Marisa Scott of Bridgewater - A SCVTHS Tap Dancer Attends Prestigious Workshop in NYC

BRIDGEWATER –Marisa Scott of Bridgewater, a junior enrolled in the Gifted and Talented Honors Dance Program at Somerset County Vocational & Technical High School (SCVTHS), recently had an opportunity to learn from an internationally renowned tap dance teacher.

Marisa attended the Dorrance Dance Winter Intensive, a rigorous multi-day workshop held in December in New York City. The program is designed for pre-professionals, and gives young dancers an opportunity to explore the artistic and technical elements that go into a performance of the Dorrance Dance Company’s tap dance interpretation of the Nutcracker Suite.

Although learning the repertoire for the performance was a large part of the intensive, there were also opportunities to learn about other aspects of tap. In addition to learning directly from the troupe’s founder, choreographer, and MacArthur Fellow Michelle Dorrance, Marisa had an opportunity to sit down over lunch and speak with the performers she was working with. “It was very insightful to learn about their past and see how it's so similar to what I'm doing now” she said, adding that learning what the dancers did throughout their lives to prepare themselves for their current roles showed her that “I can really make a career of this if I want to.”

Marisa was among the youngest attendees at the intensive, but she was not lacking in experience or talent. She has been tapping since she was very young, has been a member of the SCVTHS Tap Company since her freshman year, and choreographed a solo for a recent performance. She is also choreographing a tap number for the school’s upcoming Spring Dance Concert.

In recognition of her abilities, the Gifted and Talented Honors Dance Program awarded Marisa with a scholarship so she could attend the Dorrance Dance Winter Intensive. Instructor Mary Lynne McAnally said that the monetary award was given to help “nurture Marisa’s talent and expose her to as much as she can possibly be exposed to so she can further her aspirations.”

Photo: Marisa Scott of Bridgewater recently had an opportunity to further her tap dancing education, studying with professional dancers during the Dorrance Dance Winter Intensive.

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