No dance background? No problem. This club is all about having fun.
Breakbeats is an all-inclusive dance club that truly puts the “fun” in its jazz-funk
and hip-hop performances. With nearly 100 clubs to choose from, there’s something for everyone at Skidmore.
One of many 91¸ŁŔűÉçdance groups, Breakbeats is unique in that it doesn’t require
its members to go through auditions — no dance experience is necessary to join!
Eva Shay ’26 shares her experience in the popular dance troupe.
Photo by Kelly Dulac '27
About me
Class year: 2026
Hometown: Newark, Delaware
Major: Social work
Extracurriculars: I have a radio show through WSPN, I work in the Office of Communications and Marketing and I’m the social media manager for Breakbeats.
Why Skidmore?
I chose 91¸ŁŔűÉçbecause I knew I wanted a small liberal arts school and because of
the professors and the location; I love Saratoga Springs!
Fun fact: I spent the summer on a trail crew that traveled around Colorado.
Tell us about Breakbeats!
Breakbeats is an all-inclusive dance group here at 91¸ŁŔűÉç— that means no auditions! Our style is mostly hip-hop and jazz funk. We meet once or twice a week in the dance studios at Williamson Sports Center. We typically have a showcase at the end of every semester to show off what we’ve been working on — usually in Filene Hall. There are a lot of dance groups here, and we like to invite each other to perform a song in each other's showcases. So, you might also see us dancing with The Wave or Extrava-Gemz!
Do you have a background in dance?
Not really ... I did toddler ballet, and I danced in my high school musicals, but that’s pretty much it. But dance was something I always wanted to try. I’d seen some of the other dance groups perform, and I thought it looked really fun.
How did you get involved?
I was really involved in the ultimate frisbee team here at 91¸ŁŔűÉç(go Wombats!) in my first year here. A girl on the team was talking about Breakbeats, and when I asked her about it, she encouraged me to come to a rehearsal. “Anyone can join!” she said. “It’s like playing Just Dance!”
When I went, I remember I was having kind of a hard day. They started the rehearsal with “Happy Crappy,” where we all share something good and something not-so-good that happened during the week. Even though I was new, everyone listened to me and was so kind and welcoming, and I felt like I belonged right away. We learned this dance to “Greedy” by Ariana Grande, and I ran home after and made my roommate watch me perform it.
Why Breakbeats? What’s unique about the group?
Breakbeats is unique because we encourage everyone regardless of dance experience to join us. We try to create choreography that’s fun to perform and watch but that anyone can learn. We pride ourselves on creating a safe and welcoming environment where people can learn to dance and try new things without feeling judged.
We welcome people from all levels of experience, and rehearsals are pretty flexible, so if you just want to come dance occasionally without too much commitment, we might be the club for you. I think this reflects Skidmore’s values as liberal arts school that encourages people to have all kinds of different passions — most of us members have very different majors, but dance brings us together!
What is your favorite part about being in the group?
My favorite part is performing! Breakbeats was a great low-pressure way for me to try performing for the first time, and I always have so much fun doing it. I love hanging out backstage in Filene before a show and doing eye glitter together ... and I think everyone in the group is just focused on having a good time and learning — no one is going to get mad at you if you make a mistake.
But I also want to emphasize that not everyone in the group feels comfortable performing, and that’s okay, too. Some people prefer to just come to rehearsals and support the rest of us from the audience, and they are just as much part of the group.
Have you made any connections from Breakbeats?
I’m actually living with one of the girls from Breakbeats next year, and I made one of my best friends in the group. I feel really close with everyone, and we make sure to include each new person who joins, which I think is really special. Outside of rehearsal, we do fun little bonding events like brunches, movie nights, showcase after parties, and more. I think it’s a great way to invite everyone to hang out together.
Why should people join Breakbeats?
If you want to learn a fun dance you can show your friends or you’ve always wanted to try dance, Breakbeats would be a great place to start. Our Instagram is — we have more information about rehearsal times and videos of our performances, so check us out!
Curious about Skidmore’s dance major? Read about the experience of Christianna Poblete ’26.