Dancers work on perfecting their roles before the Saturday night performance. Credit: Hana El Nemr | Lantern Reporter
Momentum Contemporary Ballet at Ohio State is twirling students into the holiday season with its rendition of “The Nutcracker.”
The club will celebrate its fifth anniversary with a Saturday performance at the Ohio Union Performance Hall, with doors opening at 5 p.m. Since its establishment in 2019, MCB has sought to make dance accessible to all by offering weekly classes, choreography and performance opportunities, social events and group outings to ballet performances, according to its website.
Vice president Lindsey Stultz — a third-year in physics and math — is a “dance master” for the club, meaning she teaches class every week. She said the club aims to create a supportive and encouraging atmosphere, ensuring every dancer feels comfortable and motivated.
“We try to be really positive and welcoming for people in case they came from an environment where they were like, ‘I didn’t really like dancing at my old studio,’” Stultz said.
Madeline Price, the club’s treasurer, said this collaboration and mutual support is beneficial in contrast to the intense rivalries found in some ballet circles.
“Some ballet communities and studios can get really competitive, where it’s, ‘Who can do this better than everyone else?’ or ‘Who is the favorite?’” Price, also a fourth-year in biochemistry and French, said. “In Momentum, it’s really about how we can showcase each other and support each other.”
President Faith Bergeron, a fourth-year in animal sciences, said the club is dedicated to creating performances that highlight each dancer’s distinct strengths and talents.
“Our goal is to produce pieces that everyone feels comfortable, confident and beautiful in, from the costumes to the choreography,” Bergeron said.
Price said the behind-the-scenes work of preparing for this performance involves careful coordination and attention to detail.
“There’s a lot of logistics that [go] into the show,” Price said. “We need to be following up with choreographers, making sure that everyone has their space scheduled and the time scheduled for that; I order all of the costumes, so making sure that everyone has sizes for the costume, that there are enough of all of the sizes and it’s coming before the show.”
Charlotte Eninger, a fourth-year in psychology and MCB ballet member, said she credits the group’s success to the sense of synergy it champions.
“It’s a really fun, collaborative environment,” Eninger said. “Our choreographers are in the club, and they just want everyone to feel good about what they’re doing in the choreography, so it’s a group effort.”
Though introducing a beginner class came with challenges, Stultz said it remains a significant accomplishment for the club, allowing it to fulfill the goal of providing opportunities for dancers of all levels.
“It has been a challenge that has been very specific to this year because we just introduced our beginner class last year,” Stultz said. “I go per dancer — what I think they need — because some people are already immediately flexible, some people have really good feet, some are really good at jumps — everyone is good at a different thing.”
As a teacher, Stultz said she focuses on maintaining an uplifting approach, especially when offering feedback.
“When it gets frustrating, or I’m trying to convey not that they’re doing something wrong per say, but that they could improve what they’re doing, I try to be fun and constructive,” Stultz said. “At the end of the day, my job is to make them better and not to yell at them.”
Bergeron said juggling academics and dance can be particularly challenging for many members, especially those in demanding fields.
“Balancing being a student can be hard,” Bergeron said. “We have so many STEM majors in our club, and ballerinas, we’re perfectionists; we want to do 110% with everything that we do.”
Price said that for many dancers in the club, like herself, their passion for ballet goes beyond being a hobby — it’s a lifelong pursuit that provides them with a unique mental outlet.
“I have danced since I was 4 years old, so when I came to college, I knew that I wanted to dance,” Price said. “It’s my way of using my brain in a way that’s different than school.”
Stultz said MCB has given her a creative avenue to decompress from the pressures of college.
“I treat this as my escape from the school stuff,” Stultz said. “When I’m with my ballet people and when I’m at dance, I just turn off the academic part of my brain, which is really nice. So, I feel like that kind of helps with the balance of focusing on the things that I’m focusing on, and when I leave ballet, I can go back to the ‘real world.’”
Price said she is proud the club has expanded while staying true to its roots.
“When I came in, we could all fit in the tiny studios in the bottom of the basement of the Union,” Price said. “Now, we have 60 people in the show and another 10 or 15 that come to class, and it’s just unbelievable how large the community has grown, but also that our core values have stayed the same even as we’ve grown.”
As her time at Ohio State comes to a close, Eninger said the sense of community is what she will miss most about MCB.
“I’m going to miss getting to do ballet in such a warm environment with so many kind people that just want to dance together,” Eninger said. “A lot of dancers — when they’re younger — have that tough experience, but Momentum is just so nice, and everybody is just so wonderful to be around.”
Stultz said the connections and inspiring energy within the club have made her experience unforgettable.
“I’ve met some of my most lifelong friends here,” Stultz said. “I just love the environment because we’re all so positive. It’s really nice to come with people who just really love dancing for the sake of dancing.”
Tickets for Saturday’s show can be purchased online at the Ohio State Office of Student Life website. Tickets are free for students with a valid BuckID and $10 for non-Ohio State affiliated guests.
For more information on the performance, MCB and its upcoming events, visit the club’s Instagram account.
