A 'different' take on dance at Yale

For years, an unwritten rule said that dance groups had to specialize in one of the well-known, conventional forms of dance. In February 1997, this rule went the way of The Locomotion.

Ilona Paulin, TD '98, and Naomi Koppel, TC '99, founded A Different Drum to be unlike any other dance group at Yale. Its goal is "to have the biggest variety of dances that we can," according to Paulin, who is also one of the presidents of the group. A Different Drum incorporates dances from around the world into its repertoire--unlike other groups at Yale that concentrate on purely classical, hip-hop, or ballroom dance.

Paulin has extensive experience--she danced all through high school, taking a course in composition and even teaching dance on the side. But despite her expertise, Paulin did not dance at Yale until the birth of A Different Drum. Instead, she joined the golf and ski teams freshman year, then got involved in theater. She didn't think about dancing until the end of her sophomore year, when she began talking with several friends.

"There were a few other girls and I who said, `Hey! Yale could use another dance group,'" Paulin said. It took a year for A Different Drum to go from an idea to a reality. "At the end of last year we had meetings and auditions and ended up with 16 dancers."

The auditions reinforced the founders' vision of their group, as each candidate performed a radically different dance sequence. The group has since expanded to 25 dancers, who bring more than seven different fields of expertise to the group. Although all of the current members are female, several men will be performing with them this week in a Russian folk dance.

A Different Drum featured dancers in last weekend's Stand Up and Dance, which included all six of Yale's dance groups and benefited four New Haven charities. Most of the group's effort this year, however, has gone into this weekend's big performance. "We've been sitting through tech performance all week, and it's amazing how different the dances really are," said Paulin. "They look really professional."

This year's selection of dances includes classical ballet, tap, modern, Indian folk, hip-hop, funk, and Russian folk.

"It's been really exciting watching the dances come together. Tech week is the first time I've gotten to see all the different costumes and dances. They look really great," Paulin said.

The fruits of A Different Drum's ongoing labor will be on display this weekend. The group is performing Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in the Timothy Dwight dining hall. To experience a truly innovative, inspiring and, well, different dance group, it should be worth the trek to Temple Street.

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