A Taste of Undergrad Life

The college dance student experience encompasses much more than just studio time. It also includes residential and social life, interacting with nondance students, relationships with faculty, and approaching dance from an academic lens. Like many college intensives, “our summer program is based off of, and structured in relationship to, the BFA program,” says Boston Conservatory at Berklee associate professor of dance Kurt Douglas. “It emulates what a first-year student would experience.”

Students in Berklee’s Summer Dance Intensive, for example, are offered a range of technique classes as well as the chance to work with visiting choreographers. “The students get a chance to really immerse themselves in the choreographic process, which is one of the big elements of the conservatory program,” says Douglas. At Philadelphia’s University of the Arts, in addition to movement-based classes and improvisation, students at its Summer Institute are exposed to “workshops focusing on critical dance studies, speaking and writing, formulating feedback, and looking at contemporary artists,” says UArts School of Dance associate dean Jen McGinn. “There’s a larger understanding of dance as an academic subject that a lot of them are not as familiar with from their previous dance training.”

As in college, hard work is tempered with socializing. At both Berklee and UArts’ summer programs, dancers live in dorms alongside students participating in other arts programs, and partake in planned trips and activities together in the evenings and on weekends. McGinn says that the residential life at UArts pushes high school students to gain an important sense of independence and responsibility that will help them prepare to move away from home. “We’re in the center of Philadelphia, and they’re treated like adults in the sense that though they have an RA and a curfew, they’re walking from building to building down the city streets, and making sure they’re making it to mealtimes,” she says.

Preparing for the Future

The question on many students’ minds when considering a college summer intensive is if it will increase their chances of getting into that school. “It definitely helps us know them differently and better, just because we have so much more time with them,” says McGinn. For rising high school seniors attending UArts’ Summer Institute, participation in the program itself counts as an audition to the BFA program. Berklee handles things a bit differently, holding an audition for the BFA program during the summer intensive’s third week. “The first two weeks they’re able to use studio space to rehearse, and this way they don’t have to come back to reaudition during the year,” says Douglas.

While some students attend a college summer intensive with the goal of matriculating into that school, others might have their sights set on getting a BA outside of dance or auditioning for companies. Summer students in UArts’ program attend a mandatory two-hour seminar called Dance After High School, which helps them figure out the options available to them after graduation. “We get in as much as we can,” says McGinn. “Do you even need to go to college? What’s the difference between a BFA and a BA, the difference between being on a dance team versus being a major or a minor? It’s less to steer them in any one direction than to be a resource.”

Douglas agrees that whatever your dance goals are for the future, a college intensive can help. “In this collegiate space, the goal is to educate students so that it’s not just about this particular technique, or this choreographer’s style,” he says. “You’re getting a 360-degree experience of what it means to be a dancer in the world today.”

The post Why High Schoolers Should Consider a College Summer Dance Program appeared first on Dance Magazine.

Burchfield says these questions help reorient students’ capacity to put their thinking first. At UArts’ School of Dance, students in the BFA program are emboldened with agency, artistry, and a fine-tuned ability to advocate for themselves in the professional world.

Cultivating Artists With Agency

Around 75 BFA students graduate from UArts’ School of Dance each year. For each of those dancers, their education starts and ends with their agency. “We don’t tell them, ‘You have to be ___, you have to be ___,” Burchfield says. Instead, dancers’ futures are shaped by students themselves.

“A lot of encouraging agency is encouraging students to speak to their own experience, to ask questions,” says Shayla-Vie Jenkins, assistant professor of dance and former performer with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company. In her classes, student curiosity is a priority. “A lot of times it’s turning toward a classmate and working through the material together,” she says, “and then I encourage questions and elicit feedback in the moment.”

This approach, Burchfield says, is not to be confused with an unstructured or non-rigorous curriculum. All students must enroll in courses which expose them to UArts’ full spectrum of dance faculty and performance opportunities, many of which take on the rigor of a conservatory approach. In first and second years, these courses compose UArts’ Foundation Series; for the latter years, it’s Portfolio & Research.

How dancers learn to find themselves within this structure is what makes a difference. “People ask things like, ‘How do you prepare them for the real world?’ ” Burchfield says. “I always like to say, ‘Well, this is the real world.’ If a student really wants to be a filmmaker and a dancer, that is the real world. So then what does that mean? You’re going to have to divide your time; you’re going to have to figure out where you need it.”

A Curriculum Built on Reflection

During the school year, dance majors gather every five weeks for reflection. “It’s a kind of intentional pause,” Burchfield says, explaining it as a time for students to move outside of their everyday experiences and ask, “What have I learned?”

In the first and second years, these reflections occur when the dancers rotate teachers while staying in the same classes, exposing them to the breadth of UArts’ diverse faculty while still carving out time to notice their own artistic growth.

