Edye chose the name Dance Exposé because she wanted people to see a new genre of dancing and art. From country music to jazz and Broadway hits, Dance Exposé incorporates a large array of musical styles in its productions. “I describe the Dance Exposé Company as a variety production company. There is something for everyone in each show,” says Allen.

Allen’s dance company is unique because “It’s basically a one-woman show,” she says. Besides training dancers, Allen can be found working on choreography, fundraising, designing costumes, arranging lighting, and a myriad of other tasks related to a successful production.

“Sometimes it amazes me that we maintain the company with so few volunteers and little funding,” she says. Dance Exposé has been looking for additional funding sources, sponsors, and investors in order to launch additional programs in the community.

Allen is preparing for a production scheduled for the end of March. The dance concert “Let Me Entertain You” will include a country medley, a matrix medley, and a Broadway medley.

Dance Exposé has had over 150 members in the past 15 years. Allen’s daughter, who just turned 14, is a dancer with Dance Exposé. “It’s amazing to think that kids who started dancing at 14 or 15 are now turning 30,” says Allen, “It is rewarding to have former students come back and thank me for the dance training, and for the life training they received. One of my former students, Keith Kool, now dances on Broadway. He flew me to New York to see him perform,” she says proudly.

Teresa Ewers, another former student, has always been impressed with Allen’s dedication to Exposé. “She has a support system of unpaid volunteers who have been working with her for years,” says Ewers. “The need for sponsorships of the dance company is great.” When she finds a sponsor for the productions, Allen makes sure that 100 percent of the funding goes into the production.

Dance Exposé also does video production, and Allen hopes to start a line of dance videos later this year. One of her major goals is to expand her scholarship program so that more kids can be involved. “Right now I have a group of performers that are high achievers. They are learning discipline, self respect, and respect of others, while learning in a fun environment,” she says.

KESHET DANCE COMPANY

On the other side of town, another dance hub exists. In downtown Albuquerque, Keshet Dance Company is the second largest dance company in the state. Shira Greenberg founded Keshet—part professional dance company and part community outreach center - 10 years ago. The two parts create one of the most progressive dance companies in the Southwest. This nonprofit company invites guest artists from around the United States who spend two to four weeks each year creating new dances and teaching classes at Keshet.

When Greenberg moved to Albuquerque from Minneapolis 12 years ago, she wanted to use her dance background. She also wanted to work with children and do social work.

“I realized that I would have to get several jobs to accomplish all that I wanted to accomplish,” she says with a laugh. She decided to open Keshet because there wasn’t a place to take modern dance classes in the city. It also seemed like a good way to house all of her interests under one roof. “I picked the name Keshet, which means ‘rainbow’ in Hebrew, because all my different interests seem like a rainbow,” she says.

Over 300 students a week now come through Keshet’s doors and any given day will find dancers rehearsing, choreographing, or teaching. The dancers at Keshet act as mentors in studio classes for youth and adults. From two-year-olds learning creative movement to professional dancers rehearsing for shows, Keshet has a wide variety of ongoing activities.

A wheel with many spokes is the way Greenberg describes the community programs that Keshet is involved in. The dance company offers mixed ability classes where people with different disabilities come and dance.

“We have people who are learning to dance in their wheelchairs, people who are blind, and several other disability situations,” says Greenberg. Greenberg uses dance as a vehicle to accomplish many things, including coordinating arts programming under the Title I Homeless Project.

“We aren’t teaching homeless children to be professional dancers, we are teaching them to believe in themselves,” she says. Keshet is also involved with the New Mexico State Youth Detention Center. Greenberg said they use dance to teach literacy, math, and conflict resolution skills. An example of how dance can help teach math is taken directly from Keshet’s math curriculum:

“Spatial patterns and carefully mapped out transitions from position to position are examples of how dance can relate to geometric concepts. Dancers can travel across the floor with specific directions such as swinging their legs and reaching only acute angles as they travel, while their arms maintain obtuse angles.”

Greenberg, who has been interested in dance since she was a little girl, relates the story of how she saw “The Nutcracker” when she was four years old. “My parents said that I got up and danced in the aisles and wouldn’t sit down to watch the production,” she says. Later, at the age of 10, Greenberg performed in “The Nutcracker” with the same dance company that she saw when she was four.

“When we do our shows with Keshet and I see children dancing in the aisles, I think ‘Wow! Maybe someday they will start their own dance company.’”

Dance Exposé and Keshet Dance Company offer a range of classes and productions and both have opportunities for volunteers and sponsors.

Lisa J. Tabet is a New Mexico native who studied print journalism at the University of New Mexico. She lives in Albuquerque with her husband John and their fetching kitten , Sydney. She enjoys a good discussion about politics or reality television.