Giving students, teachers, and parents an edge in dance education
Not all dancers become professionals. However, the arts produce creative thinkers, able to connect pathways that standard students may not initially consider and dancers tend to be successful in many other aspects of education and life. So, starting as early as Kindergarten, dance can be used as a gateway to discuss college with students. Here’s how one educator begins the conversation at different ages and includes families in the dialogue.
Now widely accepted and taught in university dance programs, at first Kenneth Laws’ writings connecting physics and the art of dance were accused of “reducing ballet to a science.” Learn more about Laws, his late start in dance, and his books in this introductory post on his pioneering work in the dance field.
Today’s photo was taken during a performance of Paquita by the Alma College Dance Company in Alma, MI. The beautiful young lady performing the principal role in this photograph is a freshman from Jackson, MI named Lindsay. Photographer, Simone Boos is a native of Indianapolis, IN who currently attends Alma College in Michigan where she is pursuing dual degrees in dance and English. After discovering a love for photography in high school, she launched Simone Boos Photography in January of 2009. Simone now specializes in portraiture of all kinds, and continues to photograph dance at both the amateur and professional level.
Kathryn, once a competitive high school dancer, tells about her choice to pursue something else in college. She gives four tips for successfully making the transition from your dance-intensive high school years to pursuing dance recreationally while attending college.
The Worldstudio AIGA scholarship program, which aims to increase diversity in the creative professions, is an excellent opportunity for minority and economically disadvantaged dancers. Each year, AIGA provides scholarships ranging from $200 to $2,000, which are based on need, merit, and applicants’ demonstrated activism in social justice issues. The scholarships are available to students who are or will be enrolled in a full-time 4-year undergraduate degree program studying dance or other fine arts.
Prospective college students have a lot of questions! Of course you do! You are making important decisions regarding your future. Not to mention the transition from high school to a university is one of the largest leaps you’ll ever take. Here’s a look at two websites that I think any aspiring dance major should pay a visit.
