Breezy Berryman is the coordinator and artistic director of Homer’s Motivity Dance Collective. The organization website explains that “Motivity Dance School’s mission is to create an environment where multi-generational dancers can receive consistent, high quality dance training.” One dancer, in particular, who has put substantial effort into Motivity’s classes and performances is Homer freshman Aria Palma. She and her mother Megan Palma spoke with KBBI about her experience in various summer dance programs:
Palma has been dancing with Berryman since age eight and has participated in various summer dance programs in Alaska as well as Alvin Ailey, Joffrey's SPECTRUM Jazz and Contemporary Program, “Steps on Broadway,” and Alonzo King Lines. In the summer of 2025, Palma attended summer programs in New York and San Francisco, focusing on modern ballet, contemporary, hip hop, and street jazz.
Palma is currently preparing to perform in Motivity’s spring performance of “Tail or Two” as Mrs. Brown, an owl. Palma has also recently been assistant teaching and choreography, including a jazz piece for the High School Musical "Footloose." Palma emphasizes the importance of summer training for personal growth and shares some of her past experiences with KBBI.
“At Alonzo King, we did a lot of modern styles of ballet. So, it was more like a contemporary focus on more traditional dance. We did a lot of floor work and lyrical classes and Steps was definitely more industry based. We did a lot of things like hip hop and street jazz, Broadway style and theater dance. So that was kind of a big difference between the Alonzo LINES and the Joffrey jazz and contemporary.”
She also commented on the most important thing that summer programs provide as a local performer: “I feel like the biggest takeaway is always the confidence it gives me when I go out and learn new things and do technique. When I come back, I can have more confidence, which I think helps me learn more and be more comfortable talking with instructors and taking private lessons.”
Camp training has also provided Aria opportunities in local teaching. “So I was assistant teaching at Harbor School for a little bit, doing a tap class, and they worked with them on some choreography for the show we're doing right now with Breezy (for the Beatrix Potter “Tales” performed in the Mariner Theater at the end of March). I'm choreographing a jazz piece for the second act. It's with the foxes and pigs, and the music is from La La Land. I definitely do a lot of solo choreography for things like Jubilee.”
Palma commented on what local scholarships contribute to the opportunity to attend summer programs: “going over the summer just gives me more of a chance to grow and, like, learn new things that I can't learn here. So it's a really great opportunity for me that I wouldn't have without the help of people, like Breezy…”
Her mother, Megan Palma, elaborated on the benefit of attending summer programs outside the state of Alaska. “We have so many opportunities here for a small town…but some of these programs are just exposure. You know that exposure to diversity, you know, instructors and other students from all over the world, which are just opportunities that as amazing as Homer is, we just don't have here.”
Berryman provided details on three upcoming summer programs supporting dance training in Alaska and encourages students to look into what these programs might offer to local dancers.
First, is the Fairbanks North Star Ballet Summer Dance Intensive. Enrollment is available for 1-3 weeks with varying tuition rates. Anchorage’s Alaska Dance Theater offers a two week dance intensive and finally, Sitka offers their historic annual Sitka Fine Arts Camp.
Though Motivity does not currently have a fully structured method for students to apply for funding, the organization encourages student participation and will financially support students on a one-on-one basis depending on features of the program they choose to participate in.
For more information on summer financial assistance for dance programs contact motivity at motivitydance@gmail.com or 907-299-4629. Motivity also has more information available on their Facebook website.
Reporting from Homer, this is Emilie Springer.
