New York choreographer and Harker alum Ankita Sharma (’16) hosted a contemporary dance workshop for students on Sept. 20 from 3:15 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. in the dance room.

The workshop introduced students to improvisational techniques and Sharma’s experimental choreography style. It aimed to push students past their boundaries and adapt to new material.

Sharma opened the workshop with an impromptu warmup where they instructed students to guide each other through the movements using skin and muscle contact. They then shifted to weight-sharing, which encourages dancers to explore different shapes and positions for supporting their partners’ bodies.

Students also learned seven eight-counts of intermediate-advanced choreography containing leaps, knee drops and floorwork. The routine emphasized rhythmic and powerful moves, a combination Sharma links to their choreography style and past experiences with dance. 

“I started in dance, but I’m more of a performance artist now that works with movement,” Sharma said. “I’m super experimental and grungy and [focus on] very grounded muscular movement.”

Harker Dance Company member Olivia Zhao (9) attended the workshop because of her interest in contemporary choreography styles. She spoke about learning the choreography and highlighted Sharma’s performance at the end of the session.

“Compared to other contemporary dances I’ve done before, it’s way less technical, but the level of performance and energy was much higher,” Olivia said.

Dance teacher Rachelle Haun views these workshops as a chance for students to see how they can incorporate dance into their futures, whether through becoming a choreographer like Sharma or interacting with the art in other ways. She also uses the opportunity to expose students to new styles of dance and teaching.

“My favorite part is having our students work with different teachers,” Rachelle Haun said. “They’re so used to how we teach and how we choreograph, and they have such a hard time with the choreographers that we bring in.”

While students may initially struggle with unfamiliar choreography, Sharma hopes to broaden their perspectives by introducing them to new techniques designed to support openness and growth. 

“If you want to be a dancer, you have to love it with your whole heart. Always make sure you’re looking at what you’re doing with kindness,” Sharma said. “It’s easy to be judgmental when you’re in front of a mirror all day, but it’s really precious that our bodies move like they do. Just enjoying that is really important.”