KALAMITY's Newest Article

By: Linne Marsh

Photos courtesy of Kalamity Dance or Linne Marsh

It’s 9:30 at night. The Vault dance studio is thick with the humidity of the previous Hip Hop class. As the lingering students exit the studio, 15 women remain. After a quick meeting, the music is on, and they are moving in perfect rhythm to the beat. This isn’t your average group of dancers; this is Kalamity, a unique service-centered dance crew. When calamity strikes, Kalamity uses their talent to raise awareness for families in need.

Let’s Start at the Beginning

Tia Ah Quin Stokes, professional dancer and founder of Kalamity, moved back to Southern Utah from Southern California four years ago. Upon her return she was sad to discover St. George offered no dance classes for adults. While teaching a seminar at USA (United Spirit Association), she met a couple girls from St. George, and they got together and started dancing as a way to have fun. This was the humble beginning for Kalamity. It was originally founded as a way to get adults dancing and sharing their passion for movement, but tragedy struck when Tiffany, one of the crew members, was diagnosed with cancer for the second time. Tia decided to put together a concert and raise money for Tiffany’s medical bills. It was this experience that solidified Kalamity’s purpose: the members of the crew would dedicate every step, move, and beat to raise money for real life calamity.

The Cause

Each year Kalamity is invited to perform for multiple causes throughout the community and state, but they select only one cause as their overall focus for a year. It is an especially difficult task to choose one cause because many people would benefit from Kalamity’s help. Tia confesses, “I know there are a lot of people with problems, but we want to make sure it’s a family that isn’t well known and trying to do things on their own—somebody who really needs it.” Last year Kalamity focused on raising funds for Jeanette Bracken, a single mother of six kids suffering from Polycystic Kidney Disease. From July 2011 through December 2011, Kalamity and The Vault dance studio helped raise 8,600 dollars to be put toward the cost of her transplant surgery.
This year Kalamity is raising awareness for “Mighty” Meg. Meg is the mother to two girls and the wife of a loving husband, Josh. They are an eternally optimistic family, but she suffers from a rare cancer called Chondrosarcoma. It is a debilitating, painful disease that often forces her to remain in bed, but she continues to be hopeful about her situation. On the family blog, Josh posted,
“Meg is strong. She won't complain. She has never taken the stance of, ‘Why Me’. Although we don't understand why some of us have to endure such things as cancer, we don't question God and his role in our lives. We do believe in miracles. We do believe there is a miracle out there for Meg. We don't know what that miracle looks like, but we believe it is there.”
I had the unique experience to sit in on the meeting when Meg’s cousin came and introduced the story to Kalamity. As she told Meg’s story, the spirit of the room changed. Almost every person had tears forming. They were truly moved by Meg’s story and decided then and there that she would be their focus for 2012.

Spreading the Word

In the beginning, it was difficult to gain awareness for their cause because people in St. George had to overcome a stigma with hip hop dancing, but now Kalamity is a cool way to serve the community. In fact, this is the first year they’ve had local companies volunteer as sponsors for the cause. And Kalamity’s mission is spread over social networking websites, like Facebook and the Kalamity blog, but the main source of advertising continues to be word of mouth, and The Vault has a lot of dancers who spread the word. Tia says “It’s not just Kalamity. The whole studio gets involved. The cause becomes the center of the studio. It’s all we talk about. After the performances, I even have some of my young dancers running up to their parents and saying, ‘I met Jeanette Bracken today!’ Like she’s a celebrity.” And to the students she is because the idea of serving others is a founding principal for the studio. Because of the influence of Kalamity, children and adults attending Vault classes learn more than just how to dance; they learn compassion and service. And because of Kalamity and The Vault’s excitement about the cause, more people in southern Utah are taking the opportunity to help families in our community.

The Crew

It takes a very special type of dancer and person to sacrifice as much as these women do, but for them it’s more than dancing; it’s a way of life. All the members make at least a year commitment to Kalamity, but many volunteer more. Most of the members have been a part of the team for at least a year and half, and a few have been on since the very beginning (4 years!). They travel the state performing shows, collecting donations, and raising awareness for specific causes throughout the year. These women not only sacrifice time with family and occasionally school and work, but they also willingly pay for costumes, travel, and everything else for performances out of their own pocket. One hundred percent of what they earn goes to “Mighty” Meg.
The 2012 Kalamity crew is currently an all-female team comprised of Tia Stokes, Alexa Ford, Latisha Springer, Erin Burk, Erin Hafen, Becky Hanley, Shay Garcia, Cambria Horlacher, Sami Maw, Josy Alldredge , Lauren Reber, Amber Tirey, Ashley Blake, Jen Olsen, and Sam Wolsleger.. The group ranges in ages from 18 to 29, 8 are married, 6 have kids, and 2 are pregnant. Tia jokes, “There are no exceptions. We all dance pregnant. We dance until we’re 9 months, pop out a kid, and get right back a week later.” And in some cases this is true.

When I asked them what some of their most memorable moments were, I was met with silence. Eventually a couple girls volunteered some stories, but it’s difficult for the team to choose poignant moments from the past because everything they do is important. Tia says, “We have a lot of [important] moments—everything from performing to fundraising. People don’t realize it’s a lifestyle. Once you become a part of it, it’s like an addiction.” She openly admits that she wouldn’t be the dancer she is today without the amazing blessings associated with Kalamity, and Kalamity attributes most, if not all, of their success to a higher power. They may not all be part of the same religious organization, but they agree that someone or something more powerful than them guides the team as they dedicate time, energy, and movement to the cause and they are truly eager and excited to raise awareness for “Mighty” Meg and her family.
Check out these gals' moves and find out why you always see them wearing converse tennis shoes.

Performance Schedule

Kalamity plans only one performance during the first week of December to benefit their cause, but they end up performing much more. Last year they participated in 6 large performances, including Break the Silence in Salt Lake City, a benefit show in Kanab, and other local events. So far this year they have traveled to Las Vegas and performed with other local dance companies at St. George Heritage Days for the 150th birthday celebration.
Their upcoming plans include a performance at the SUU 8th Annual Step Show on February 24th in the SUU Auditorium, and a Humanitarian Aid trip to Mexico, where they will participate in various projects and hopefully sneak in a dance performance or two. In addition to performances, Kalamity heads multiple fundraisers throughout the year. For more information about Kalamity’s upcoming fundraisers and performances check their website:

http://www.thevaultdance.com/kalamity.php

Or Visit them on Facebook.