During the reflections, which are facilitated by associate dean Jen McGinn, faculty are not present, giving students the freedom to be honest with each other, and also themselves. Wendell Gray, a 2015 UArts alumnus, says these pauses gave him the space to pay attention to how he was growing as an artist.

“You see other people’s agency in real time. You see how people are learning ideas and taking control of what they do,” says Gray, who is now a Brooklyn-based artist and choreographer, currently working with Joanna Kotze, Jordan Demetrius Lloyd, Miguel Gutierrez, and others. His professional work remains directly influenced by his time at UArts. “It’s amazing, talking about what we do and how it extends to areas of philosophy and wisdom, understanding ways of being,” he says.

When Representation Is Not an Afterthought 

UArts’ pathway to student empowerment is aided by the diversity represented within the School of Dance as well as the Philadelphia arts district that the school calls home.

“Our student population is majority students of color,” Burchfield says, adding that the faculty makeup is similarly diverse. “Being in Philadelphia, it reminds me that America is made of diversities and differences—racially, ethnically, economically,” she continues. “There is an intentionality in our pedagogy. It’s an intention in the choices we make about who sets work on our students, who is teaching dance history—all of it. There is a social practice embedded in the dance practices.”

Burchfield also notes the city’s strong history of queer acceptance, and she emphasizes that UArts reflects such attitudes in the affirmation of its students and faculty.

Using Performance as Education

In third- and fourth-year students’ Pedagogies of Performance classes, the dancers ask questions such as, “How can you use this as a practice of intention? How can you think about what it’s like to move toward something you don’t recognize as familiar?” Burchfield, Jenkins, and Gray all agree: It’s experiences like these that teach students how to pay attention.

“I’m not just there to replicate the steps and to do them well,” Jenkins says. “I’m also being engaged physically and I’m also engaged critically in whatever the content is. I have an opinion. I have a point of view I can express.”

The resulting atmosphere, Burchfield says, cultivates a spirit of risk-taking that stays with students long after they’ve become alumni.

“Usually there’s no right or wrong,” Jenkins says. “It’s about the process. It’s really about the process.”

Joining the University of the Arts Family

Burchfield encourages anyone interested in UArts’ School of Dance to check out the program’s free Winter Dance Series, in person in Philadelphia November 30 through December 2 (or via its virtual broadcast online December 12 and 13—see @uartsschoolofdance for more details). This year’s program will feature BFA students in works by Bill T. Jones, Dinita and Kyle Clark, Gary Reagan, Katie Swords Thurman, Mark Caserta, Gary W. Jeter II, Jesse Zaritt, Juel D. Lane, Sydney Donovan, and Uwazi Zamani—many of whom are full-time UArts faculty members.

Audition workshops for UArts take place both in person and virtually. During the sessions, current students join the group of auditioners for a holistic approach to class.

Gray encourages prospective students to approach the process without too many nerves. “They really looked at me,” he remembers of his own audition. “I felt that desire. I just felt like a person.”

Learn more about the BFA application process here, as well as UArts’ MFA in dance.

The post How University of the Arts Teaches Dancers to “Pay Attention Differently”—and Why It Works appeared first on Dance Magazine.

Deciding to Switch

After completing her freshman year at Point Park University, Ashleigh McGown attended a summer intensive at the American Dance Festival. One thing in particular stood out for her: how differently other students felt about their college programs. “I was around so many people who were in love with their school and their college experience,” says McGown, “and I had a realization that I wasn’t feeling that.” Some of those students were from University of the Arts in Philadelphia. McGown’s mentor Catie Leasca, a UArts alum, suggested she look into that school’s dance program. McGown conferred with faculty and quickly completed the audition process. She submitted application materials by the beginning of August, was accepted into UArts the week before the semester started and decided to transfer.

McGown was drawn to UArts because she says the dance program better aligned with her learning style. “For studio practice classes, you go through cycles of teachers instead of having one teacher for the entire semester,” she says. Her first semester, McGown danced with 12 different faculty in ballet, jazz, modern and hip-hop courses, an experience that she credits with greatly improving her skills as a dancer.

For Alli Tomsik, transferring made it possible to attend what had originally been her first-choice school, the University of Hartford, where she is now a junior. After completing one semester at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Tomsik knew the modern-focused dance program wasn’t right for her and that she wanted more ballet-based training. “It was hard to leave my friends and the school,” she says, “but I knew in the long run I wasn’t going to be happy at UMass and that it wasn’t going to satisfy my career needs.” Tomsik decided to take a semester off and reaudition for Hartford.

Taking Credit(s)

Because each school has different rules and procedures, transferring credits from one university to another can be a complex process, sometimes propelling students forward and other times setting them back. For Tomsik, it was the latter. While her academic and general education courses transferred, the dance technique classes she took at UMass did not, as Hartford requires students to take four years of ballet and modern specifically at their institution. Because of this rule, Tomsik will graduate a year later than she had originally planned, a change that was only possible because she received extra scholarships.

