Ethan Levine-Weinberg and Kelsey Adams, two people who have loved dancing since childhood and hope their grandparents never ask them about twerking, are Northwestern’s 2014 Dance Marathon emcees. This dynamic duo sat down with NBN to discuss Lorde, horror movies and all things dance.
Let’s start with the basics: Where are you from?
E: I am from a town called Hartsdale, New York. It’s a suburb just north of New York City.
K: I’m from Lake Forest, Illinois, which is about a 30-minute drive north of Evanston.
How did you two meet?
E: We briefly met each other on the Dancer Relations board last year, and we sort of knew at the end of Dance Marathon last year that we wanted to apply to emcee it. We didn’t know each other that well, but I ended up just asking Kelsey over the summer if she wanted to do it.
K: I was literally sitting in my house when I got this Facebook message from him and he was like, “You wanna be my emcee partner?” And I turn and I’m like, “Mom! Mom! Do I do this?” And she was like, “I don’t care Kelsey, do whatever you want.” So I was just like, “Mom, I’m gonna do it.”
What’s your favorite childhood dance memory?
E: At my older brother’s bar mitzvah. It was in 1998; I was 6. I didn’t have much rhythm, so I just tried to make my feet and body move as quickly as possible.
K: I tried ballet when I was little. This is actually where one of my favorite photos of me comes from. There’s a picture of me splayed out, laying on the ground like a star. I made up my own dance moves by rolling around on the floor.
Who’s your favorite celebrity dancer?
K: I really loved Apolo Ohno on Dancing with the Stars.
E: I actually have to give credit to my older brother on this one. He would always have music going in his room and be dancing around, and I wanted to be like him, so I started doing it as well.
What’s one thing you hate that everybody else loves?
E: Here’s the thing… naps.
K: This partnership is over.
E: I feel like, when I nap, I’m wasting a bunch of time in my day. I wake up and I’m just like, “Where did the day go?”
K: I hate that new musician Lorde. I don’t like her at all. I’m all into the hipster music scene, but I can’t handle it.
How would you describe twerking to your grandparents?
E: I would say this physical expression of… uh… I’m trying to make it intellectual. This is difficult. Thank you for alerting me to this because I’m going to have to explain this some time. Grandma’s nosey.
K: I would just be like, “Nana, it’s when you get really low and shake your butt everywhere.”
What’s your go-to cheer?
E: “Go ‘Cats” is absolutely my go-to cheer.
K: I actually use it for every situation that doesn’t involve Northwestern. I actually fell in front of a tour group, and I got up, and they were all staring at me, and I just said, “Go ‘Cats!” then ran away.
What’s your favorite song to sing in the shower?
E: It’s got to by “Ignition Remix” by R. Kelly.
K: Mine is actually by a local band from Chicago. My favorite song to sing is “Spit the Dark” by Empires. They’re really great. People should know about them.
If you could date any animal, what would it be?
K: Oh, definitely cats.
E: If I could spend the rest of my life with Quokkas, I would be so happy. They’re so cute.
What’s your go-to dance move?
K: You two-step a lot.
E: I might be doing it. I just don’t know it’s called the two-step. I also do “happy feet” a lot.
K: I flail. I also really enjoy the “gas pedal.” Not the official one, but there’s a version I saw on Vine that’s great. I also used to really like to Bernie, but I Bernied too hard at Rock the Beach last year and got a concussion.
What made you want to be a DM emcee?
E: Nothing makes me happier than seeing other people happy. One of the greatest moments of my life where I experienced that was at the end of last year’s event. Just the looks on everyone’s face. I sure as heck was standing there with the largest grin on my face. Just standing there and taking in everything.
K: That’s exactly why I did it, and the sense of community. Just everyone coming together – so many diverse people from the NU community coming together to support one cause. It was just incredible. Seeing all that love in that tent was just awesome. I couldn’t see myself not getting more involved and taking it to the next level.
What’s your top guilty pleasure?
K: Horror movies!
E: Any kind of romantic ‘80s music. I love ‘80s keyboard. And Phil Collins!
If you two had a kid, what would you name him or her?
K: Hmm… Oh! I got it! Rockwell!
E: Oh yeah! Because he would rock well!
K: He just has all the puns.
What’s your favorite thing about Dance Marathon?
E: The community. I’ve said it a million times already, and I’ll say it again. This campus has so many people of so many different backgrounds and interests and all kinds of differences, and it’s the one time a year all of those differences are thrown away, and everybody comes together for one cause, and everyone’s immediately friends. It gives you a shot of pride that you never experience at any other time. NUDM is just a whole other ball game.
K: Also the heroes, the kids that you meet throughout the year and the months leading up to NUDM. It’s incredible to actually see the people you’re helping, see how much of a difference you’re making. It just makes those 30 hours that much more meaningful for you, because when you’re tired or you don’t want to be there, you think of the parents or the kids that you met, and they’re just so great!