choreographing together and stay after school without being told to leave. Over the years Freeflow has been very student organized. After the first year of being an official club, they organized a yearly multicultural show. The members work together to create choreography and prepare for the shows. This gives them the opportunity to put their choreography out there for everyone to see.

Throughout the year the members come together to fundraise by selling candy and working at concession stands at BG games. The money goes to a choreographer that comes in once a week to continue teaching choreography . The dance taught at BG is also taught to the WHS Freeflow team. The two groups have recently started teaming up to perform together at halftime during basketball games.

“Over the years that I have been in Freeflow the number of member has increased and the amount of different styles of dance has also increased,” junior Fauzah Nantambi said.

There are two divisions of Freeflow, Company and open class. Open class is on Wednesdays and everyone is welcome regardless of whether they have previous dance experience or not. Company consists of 11 people, and practice is held on Wednesday and Thursday.

“Freeflow has a way bigger group from when we first started,” junior Divya Karuppiah said.

According to Price, dancers will only perform if they continuously come to practice, know the material and practice hard. Performances are for Company only but there will be a time when open class and company will combine in a performance at basketball games.

“Freeflow is fun and I love dancing. It makes me happy, helps relieve stress and makes me feel unique,” Nantambi said.

According to Price, the choreography is fairly hard and she also learns it in case the choreographer cannot come or if anyone ever comes to her with a question about the choreography during the day. Freeflow is open to everyone, and auditions to be in Company are open from time to time whenever Price sees fit.

“Dancing always brings me out of my everyday comfort zone and gives me an adrenaline rush,” Karuppiah said.