Melanin Movers is Hofstra University’s newest dance club. Officially established in Feb. 2025, Melanin Movers was created to offer dancers of color a safe space with professional opportunities on Hofstra’s campus.
Melanin Movers was created by Saskia Laurié a junior dance and speech language hearing science double major and president of the club.
“The club was inspired by observation of what’s been going on within the school as a whole and specifically within the dance department,” Laurié said. “A lot of students feel excluded at times with certain opportunities, so I wanted to create a safe space for people to be able to show their artistry and gain opportunities from people of color who are actually in the [dance] field.”
Laurié explained the process of establishing Melanin Movers as a club.
“During the fall faculty dance concert, I made a logo,” Laurié said. “I started asking people to be on the e-board that I was genuinely having conversations with. I decided ‘let’s just put it out there and see where it goes.’”
Ava Davis, a sophomore dance major, is the vice president of Melanin Movers. Davis expressed the importance of the club for dancers of color at Hofstra.
“This club is important because it gives a sense of security, comfortability and safety,” Davis said. “The purpose is for people to feel like they belong in a space and are allowed to express themselves. They have a voice and the opportunity to showcase who they are.”
Davis explained the opportunities students would have from joining the club.
“Students who join would have performance opportunities, take masterclasses and make connections within the industry,” Davis said. “We only bring the best of the best to our club. We offer multiple styles of dance, depending on our masterclass roster.”
Melanin Movers held its first masterclass on Feb. 21, taught by professional dancer and choreographer Waverly Fredericks.
“Our first masterclass was very diverse,” Laurié said. “We had nursing majors, finance majors and business majors in addition to dance majors. A lot of people came out and we got a lot of positive feedback.”
Abdul Sanz, a junior dance and civil engineering double major, is the events coordinator of Melanin Movers. Sanz discussed the positive outcome of the first masterclass.
“We had almost 15 people in attendance,” Sanz said. “It was a very beautiful Black community moment where everyone was together having fun. We got some really nice insight from Waverly about how dancers are treated in the industry and how we have to put ourselves out there.”
In addition to masterclasses, Melanin Movers has plans for professional photoshoots, speaker panels and the opportunity to attend professional development lectures.
Sanz shared that the club tabled for Admitted Students Day on Sunday, March 9, to promote the club.
“It’s going to allow us to connect with incoming freshmen who can become prospective members of the club next year,” Sanz said. “[We tabled] to see who is interested in joining and present the benefits they will gain from joining this club.”
Laurié encouraged prospective members to join Melanin Movers.
“If you’re interested in joining Melanin Movers, please do,” Laurié said. “The legacy starts now and will forever be continued. Even if you don’t have dance experience, the space is still yours.”
Melanin Movers can be found on Instagram @melanin.movershu and on GroupMe.
