Dance Council endorses Drew Flanagan for DSG President

Duke University Dance Council is thrilled to formally endorse Drew Flanagan for Duke Student Government president.

During our meeting with the candidates on March 1, we were very impressed with both candidates' platforms and what they have to offer for the Duke community. They both expressed great enthusiasm in becoming more involved with the arts communities on campus, especially in terms of dance. After careful deliberation, Dance Council ultimately decided that Drew will be the best fit for president, due to his first-hand experience in working to elevate the arts at Duke.

Through his role as SOFC chair, Drew is already aware of the needs of the 17 dance groups that are commonly overlooked, as well as the struggles that the Dance Council executive board has faced. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person rehearsals and public performances were prohibited, leaving dance groups questioning how they would continue their craft. Drew demonstrated an elaborate understanding of our goal to create a vibrant and cohesive community for all dancers at Duke, as well as to promote multiculturalism through performance art. He emphasized the sense of belonging that our dance groups provide, which is especially important during these unprecedented times.

Drew hopes to amplify the voices of the Duke dance community through increasing collaboration with Duke Student Government. He hopes to provide more transparent communication between administration and our organization, greater integration with the Durham dance community and greater recognition of Dance Council activity and events to the student body. We are very excited at the prospect of working with Drew in the future.

We are very honored to have spoken with Lana Gesinsky about her actionable ideas in promoting the arts and the overall community at Duke. Her brilliant work so far has greatly benefited the experiences of her team members in DSG as well as the student body, such as through the Blue Devil Buddies program. We wish both Drew and Lana the best of luck in their campaigns and look forward to working with the future DSG president.

Trey de Leon

Duke University Dance Council President

Trinity College of Arts and Sciences ‘22