Destiny Rodney ‘22 is a senior with a passion for dance and violin. Rodney combines both art forms in a unique project to be included in her college applications. Mercersburg News sat down with Rodney to discuss her aesthetic process as well as a few of the challenges that she faces.
Mercersburg News: What are you working on?
Destiny Rodney: I am currently working on choreographing a modern/contemporary dance piece and fusing it Bourreé, a violin movement from Bach’s E Major Partita.
MN: How did you come up with this idea?
DR: Originally, my violin teacher and I were brainstorming how I can properly present my dance training and violin training succinctly in my college application so that both art styles could be conveyed properly. We came up with the idea to merge the two art forms into one, which allowed me to showcase to colleges more of what I’m passionate about while also creating a unique performance method.
MN: How long have you been playing violin and how long have you been dancing?
DR: I’ve been playing violin for a little under five years now, I believe. I’ve been dancing forever, since maybe second or third grade. But I never really took it seriously. I would participate in about one forty-five-minute hip-hop class a week up until eighth grade when I began training in ballet as well. Once I came to Mercersburg, I fully immersed myself in the dance program, where I had the opportunity to practice in every genre of dance. That’s when I really committed myself to the art form.
MN: Have you choreographed any dances before?
DR: I have! I choreographed a couple of group dances over the years, with the dancers in the dance PGA. I’ve done a solo piece that I performed in the Spring Dance Concert last year, my junior year. I’m also planning on doing more this upcoming year, so I’m super excited!
MN: What are the challenges that come with this project?
DR: First thing first is the Bach E Major Partita, which is technically difficult. It’s a very fast movement, so just playing it by itself can get very difficult. It is also extremely fun, but after working on it for a few months now, I’ve found that choreographing to it brings a whole new level of difficulty that I’ve never experienced before. Because it’s so fast, my movements have to correspond with the tempo of the music, so it’s going to be an athletic experience, to say the least. On top of that, to show my technical prowess in dance I have to stick to one genre, Modern.