This month, The Quill chose to highlight Ms. Tankersley for her work with the Upper School Dance Company and her role in Gym Drill. Ms. Tankersley started dancing later than most girls, only beginning to practice the art form in middle school when she joined the dance club. She immediately fell in love, and soon after, signed up for dance classes outside of school. Her favorite styles of dance included jazz and modern, which are now her favorite to teach her Bryn Mawr students. 

Since beginning teaching at Bryn Mawr in 1999, Ms. Tankersley has taught every grade in the middle and upper school, although she currently works primarily with seniors. Bryn Mawr is a special place for her because she gets to teach students of all different skill and experience levels, which makes every class a different experience. One of Ms. Tankersley’s biggest responsibilities at Bryn Mawr is organizing the annual Gym Drill. Although it can be a challenge due to the amount of students in the dances and the limited amount of time to work with them, she values how the size of the event allows the whole school to dance together. She especially loves the tradition because it is an opportunity for alumni to come back and celebrate with current students, exhibiting how the whole community contributes to making the event come to life, which is the most unique part of it. Ms. Tankersley’s main goal for Gym Drill is to include more student voices, especially in choosing and choreographing cultural dances. However, it can be difficult to make room for new ideas while keeping the old traditions alive. Of all of the cultural dances she has taught, her favorite types are the Bollywood dances and the West African Kou Kou dance. While these particular styles can be more challenging to learn, Ms. Tankersley is drawn to their typically upbeat, exciting moves. She noted that even though Gym Drill sometimes seems like solely the dance teachers’ event, they would not be able to make it happen without the support from alumni and dedication from students. Ms. Tankersley believes that, at its core, Gym Drill “really is an alumni-centered weekend.”

Aside from teaching the senior dance classes, Ms. Tankersley also directs the Upper School Dance Company. Not only does she choreograph a few of the dances and help the dancers prepare their performances, but she also manages all of the extra little details, such as the costumes and programs, which work to pull the whole show together. The week leading up to the show is typically the most stressful time for her because there is always a build-up of nerves and anticipation. However, it is also the most rewarding part because it is when she can finally see everything fitting into place. She describes how proud she always feels “seeing the dances up on the stage,” after the company has put so much work into making them the best they can be. This year was a particularly exciting one for Dance Company because all nine seniors got to choreograph a dance, making it a very collaborative experience. 

In the future, Ms. Tankersley hopes to work more closely with the Middle School Dance Company in order to bridge the gap between the Middle and Upper School programs and also create more connections between grade levels. From teaching students old and new choreography for Gym Drill every year to organizing Dance Company, Ms. Tankersley never stops making Bryn Mawr a better place for dance.