The hidden heart of Durham


Hillside High School dance students practice and find inspiration from their teacher Nicole Oxendine. (Staff photo by Justin Williams)

Hillside High School dance students practice and find inspiration from their teacher Nicole Oxendine. (Staff photo by Justin Williams)

 

When many people think of Durham one of two things comes to mind: Research Triangle Park or Duke University. However, beneath the hoops and hospitals lies one of the richest and most diverse dance communities in the southeast.

It’s a normal Thursday morning in the Hillside High School dance studio; students congregate on the floor with notebooks open and pencils in their hands.

Nicole Oxendine reviews a student’s assignment as her dancers stretch to get ready for class. (Staff photo by Justin Williams)

Nicole Oxendine reviews a student’s assignment as her dancers stretch to get ready for class. (Staff photo by Justin Williams)

“I want you to write down a quote, your favorite quote, your quote. A quote that keeps you moving forward; that inspires you.” The command comes from Nicole Oxendine, director the Hillside Dance Department.

Without hesitation or questions, the students begin their assignment.

The dance teacher floats across the room and over to her desk, her phone dings, “Oh, all these messages,” she says silencing her phone. And a myriad of messages she has.

As a graduate of Hillside, Oxendine, the founder of a new local studio, Empower Dance Studios, is a prominent Durham dance figure, and the lead dance teacher for Durham Public Schools. Oxendine is a busy woman indeed.

Oxendine, who has a Masters in Dance/Movement Therapy from Columbia College in Chicago, has done everything from being a coordinator for a Chicago non-profit to choreographing shows like Black Nativity.

Oxendine, who follows in the teaching footsteps of women like Peyton Davis and Anjanee Bell, founder of Bellan Contemporary Dance Theatre, was recently named the Emerging Leader for Spectacular Magazine’s Women of the Year.

And with the legacy that Oxendine spreads it’s easy to see why she would be given such a title.

Take for instance recent Hillside graduate, Majesty Janay.

Janay, who graduated Cum Laude this past June, was accepted to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City with a scholarship.

Janay, who plans on going to school in the spring for her BFA in dance, plans on using her degree to pursue a hip-hop theatre career in Europe.

It is situations like this, Oxendine says that keep her involved in the dance community of Durham.

Her jump from high school dance teacher to community leader, like her reason to continue teaching at Hillside, was to help improve and further dance in the Durham community for those both in and out of high school.

And her presence and mission are well received.

“Being at Hillside [with Ms. Oxendine] showed me that I wouldn’t be content studying anything else but dance,” said Janay.

With a bustling 2015 in front of them and a batch of new students, Oxendine has her hands full, “We’ve got a busy year ahead of us,” she says. “One of the biggest things we have going on this year, or rather, every year is Stargaze.”

Stargaze, a local dance show created by previous Hillside Dance teacher, and Oxendine’s own dance teacher Lisa Wilder, was dance’s answer to the well-known chorus event, Evening of Entertainment.

“Over the years it’s grown in size, it’s shrunk in size, however this year I’m expecting big numbers, so this should be a really great year,” Oxendine said.

Stargaze will be held on November 20th, 2015. For more information on Empower Dance Studios and Nicole Oxendine, visit their website http://www.empowerdancestudio.com/

Students in Nicole Oxendine’s dance class at Hillside High School take their assignment to heart. (Staff photo by Justin Williams)

Students in Nicole Oxendine’s dance class at Hillside High School take their assignment to heart. (Staff photo by Justin Williams)