Dance Haven Helps Relieve Stress of Medical Center Students

Extracurriculars is a new series within Columbia News dedicated to showcasing the many clubs and organizations that exist at Columbia University. 

Dance Haven introduces different styles of dance—including modern, lyrical, hip-hop, jazz, ballet, tap, and all cultural genres—to the Columbia University Irving Medical Center community. The student-run group is comprised of dancers ranging in skills from those who have trained and performed professionally to those who have just discovered dance. Members include students from CUIMC’s various schools, including medical, dental, public health, nursing, and physical therapy.

Why You Should Join

In addition to providing a creative outlet for its members, Dance Haven promotes a healthy, active lifestyle, an important consideration for medical students. The club also helps relieve the pressure of medical school. “When we are in the studio, we can set the intensity of our days aside, and focus on what we love doing,” said Brianna Peet and Catherine Gbekie, fourth-year medical students and former co-leaders of Dance Haven.

“I danced early in childhood, but took a long break, and never anticipated that medical school would be where I would rediscover that passion,” added Ege Yalcindag, another former co-leader of the group, and a third-year medical student. “Dance Haven gave me a place to move, express myself, and connect with others. Since joining, I have been performing in shows, choreographing contemporary or jazz funk pieces, and, as a former co-lead of the club, I helped organize practices and produce our biannual dance showcases.”

Dance Haven’s Structure

The group is student-run, with a small leadership team that coordinates showcase logistics such as promotion, manages the rehearsal schedule, and communicates with each school’s student affairs office. 

The club collaborates with members of the Broadway Haven Players, a theatrical performance group on the medical campus, that helps Dance Haven run the technical side of its shows, such as lighting and music. Each semester, Dance Haven members volunteer to choreograph pieces in a wide range of styles, from hip hop and ballet to cultural forms such as Hula from Hawaii, Bachata from the Dominican Republic, and Bhangra from the Punjab in India. All interested students are welcome to attend rehearsals and perform in the end-of-semester showcase. 

Dance Haven Sessions 

The club typically meets once or twice a week in the aerobics room of the athletics center in 50 Haven. Each class runs about an hour and a half, depending on the instructor. Sessions are led by student choreographers, and members can choose which classes they would like to attend. When preparations begin for the showcase, classes shift to stage rehearsals, but anyone is still welcome to join. 

Each class is led by one to three students, and they have the freedom to shape the session however they would like. At the start of each semester, a calendar is shared with members that lists all upcoming classes, along with short descriptions from the instructors about whether the session is beginner-friendly or what style they’ll be teaching. 

“Dance teaches us to listen deeply, to respond to rhythm and emotion in real time, and to collaborate seamlessly with others. Those same skills translate into patient care—reading subtle cues, communicating non-verbally, working as a team, maintaining composure under pressure, and staying attuned to the person in front of you,” said Yalcindag.