Senior Albert Conteh didn’t consider himself a dancer until he went to his first PULSE show his freshman year.
“I remember there was a mob of freshmen just all headed to BEC and they just destroyed it,” Conteh said. “I loved every moment of that show.”
Four years later, Conteh is co-head of choreography for PULSE with senior Alyssa Wargin.
“When he’s dancing, he can express himself and he can be totally who he is,” Wargin said. “That’s my favorite part of Albert and working with him is getting to see him dance.”
Dance is about more than performing or having a hobby for Conteh. He said it is also therapeutic.
“It’s the best thing that’s happened to me. I feel like dance has helped me through a lot of tough situations,” Conteh said. “I don’t understand how I was able to cope with things because dance is how I speak to others.”
Even though Dowling Hall Area Director Keniese Evans was hired as PULSE adviser in late February, she knew Conteh through one of her Resident Advisers.
“I think you can see that Albert’s ready to go all out,” Evans said. “He holds nothing back when he’s performing. I’m sure that he leads the people who dance with him in the same way.”
Conteh is unsure about where the future will take him, but he is certain of one thing.
“Even if I get my Master’s or a Ph. D, I’m going to dance,” Conteh said. “I’ll find a way to incorporate it somehow.”
Baihly Warfield can be reached at warf3860@stthomas.edu.
Baihly – Thanks for covering the story on Albert. I was able to experience his dancing first hand when he and I were part of a VISION group serving in India last January. His dancing, along with others on the service group, brought great pleasure to many folks during our month in Inida. Albert’s dancing is so much an extension of his personality – as if dancing allows him to express himself without words.
Thanks for the article…nice memory and I look forward to seeing PULSE dance tomorow night!
What a great story! It’s fun to hear about someone and their God given gifts!