Terica Adams
Terica Adams is a Colgate University 2012 graduate with a double major in international relations and psychology. Her passions include cultural exploration and dance as a form of expression and connection. She brings over 7 years of dance experience including 4 years of professional dance and choreography from Colgate. Terica also established and manages a dance blog, Dance Pundit.
A trailblazer in her own rights, Terica believes her life purpose involves being a change agent for the social good of society. Her her role models include Shirley Chisholm and Colin Powell. Her first National Dance Day in Washington D.C. July 2013 made her marvel at the positive social impact of dance. Her experience led to the conceptualization of Hamilton National Day.
“Hamilton National Dance Day isn’t just about dance. It is going to be an event where people will voluntarily step outside of their comfort zones to partake in a shared experience with others. Dance is the vehicle to make that happen.”
Lauren Checo
Lauren Checo is a performing arts enthusiast. As president of Masque and Triangle, Colgate University’s student theater organization, she successfully strove to make theater more accessible across campus and the local community. Also at Colgate, Lauren stage managed several high-profile events annuals including Cabaret and Dancefest
Born and raised in New York, Lauren has continues to give back to her hometown and the vibrant performing arts community as admission counselor for a collegiate acting conservatory. Every day she works with students taking their first step to achieving their dream. She strongly believes that students need the opportunity to express themselves creatively.
“This Initiative is the perfect way to bring together different groups of people from different backgrounds and allow them to learn and grow from each other while creating inspiration. I hope that every person will participate in National Dance Day in order to keep the tradition alive.”
Sumeeta Sankar
Sumeeta Sankar is a first generation Guyanese American. Graduating from Colgate University as a Behavioral Neuroscience major and Writing and Rhetoric minor, she carved time out of her strenuous academic schedule to actively pursue dance.
Dance is Sumeeta’s self-expression. She views it as a tool of empowerment, a stress reliever, and an instrument to gain different perspectives. Although she was not professionally trained, through intense observation Sumeeta learned to dance. That focus and determination eventually led her to perform publicly and choreograph for student groups at Colgate’s semiannual Dancefest.
“Due to my personally enriching history with dance, I view Hamilton National Dance Day as an opportunity to share dance and its perspective-changing experiences with others while allowing them to cultivate an additional outlet for self-expression. ”
Fatima Sowe
A dancer from the age of three, Fatima Sowe grew tremendously as a performer, as a student and as a leader through her involvement with dance at Colgate University. Immersion in the arts has defined much of Fatima's relationship with Colgate and Hamilton; an Art History concentration, performer with the Groove, Kuumba, and Colgate Ballroom Troupes and choreographer for Student Musical Theater's Cabaret Productions, dance is inextricably sewn to the fabric of her life.
When she is not tap dancing down the street, or dreaming about choreography and waxing poetic about musicality -- she is growing professionally towards a career in Television or Pre-Production Development. He aspiration is to model after Oprah Winfrey wherein she would be a sponsor for many with a passion for professional dance.
“I am appreciative of the many lessons learned through dance physiologically, socially, culturally and academically, and wish to share that again with the Greater Hamilton community through my involvement in this initiative.”