I know I've said it before...but I LOVE KALAMITY! This was an amazing article done on something I hold dear to my heart, my Kalamity Fam Bam and the Vault. If you've heard me talk about Kalamity and didn't really understand why I was so passionate about it, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read this and maybe you can grasp just a little view of why I love it so much! Go ahead a leave feedback if you feel so inspired to :)
-Enjoy
aliveutah.com
Photos courtesy of Kalamity Dance or Linne Marsh
It’s
9:30 at night. The Vault dance studio is thick with the humidity of the
previous Hip Hop class. As the lingering students exit the studio, 15
women remain. After a quick meeting, the music is on, and they are
moving in perfect rhythm to the beat. This isn’t your average group of
dancers; this is Kalamity, a unique service-centered dance crew. When
calamity strikes, Kalamity uses their talent to raise awareness for
families in need.
Let’s Start at the Beginning
Tia
Ah Quin Stokes, professional dancer and founder of Kalamity, moved back
to Southern Utah from Southern California four years ago. Upon her
return she was sad to discover St. George offered no dance classes for
adults. While teaching a seminar at USA (United Spirit Association), she
met a couple girls from St. George, and they got together and started
dancing as a way to have fun. This was the humble beginning for
Kalamity. It was originally founded as a way to get adults dancing and
sharing their passion for movement, but tragedy struck when Tiffany, one
of the crew members, was diagnosed with cancer for the second time. Tia
decided to put together a concert and raise money for Tiffany’s medical
bills. It was this experience that solidified Kalamity’s purpose: the
members of the crew would dedicate every step, move, and beat to raise
money for real life calamity.
The Cause
Each year Kalamity is invited to perform for multiple
causes throughout the community and state, but they select only one
cause as their overall focus for a year. It is an especially difficult
task to choose one cause because many people would benefit from
Kalamity’s help. Tia confesses, “I know there are a lot of people with
problems, but we want to make sure it’s a family that isn’t well known
and trying to do things on their own—somebody who really needs it.” Last
year Kalamity focused on raising funds for Jeanette Bracken, a single
mother of six kids suffering from Polycystic Kidney Disease. From July
2011 through December 2011, Kalamity and The Vault dance studio helped
raise 8,600 dollars to be put toward the cost of her transplant surgery.
This year Kalamity is raising awareness for “Mighty” Meg. Meg is the
mother to two girls and the wife of a loving husband, Josh. They are an
eternally optimistic family, but she suffers from a rare cancer called
Chondrosarcoma. It is a debilitating, painful disease that often forces
her to remain in bed, but she continues to be hopeful about her
situation. On the family blog, Josh posted,
“Meg is strong. She won't complain. She has never taken the stance of,
‘Why Me’. Although we don't understand why some of us have to endure
such things as cancer, we don't question God and his role in our lives.
We do believe in miracles. We do believe there is a miracle out there
for Meg. We don't know what that miracle looks like, but we believe it
is there.”
I had the unique experience to sit in on the meeting when Meg’s cousin
came and introduced the story to Kalamity. As she told Meg’s story, the
spirit of the room changed. Almost every person had tears forming. They
were truly moved by Meg’s story and decided then and there that she
would be their focus for 2012.
Spreading the Word
In
the beginning, it was difficult to gain awareness for their cause
because people in St. George had to overcome a stigma with hip hop
dancing, but now Kalamity is a cool way to serve the community. In fact,
this is the first year they’ve had local companies volunteer as
sponsors for the cause. And Kalamity’s mission is spread over social
networking websites, like Facebook and the Kalamity blog, but the main
source of advertising continues to be word of mouth, and The Vault has a
lot of dancers who spread the word. Tia says “It’s not just Kalamity.
The whole studio gets involved. The cause becomes the center of the
studio. It’s all we talk about. After the performances, I even have some
of my young dancers running up to their parents and saying, ‘I met
Jeanette Bracken today!’ Like she’s a celebrity.” And to the students
she is because the idea of serving others is a founding principal for
the studio. Because of the influence of Kalamity, children and adults
attending Vault classes learn more than just how to dance; they learn
compassion and service. And because of Kalamity and The Vault’s
excitement about the cause, more people in southern Utah are taking the
opportunity to help families in our community.
The Crew
It
takes a very special type of dancer and person to sacrifice as much as
these women do, but for them it’s more than dancing; it’s a way of life.
All the members make at least a year commitment to Kalamity, but many
volunteer more. Most of the members have been a part of the team for at
least a year and half, and a few have been on since the very beginning
(4 years!). They travel the state performing shows, collecting
donations, and raising awareness for specific causes throughout the
year. These women not only sacrifice time with family and occasionally
school and work, but they also willingly pay for costumes, travel, and
everything else for performances out of their own pocket. One hundred
percent of what they earn goes to “Mighty” Meg.
The 2012 Kalamity crew is currently an all-female team comprised of Tia
Stokes, Alexa Ford, Latisha Springer, Erin Burk, Erin Hafen, Becky
Hanley, Shay Garcia, Cambria Horlacher, Sami Maw, Josy Alldredge ,
Lauren Reber, Amber Tirey, Ashley Blake, Jen Olsen, and Sam Wolsleger..
The group ranges in ages from 18 to 29, 8 are married, 6 have kids, and 2
are pregnant. Tia jokes, “There are no exceptions. We all dance
pregnant. We dance until we’re 9 months, pop out a kid, and get right
back a week later.” And in some cases this is true.
When
I asked them what some of their most memorable moments were, I was met
with silence. Eventually a couple girls volunteered some stories, but
it’s difficult for the team to choose poignant moments from the past
because everything they do is important. Tia says, “We have a lot of
[important] moments—everything from performing to fundraising. People
don’t realize it’s a lifestyle. Once you become a part of it, it’s like
an addiction.” She openly admits that she wouldn’t be the dancer she is
today without the amazing blessings associated with Kalamity, and
Kalamity attributes most, if not all, of their success to a higher
power. They may not all be part of the same religious organization, but
they agree that someone or something more powerful than them guides the
team as they dedicate time, energy, and movement to the cause and they
are truly eager and excited to raise awareness for “Mighty” Meg and her
family.
Check out these gals' moves and find out why you always see them wearing converse tennis shoes.
Performance Schedule
Kalamity plans only one performance during
the first week of December to benefit their cause, but they end up
performing much more. Last year they participated in 6 large
performances, including Break the Silence in Salt Lake City, a benefit
show in Kanab, and other local events. So far this year they have
traveled to Las Vegas and performed with other local dance companies at
St. George Heritage Days for the 150th birthday celebration.
Their upcoming plans include a performance at the SUU 8th Annual Step
Show on February 24th in the SUU Auditorium, and a Humanitarian Aid trip
to Mexico, where they will participate in various projects and
hopefully sneak in a dance performance or two. In addition to
performances, Kalamity heads multiple fundraisers throughout the year.
For more information about Kalamity’s upcoming fundraisers and
performances check their website:
