FLY Dance Company (FLY) is making an appearence as part of the Davis-Waldorf Performing Arts Series (DWPAS). They will perform Feb. 13, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. in the Te Ata Memorial Auditorium.
FLY is a storytelling dance group consisting of a street dance and classical style fusion. The dance company combines both elements to deliver a story inspired by positive themes.
FLY began when Kathy Musick Wood, the artistic director and choreographer began watching the street dance scene in Houston, Texas about 20 years ago.
“She became overwhelmed by the level of creativity and athleticism and the phenomenon that street dance had become,” said Katie Davis, professor of theatre arts and DWPAS executive director.
Wood then thought of moving the street dance scene, which at the time was only known by those who had direct access to it, into something that was more accessible to the public. She executed this by combining elements of classical acting, traditional dance, and music used for traditional dance into something that would allow more people to see the street dance and hip-hop styles. Wood started working with a group of young street dancers afterward, and as her ideas came to life FLY became widely known.
The contents of FLY’s shows differ from other dance companies.
“Some dance companies have moved into storytelling that truly is an evening of cultural reflection. The FLY Dance Company show is about joy, and it is about silliness, and it is about love,” Davis said.
FLY will be offering a masterclass on the morning of their performance at 11 a.m.
“Students can sign up to come in and they can learn a little bit about what it is to do breakdancing,” Davis said.
Those who wish to attend FLY’s performance are encouraged to purchase tickets through the DWPAS website.
Whitley Brown is a second-year communication major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
