Dance/NOW: ECU Dance Blog #8

A word from the DAC...

Hello Dancers!  Before we head into the rest of the blog, here's a quote both for the performers in the upcoming Senior Choreography show and for all of us as we consider the source of our dancing on a day to day basis…

"What lies behind you and what lies before you pales in comparison to what lies inside of you."  - Henry S. Haskins (author and financier) 

And now, on with the rest of the blog!

 ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Just a heads up that the dance faculty is planning to expand our juries this year to include assessments of all dance majors.  Though the central jury for final acceptance into the major remains the freshmen/transfer jury in the spring semester, the yearly juries will be an opportunity to review each dancer's progress in the program and proactively communicate areas of achievement along with areas for continued improvement. Our intention is to support our students by giving them clear opportunities for feedback and assessment from the faculty as a whole.  The specific structure of the various juries is still being discussed and will be announced in an upcoming blog.  

For now, one area in particular that all dance majors should start to consider now is physical fitness - strength, endurance, flexibility. This will be included in the juries of dancers in every year of the program.  We want to make sure that all of you are maintaining a fitness level that supports the kind of intensive demands required to train for and eventually sustain a professional career in dance.  Again, more details will be communicated in an upcoming blog.  For now, make sure you are stretching thoroughly and combining consistent and rigorous endurance and strength training while you continue to work on achieving technical accuracy, efficiency and artistic depth in your technique classes and rehearsals.  

We hope that these juries will serve as a positive force for helping all of you achieve your goals in the art form that you love.  We want you to succeed!  : )

 UPCOMING EVENTS 

Senior Choreography is happening this weekend!!!  These performances showcase the talents of eight of our beloved senior choreographers along with a huge cast of amazing dancers.  It's going to be fabulous!  

The ECU Global Classroom Initiative connects different learning communities around the world via web technology.  This Thursday, during the Senior Choreography tech rehearsal, our program will be connecting with a school in Japan through the global classroom network.  Not only will our dancers be performing for students from across the globe, but they will also get to see them perform and will have time to engage in a dialogue with them regarding their dances. This experience is an incredible way to open up our eyes to dance in Japanese culture. This will be the first time that our dance department has held a global classroom event, and hopefully it will be the first of many experiences we will have to make connections around the world through our shared love and passion for dance. 

Dance program entrance auditions are this coming Sunday, 11/23, from 9-3pm.  Members of ECDA will be supporting the auditions but please consider volunteering to be help out with some aspect of the day.  As you know from experience, the auditions can be a bit daunting for the dancers, so the more friendly smiling faces we have on hand the better!  Please contact John Dixon or Kelsie Jayne for information on how you can help.  

The Musical “Kiss Me Kate” also opens this Thursday and shows will continue through the Tuesday before Thanksgiving break. Make sure you go get tickets support our fellow performers in the School of Theatre and Dance!

 CONGRATS!!! 

To all the choreographers selected to have their works shown at the upcoming Lights Up performance at 8pm on Wednesday, December 10!  Lights Up is a student show through and through - choreography, performance and production elements are all student run and student driven.  I'm proud to be the faculty coordinator, but the real work is being done by the student Concert Coordinator, Bridget Corrigan.  Thank you, Bridget!!!

In advance to all the choreographers and performers involved in the Senior Choreography show this weekend.  We can't wait to see your works onstage!!!

: )

Danie Johnson
Senior Dance Performance Major
ECDA Secretary

And...

John Dixon

Dance Area Coordinator

Dance/NOW: ECU Dance Blog #7

A word from the DAC...

Hello Dancers!  Sorry for the long blog silence.  As we all know, the heart of the fall semester is incredibly busy.  Not surprisingly, there have been a lot of crazy things happening in the last couple of weeks, from family health issues to dancer injuries and more.  One of the things that I love about working here is how we take care of each other in these tough times.  In that vein, please  take the time to check in with those around you who may need a little helping hand these days.  

Here's a quote to hopefully provide some focus to the emotions that rise in the face of the trials and travails of our work…

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.” 
― Frederick Douglass

And now, on with the rest of the blog!

 ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Best wishes to Teal Darkenwald, Marissa Nesbit, Bridget Corrigan, Marissa Dunsmore, Sarah Kleinke, and Lindsey Murphy for a fabulous trip to Chicago for the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) conference this weekend.  Teal and Marissa are both presenting research and the students are traveling to soak in as much of the research as possible while making connections that will further their careers as dancers and dance educators.  Have a great trip, everyone!

 UPCOMING EVENTS 

Guest Artist Hassan Christopher!

Hassan Christopher is in town from New York where he is the Artistic Director of a young performing arts company.  He's danced in NY and LA with some pretty notable names, including Usher, Brittany Spears, Diavalo Dance Theater and many others.  I hope you will enjoy his classes this Thursday, 11/6!  Here is the schedule:

9:30-10:50am - Beginning Jazz
12:30-1:50pm - Intermediate Modern
2-3:20pm - Advanced Modern

 CONGRATS!!! 

To Patti Weeks, the dance faculty, ECDA, the student choreographers and all the dancers involved in the first ever ECU SoTD College Dance Day!  Patti Weeks did a masterful job at organizing a day full of information and inspiration for over 40 aspiring young dance artists.  Though the day was packed with many highlights, not surprisingly the absolutely gorgeous dancing in the culminating performance of works by faculty and student choreographers knocked the socks off our visitors. We were especially proud to include the works of four of our junior choreography students - Maggie Bode, Erica Bolick, Jazlyn Moore and Kanon Sapp.  Great work, choreographers and dancers!!!

Speaking of great choreography, it may come as no surprise that Senior performance major, Megan Rhodes, received one of the prestigious Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity awards for this year.  Megan will be creating an original "evening length" work of dance theater that is sure to be both inventive, inspiring and completely original.  I am honored to serve as her faculty mentor and am truly excited to see the incredible work she is planning come to life as a result of this honor.  Way to go, Megan!!!

: )

Danie Johnson
Senior Dance Performance Major
ECDA Secretary

And...

John Dixon

Dance Area Coordinator