|
Senior Defined by Dance
by Lauren Cecere
Heidi Kulas (front left) with Wolf Lodge Cloggers
|
When Heidi Kulas travels away from home, she brings back more than pictures. When she went to Ireland, she learned the Irish step dance. When she went to Spain, she learned new lifts and partner dances. And in the United States, when she watched a collegiate step competition, she came back with an African-American step dance.
When Kulas travels the world, she brings back new perspectives on dance and the history of dance that add variation and excitement to the Bailey Mountain Cloggers and to Mars Hill College.
Kulas, a graduating senior, performs in the theatre and on stage with the Bailey Mountain Cloggers. While most students have seen her perform, most do not know how accomplished she truly is.
The 28-year old senior from Greenville, Michigan grew up dancing. "I started with tap and ballet when I was three and started taking clogging classes along side of my grandma and mom when I was seven. I traveled all over Michigan to be part of several different clogging teams," says Kulas.
Kulas has used her passion and talent to take her all over the world. "I went on my first international tour when I was 11 with the American International Performing Company. It was a group of about 50 performers from across the country chosen to represent the U.S. overseas. We toured for two weeks across Germany, Austria, Belgium, and the Netherlands. I was the youngest solo performer," Kulas says.
She began teaching when she was twelve years old. She also attended various bluegrass and dance camps across the country, not only to improve her skills and knowledge, but also to make herself known. "I began apprenticing with the international touring dance company when I was fourteen, when they changed their name to Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble. I began a teen percussive dance summer program. I have been teaching that program at The Augusta Heritage Center ever since. I would also travel to Annapolis, Maryland, where the company was based, to study dance, perform and tour with them," says Kulas.
Her skills exceed clogging. She has studied all traditional percussive dance styles including clogging, both flat footing and contemporary, Irish step dance, South African Gumboot, collegiate stepping, African American Hambone, Native American, English clogging and old vaudeville style clog and jump rope dances. She has studied English Rapper Sword dancing, Scottish, French Canadian and Cape Breton step dances, rhythm tap and waltz clog, and many more improvisational and creative movement styles, as well as swing, square, and contra dance styles.
Kulas stayed busy traveling, dancing, and instructing throughout high school. "I was allowed time off from school to tour the U.S., as well as Canada, England, Wales, Scotland, and Finland. Then, two days after I graduated, I made the move to Maryland to dance and tour full time with Footworks. I also directed the junior Footworks Company, of which two former members are currently attending Mars Hill," Kulas says.
She is also a talented choreographer who began writing and making up steps when she was nine, and never stopped. "I wrote many dances for the classes I taught and also for Footworks' three main productions, including Incredible Feets, The Crossing with Tim O'Brien and Solemates with Step Afrika," says Kulas.
"I feel so lucky to have worked with and been inspired by not only these performers, but Nickel Creek, Lunasa, Eileen Ivers, Uncle Earl, Natalie MacMaster, Mark Schatz, Eddie From Ohio, the Chaisson family, and many countless others, The list goes on and on. I have also appeared on several CDs and television programs for dancing, including Mountain Legacy," Kulas says.
Kulas found Mars Hill through a workshop that she taught in the summer of 1997, where she met the Bailey Mountain Cloggers. "When I decided to go back to college, I knew Mars Hill was where I wanted to be. I started as a Business Major and then become a Theatre Arts Major. I have held many leadership positions on BMC, going from Sophomore Representative to serving as the Dance Captain for the past two years," says Kulas.
She uses her background of experience and travel to help with the choreographing and performance of the Bailey Mountain Cloggers. Clogging was developed in the Southern United States. Its roots are Irish, African, and Native American dance forms mixing together here and forming clogging. More recently, it has been influenced by hip hop and other step dance forms. Tap has a big effect on it as well.
This year's concert, which Kulas took part in and helped put together, showed off some of the roots of clogging, from African and Ireland since those are two of the biggest influences. "We paid tribute to Spain as well, since the cloggers are performing there this next week. Also, the lifts and partnering in the Spanish culture have also been more popular in the more contemporary style of clogging," Kulas says.
Kulas is not just knowledgeable with clogging. She is a member of Alpha Chi National Honor Society and serves as a College Marshall. She is currently the co-director at The Lodge in Wolf Laurel for the Lodge Cloggers. "I am a choreographer, performer, and costume designer," says Kulas.
After graduation, Kulas plans to continue her position as co-director with The Lodge Cloggers, and will be choreographing and acting for the Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre for the summer. "We will see where else my path leads me. I am also a make up designer and freelance throughout the south in the television and film world as well as theatre," Kulas says.
Kulas does not have much free time, but when she does have some, she enjoys sewing. "I love to sew. I love fabric, and have a huge fabric collection. I used to work part time in a fabric store, and that got me into working with fabric, and designing and sewing," she says.
"I also play the fiddle, and I can't wait to get it back out after my schedule calms down a little bit. I was classically trained and first-chair first violin, holding the concertmistress position. A hidden talent of mine is that I can play the fiddle and clog at the same time," Kulas says.
Through all her traveling and experiences, Kulas has come to admire "any performing artist that is dedicated to their work."
"I look up to those that have an idea and will fight to fulfill that concept through their medium. I also admire those that teach, and give back what they have learned to the next generation. In dance, I especially have an admiration for those that keep the traditional dancing alive. It is so important to preserve the past, but to also allow it to change and grow as we evolve," says Kulas.
She turns to her surroundings for inspiration in what she does everyday. "I am inspired everyday by something. I can be inspired to choreograph or design just by looking around me, or seeing something on television. I love watching dance shows, any style really. And, my music choices influence me so much. I love getting new music from people I may have, or haven't heard before, and looking for new dance ideas through new songs and tunes," Kulas says.
As Kulas looks forward to graduation, she has a message to send to the cloggers she is leaving behind. "Enjoy it while you are here. Take and learn all that you can. Try everything you can, and don't sell yourself short. The program and the dancers that come in every year allow you to grow artistically as a dancer, but also as a person and performer. Don't take it for granted."
Reader Comment:
Rebekka Powers, BMC Alumna, 4/23/2007, 11:02 p.m.
Thanks so much for doing this article on Heidi. I had the privilege of dancing with her on Bailey Mountain. She is not only a wonderful performer, but a wonderful friend and teammate. She will definitely go far with her dancing and performing! Good luck with everything Heidi! Go girl!
Sue McMaster, 4/25/2007, 9:43 p.m.
Heidi has been an inspiration to many of the students and the population in general in our area. We've watched her grow over the years and take delight in all that she has contributed and accomplished. Her family is rich with talent. Betty Updyke, her maternal grandmother, is the matriarch of an amazing batch of grandchildren. Check them out! Of course there is only one Heidi, but talent and creativity abound in this family.
Give us your feedback. We value your opinions.
The Hilltop reserves the right not to post anonymous comments, personal attacks, or any comments that could be judged slanderous, that make unverifiable allegations of fact, or use language we consider in bad taste.
All fields must be filled in.
HOME
|
