The department of dance continues to heal with help from the Student Counseling Center after piano accompanist Adam Cullum passed away on Sept. 4.
Fellow accompanist Yonie Penev reflected on his relationship with Cullum and his enthusiasm that inspired students. Penev and Cullum worked together as piano accompanists in the dance department for three years and became friends through their shared love of music.
“He was a very good friend of mine and he really impacted this community in such a positive way ‘cause he brought what he really knew how to do and loved how to do to the dancers,” Penev said. “I especially could tell how much he loved doing this.”
Cullum was described as a crucial part of the dance community at USC with a loving spirit and talent for musical expression. He played for dance combinations primarily in ballet and pointe classes where first-year through fourth-year students experienced what they said was a contagious joy.
“He was a genuinely kind person,” said third-year dance performance and choreography student Amelia Houlihan. “He was the type of person that would see you walking past a locked door and would open the door for you so you didn’t have to walk all the way around the building. He was the kind of person that came into class with a passion for his music and a passion for playing for dancers who also had a passion for dance.”
Cullum’s death deeply affected students as his loss left a whole in both the physical classes he participated in and in the community as a whole.
“It was really hard, because that morning afterwards he was supposed to play for our contemporary class, so there was definitely an emptiness to the studio when we walked in and we were standing there, waiting for the music to start for our combination to start and there was no music,” Houlihan said.
In honor of Cullum’s passing, the dance department hosted a day where people could celebrate his life and process the situation as a community. The Counseling Center also provided administration with tools to help students work through their grief.
“For me it was a little bit different because I was having a hard time seeing how profoundly impacted the students were and worried about them, " said interim director of the dance program Stephanie Milling. “So as far as my own feelings about it I was sort of putting those aside to help them and to talk to all the other faculty about how we needed to be here for our community.”
Now that the initial grieving has passed and the dance department has returned to regular classes, students and faculty alike are looking to find ways to remember Cullum and his impact on the community while also supporting each other in whatever difficulties they may be facing.
“We’ve always been there for one another, but I think there’s more of a sensitivity to the people that you’re seeing on a daily basis, especially the musicians that come in and play for us,” Houlihan said. “I definitely have a greater appreciation for those who are playing for us and no matter what kind of class it is, they are an essential part of our class and we’re incredibly lucky to have them.”
Penev was proud of the resilience the department showed and believes the legacy of Adam Cullum will live on through their support for each other and their passion for dance.
“It’s a longer period of recovery than you think, but I think that we’re all a little closer because of it. For me, when I play now it feels like a more intimate experience,” Penev said. “And we just support each other more and are more considerate of each other now I feel like. It definitely feels like a bond has been created through everybody.”
Editor's note: If you or someone you know is struggling, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255.