Summer Lucio
Get to Know Summer Lucio
Summers Lucio is a current senior at Texas state university. Where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance with a concentration in dance education.
Summer began her dance training at Monarch dance studios in Harlingen Texas. Here she studied ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, and hip-hop from the young age of four to eighteen. She was a dedicated member of the Monarch senior competition team for three years where she learned leadership skills and was able to get many accolades. Along with the Monarch competition
team, Summer was also a member of the Harlingen High School Cardettes drill team, expanding her styles in pom and kick.
Additionally, Summers spent two years with the Harlingen Performing Arts Conservatory where she participated in several musical productions, served as dance captain and competed in numerous dance competitions. During her time there she was also able to assist with young dancers of the elementary age who participated in these musicals. That is where her love for
teaching began. This led Summer to wanting to pursue her passion for dance by expanding her studies at Texas state university.
At Texas State University, Summer has performed in a variety of productions, including BFA thesis concert, student dance concerts and with the Opening Door Dance Theater. She also had a unique experience studying abroad in Spain learning the flamenco culture and dance.
Through all these experiences Summer continues to grow as a dancer and educator. Using her technical abilities in many different styles, along with a passion for wanting to help the future generation of dancers learn and grow.
Teaching Statement
Within a dance class students can learn many skills that will help them not just in dance, but in life itself. Dancers are learning skills such as the technique from the dance style they are learning from and musicality.However expanding their repertoire they are learning discipline, an ability to listen to their body, and a sense of body strength and control. While also learning how to express themselves through art.
Within my dance class I always want to focus on how they can expand their technique within our dance class. However, that just does not come from me telling the students how to learn. It comes from me showing them. And helping them learn from their body what it means. I believe this comes from using many different techniques within a dance class, such as saying, showing,
and learning.
Within my time as a dance student. I always found myself forming an appreciation for teachers that took the time to explain in every way possible how to do something. During my time as a student, I was not an oral learner. I needed visualization of a movement to understand it. That feeling of confusion when I was given instructions in a way I didn't understand is a feeling I
never wanted my students to feel. This has influenced my classroom. I feel that when you take this time, you can reach every type of student.
I believe art is open to everybody. And dance, especially we all can move our bodies in any way that we are capable of, however we are only able to teach dance one certain way to one certain person. We are taking away the ability to express ourselves. So, by having different ways of showing dance to students, you can reach more of them to have them learn the beautiful art of
dance.
Artistic Statement
Jazz and hip-hop have always been intertwined heavily. Jazz started in the 1920s with African Latin and European influences. We see that hip-hop, which started in the 70’s, was also influenced by jazz. We see similarities with these dance styles with the use of beats within a song and using different shapes of the body and more.
My choreography is a combination of both. Taking inspiration from the use of isolations of body parts and staying connected to the ground from jazz. While
also combining the use of improvisation and giving the dancers the ability to make movements of their own from hip-hop. This is what heavily influences my choreography. By combining these two dance styles you see an emergence of individuality with heavy technical execution.
I always want my dances to convey a sense of freedom. My dancers should always feel that they are free to express themselves in any way possible, and they
are free to move their bodies in way they can. It is important to me that art always feels accessible and free. And by having my dancers convey this in a dance, it convinces others to maybe feel freedom that they do not feel all the time.
Art is important at any time of life. Oftentimes we forget that the purpose of living is to feel free and to feel that we are living our life to the fullest. Dance is a way to help us remember this and within my choreography I always want the audience to remember that we all always have the freedom to express ourselves anyway we want.