The 2021 graduating class of Hofstra dancers is grateful to the Dance Alumni Association for the money they received to assist them post-college. // Picture courtesy of Julia Sylvain.
Larry Keigwin, an established dancer, choreographer, artist and president of Hofstra University’s Dance Alumni Association, successfully organized a fundraiser to award each of the 11 graduating seniors in the dance department with a $500 check.
The fundraiser campaign, called “Launch,” took place on Instagram and Facebook during a five-week period starting in February and ending on Monday, April 5, Hofstra’s Day of Giving. It raised $5,500.
“I know when I graduated from Hofstra, I was struggling financially with student loan debt,” Keigwin said. “With such a challenging year for the graduating seniors, we thought that it could be a gift to lift them up a little bit.”
Due to the pandemic, finding a job has become more difficult, especially in the performing arts fields. Typically, dance majors may try auditioning for companies and performances post-graduation. Yet, with most arts companies just beginning to return with live performance, dancers face an even greater challenge finding work.
“I’ve been trying to find auditions and classes to take, while applying for jobs to pay my rent,” said Amanda Webb, a newly graduated Hofstra dancer. “Although I do not have a dance job yet, I feel secure. The knowledge, experience and community I have gained through Hofstra, and the support from the alumni association, has prepared me for my next chapter.”
“Nothing like this has ever been done before,” said Rachel List, director of Hofstra’s dance department, when discussing the recent fundraiser. Usually, the dance department raises money through live performances, but these were restricted during the pandemic. “To be handed a check when you graduate, I just thought was amazing,” she said.
Keigwin hosted a small celebration for the senior class at his Upper East Side townhouse on Thursday, June 3, inviting seniors and a group of dance alumni to connect. “It was about celebrating the seniors and dipping our toes into meeting people in the dance community who work right now,” said new graduate Audrey Stevens, who is trying to land a job at a modern dance company or in a Broadway show. Stevens made new connections and saw several familiar faces at this event, including past Hofstra dance alumni who are now dancing, choreographing and teaching professionally.
“I’m so grateful for what Larry and the Dance Alumni Association has done this year,” Stevens said. “I’m using the money to live, buy groceries and survive in New York City post-college.”
Tyra Strong, a recent graduate earning both dance and exercise science degrees, acknowledges the association’s efforts to ease the transition from student to working adult. “The Dance Alumni Association was able to create a sense of togetherness that the pandemic had taken away from us,” Strong said. “Celebrating the challenging year at Larry’s house was especially comforting because although I am leaving one Hofstra community I feel so welcomed and supported by the alumni community as I enter the professional world.”
Keigwin is a part of the third reboot of the Dance Alumni Association, an organization that has struggled in the past, but hopes to maintain its infrastructure under the current leadership. The other board members include Vice President Kristen Collins, Secretary Katie Gorsky, Treasurer Amber Bennett and Assistant Director for Alumni Affairs Charmise Woodside.
In addition to leading the board, Keigwin is renowned for his work dancing for esteemed directors such as Doug Varone, Mark Dendy and Jane Comfort, and performing in both on and off-Broadway shows. He founded his own dance company, KEIGWIN + COMPANY, and his past commissions include Paul Taylor American Modern Dance, The Martha Graham Dance Company and The Juilliard School, among many others. With such success, Keigwin will soon be moving on to other projects, as his time with the Dance Alumni Association will end this upcoming fall.
The Dance Alumni Association hopes to continue this upward trend and provide a mentorship program between current dance students and alumni, as well as create more fundraising opportunities for students in the future.