GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) — Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College hosted its Gulf Coast Dance Summer Intensive on Tuesday at the Immersive Media Performing Arts Center (iMPAC) on the Harrison County Campus.
The full-day program included classes led by the college dance team. The workshop welcomed dancers ranging from middle school students to adult and professional performers.
For the first time, the intensive featured special guest artist and choreographer Maya Taylor, whose work spans film and TV and earned an MTV VMA nomination.
“As a dancer growing up in South Mississippi, I’m creating these opportunities for the dancer like me who looked at New York and LA and wanted to get out,” said Britney Patten, MGCCC dance team coach and spirit coordinator. “Why not bring that here to the Mississippi Gulf Coast? That is our efforts and our mission.”
Organizers said the intensive is designed to strengthen ties within the local dance community while introducing participants to collegiate and professional pathways in the arts.
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“This is about building something bigger than a single event,” Patten said. “It’s about strengthening the dance community along the Gulf Coast. When you invest in the arts, you invest in confidence, discipline and creativity, and that benefits the entire community.”
Patten said she hopes to continue growing the event in the years ahead.
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