a brief history

Common Origins was started in the fall of 2010 by co-founders Phil Delrosario and Marcus Leaks. At the end of freshman year, they noticed a need in the dance community. After contributing some pieces to a small modern set for Kayumanggi's 5th Spring Show, they realized that there were many people who were interested in dancing, but for various reasons, were not pursuing the art. They were quite capable of picking up choreography, they just didn't have the opportunity to really grow as dancers. There were lots of dance classes around, but there was nothing that could replicate the same group dynamics and variety of styles as being on a dance team. They wanted to create a group that would help bridge the gap between those who already dance and those who are just interested.

With the help of their friends -- Monica Climaco, Adrian Bonifacio, Pats Limcaoco, and Julian Jaravata -- they founded the group their sophomore year and had their first practice at the now infamous Parking Structure 1: Level 5. Slowly but surely, they've expanded the group, gained recognition and continue to perform around Stanford at various major dance shows including: dv8's EnCounter Culture, Alliance's Hipnotized, and Kayumanggi's Pilipino Cultural Night (PCN).

In the fall of 2012, CO hosted their very first show, Breaking Ground, at Cubberley Auditorium. Breaking Ground 2012 featured all of the major urban dance groups, and continues to be Stanford's biggest dance showcase of the year.

That is how CO came to be. We strive to improve every season and are looking forward to another exciting year!

frequently asked questions

also make sure to reach out to us if you have any other questions!

when are practice times?

Practice times and locations will vary depending on the Theater and Performing Studies department scheduling. Please check the calendar for the latest updates.

Tuesday evenings @ Roble Gym or AOERC
Saturday afternoons @ Roble Gym or AOERC

During the first half of the quarter, there will be several teaching practices by our choreographers. Anyone is free to attend these! After the teaching practices, you get to select which pieces you would like to perform for that quarter. When we start blocking formations, you must attend the blocking practices for all the pieces that you have been assigned to. If you regularly have a recurring conflict with a normal practice time and want to perform with the team, please email one of the CO-Presidents.

When we start blocking formations, all members must come to blocking practices for the pieces that they're in. Also note that the week leading up to the show is generally very hectic and will have mandatory practices for transitions and dress rehearsals.

That being said, we understand if you can't commit to performing in a show. Coming to the teaching practices in the beginning of the quarter is completely non-committal.

what is CO's style of dance?

Our "style" is defined by and is influenced by many styles. We here at Common Origins take influence from, recognize, and learn from larger dance cultures like hip hop, contemporary, and whatever our choreographers bring to the table! It's our goal to achieve a style that is recognizable, appealing, artistic, meaningful, expressive, and yet is always changing with the times.

do i need to audition to get into the group?

Nope. Common Origins is open to all current Stanford students, no matter your year or dance experience! There's really only one other requirement: that you strive. We believe anyone can get awesome at dancing, but it does take work and commitment. We're non-audition, but we strive to look our best and practice a lot in (and out) of rehearsal to better ourselves and the group as a whole. Don't let that scare you, though. You'll find that our practices are super fun!

i haven't had any experience dancing at all. can i join?

Of course! Don't be afraid to challenge yourself. The best way to learn anything -- especially choreographed dance -- is to simply dive right in. As long as you have the motivation to self-improve and practice on your own, you're welcome here. With supportive choreographers, leadership, and other veteran dancers, you'll find that you'll grow so much at dancing, in no time.

i have a lot of experience dancing, should i join?

Yes! We encourage it strongly! The point of Common Origins is to create a blend of highly motivated dancers, whether they're beginners or experienced dancers. You serve as an inspiration for others to improve themselves. And if you have the drive, you may have the opportunity to eventually take leadership and choreograph for the group! Teaching others how to dance well is a surefire way to get better yourself.

how hard is the choreography?

We aim to challenge our members. We try our best to expose you to higher levels of choreography, styles of dance, and staging. This makes you grow as a dancer faster. But ultimately, the goal is to express, not to impress. Whether that means the difficulty is hard or easy will depend on what and how a choreographer decides to express an emotion or mood in their piece. Also, a good amount of practice will make even the most difficult pieces natural.

what's the time commitment?

Usually, we practice 2 times a week. It also depends on how many pieces you are willing to take on for an upcoming show. When it gets closer to a show, the schedule gets a little bit more busy, but we'll tell you way in advance so you can prepare accordingly.

i just want get better at dancing. can i just learn pieces and not perform at shows?

Yes, you definitely can. We'd absolutely love for you to perform with us, but we acknowledge everyone has a different situation! Please do communicate that to us; we don't want to end up expecting you to perform when you're actually not!

i was super busy x quarter, can i join late? / i'm going to be super busy x quarter, can i take a break?

Yes, and yes. You're free to come and go from the group as you wish. The most important thing is communication. If you commit to doing a show, don't suddenly back out. Conversely, when a show is super near, it'll be hard to integrate you in at short notice. Understand also that Common Origins runs on performance cycles:

Teach pieces --> Clean pieces (multiple times) --> Block/stage the pieces --> Runthroughs --> Perform.

Ideally the best time to join/leave is at the beginning of a cycle, when we're teaching. If in doubt, just ask anyone of the COre members, or if you have friends in CO, ask them.