Rutgers Student Excels in Dance

Dance Between the Lines

By ANGELICA MORALES  October 20, 2016

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ The curtains open and the audience roars in excitement as she spins across the stage into the arms of another dancer.

It’s the end of another day as a dance major for Madison Quo.

At 20, the Galloway, NJ native of Chinese decent is a student in the Mason Gross Dance Department in Rutgers University, which prides itself in its one of a kind dance ensemble.

Before she could read and write, dance was her first form of expression. Dance was not just a hobby, but an outlet and a way of life for Quo.

“Dance is my passion. I’ve been dancing for fifteen years now,” Quo said. “I know almost all dance forms except ballroom and tap.”

The experience did not match to how “dance” made her feel. Dance brought her a happiness unlike anything else. She knew from that moment onward that dance would become a part of her destiny.

“It’s cliché and almost every dancer will tell you this, but dance is an escape from reality. It’s an outlet for our emotions. I feel happy and at home whenever I’m in a dance studio.” Quo remarked.

Dance has helped Quo move on from very low points in her life. It was a perfect distraction to when negative came in her life.

“Last year, I had some drama with a close friend and it was really distracting me from my studies. It was stressing me out and would get me super emotional,” Quo mentioned. “That was also the time I started taking dance classes at school in Mason Gross, so I really enjoyed going to class because it would be my one time where I could forget and be free.”

Quo is trained in multiple dance forms but Contemporary is her favorite dance style. It’s a newer style that has become much more popular in recent years. Quo’s technicality often shadows her emotional connection to a piece. It is the vulnerability of contemporary that excites her.

“I'm better at doing tricks (kicks, turns, leaps, etc) than the artistry part of dance. Movement comes easily to me as opposed to feeling the music or showing emotion to the audience,” Quo confessed.

It’s much more than technique that makes the cut. Dance can not evoke a lasting emotion if it is not accompanied with feeling.

“Ricky Ubeda (professional dancer) is honestly just perfection in everything he does. Any dancer can do a really big leap or a high kick but he does those and more. He’s really flexible. He’s a good example for all guys to dance since the dance world is typically socially unacceptable for boys,” Quo adds.

Now in her third year in college, Quo has realized her dream. In the process she has also realized just how risky her dream may be. Dancing professionally comes with an expiration date.

“It’s almost embarrassing to tell people I’m a dance major,” she confessed. “My mom, for example, didn’t want me to be a just a dance major. She’s concerned with it being too hard to make it professionally, and she’s absolutely right. The dance world is competitive and tough.”

There’s no stopping her dream however, she wants to continue growing and becoming a better dancer. Ultimately, she hopes to find a perfect balance between writing and dance.

“I hope to live in NYC with a writing career and hopefully dancing. Maybe I’d combine both,” she admitted. “But I also hope to have a family and be happy overall.”