In contrast, McGown will graduate early because of her transfer credits. All of McGown’s credits transferred from Point Park to UArts, including her technique classes. The 18-credit semesters she took her freshman year at Point Park translated to one and a half years of credits at UArts, meaning she can graduate a semester early. Although finances were a concern for McGown during the transfer process, scholarships, plus cutting a semester, helped her feel confident in her decision.

Looking back, both McGown and Tomsik­ wished they had worried less about the decision and been more patient with themselves while adjusting to a new program. “If you do transfer, it might not be perfect right away, and you have to give it time to settle in your body and into a new routine,” says McGown. Even though the process was challenging at times, both dancers are glad they transferred and feel they are now at the right place. “It’s a hard choice, and there’s an uncertainty to it,” says Matteson. “The challenge is to recognize how brave your choice is to transfer.”

Transfer Tips

From University of the Arts associate professor Paul Matteson

• Visit the school and take classes to feel out the program. While you’re there, talk with other transfer students about their experiences.
• Look into important details, such as how financial aid and housing (and finding a roommate) work, and how they’re similar to or different from your current school.
• Talk with a faculty member or administrator about which credits will transfer and which will not.

The post What to Consider Before Transferring Colleges as a Dance Major appeared first on Dance Magazine.

Freshman Year

Embrace the New

“One of the biggest revelations for me freshman year was how different people’s dance backgrounds were,” says Maia Sauer, who graduated from Middlebury College in spring of 2022. Jessica Ziegler, a 2021 graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, agrees. “In my small cohort, we all were so different from the get-go. I came from a classical ballet background, so I showed up in my tights and leotard, with my hair in a bun. Other people were wearing shorts and T-shirts,” she says.

It’s not just about dress code—through your new peers and faculty, you’ll be exposed to ideas about dance you’ve never encountered before. “It’s both beautiful and painful.­ You get to college and you realize that it’s not going to be more of the same. Dance begins­ to spill out all around you, and you find new ways to step into it,” says Donna Faye Burchfield, dean of the School of Dance at University of the Arts.

Take advantage of this by trying forms that are new to you. “So few pre-college programs­ have African forms. If you’re at a college that offers that opportunity, take advantage­ of it. If you haven’t encountered improvisation, especially contact improvisation, try that out. It teaches you a way to be in the body which will inform your dancing forever,” says Heidi Henderson, chair of the Department of Dance at Connecticut College.

Connect With Your Classmates

Get to know the other students in your cohort. Chances are, you’ll be spending a lot of time with them over the next few years, and if you can build a sense of community rather than competitiveness, you’ll all have a more positive experience. “Our program had a student board, with representatives from each class. I did that freshman through junior year, and it really helped me dive deeper into the department,” says Ziegler.

The extent to which you share classes with upperclassmen will vary depending on your program, but take full advantage of any chances to connect with older students. Their recommendations and advice can help you figure out what direction to take your studies in. For example, Sauer says she took an improvisation class at the suggestion of some upperclassmen. “It was something I hadn’t had any exposure to in high school, and it was really influential for me,” she says.

Sophomore Year

Getting to the Guts

“In your first year, you’ve done the skin. Sophomore and junior year are when you really get into the guts of a program,” says Henderson. Even in conservatory programs—which tend to have a more prescribed schedule than liberal arts programs—most students begin to have more choice over what courses they take starting in their second year. This is the time, Henderson says, to dig deeper into things you found exciting in your freshman year: “If you are interested in choreography, you need to take that class as soon as possible so you can then take other levels. If you got really excited about a new technique, take the next levels of that class so you can get more experience in a direction you think you might want to head.”

Navigating the Sophomore Slump

The “sophomore slump” is a bit of a stereotype, but Ziegler says that for her and many of her classmates, it rang true. “I felt good going in. I had more confidence with one year under my belt,” she says. “But in the first part of second semester, I had too much on my plate. I burned out.” Many positive experiences still came out of that year—Ziegler started taking composition classes, an important part of her college experience, and working with visiting artists, including Nia Love, whom she continues to work with professionally. This is where leaning on the relationships you’ve built with classmates can be helpful. “It was comforting that my class as a whole went through these phases,” Ziegler says.

Junior Year

Moving Beyond the Foundations

At University of the Arts, faculty refer to the first two years of the program as “foundation years,” and the second two as “research years.” “Think of it like a house,” says Burchfield. “The first two years, you are building your base. The second two years, you’re building those sides of the roof that grow toward each other.” By this point in college, you’ve learned where your strengths are and what you’re interested in. If your program includes a thesis or final project, now is a good time to start thinking about what you might like that project to be.

Ziegler says junior year was her favorite year of college, because she was pursuing fulfilling creative work on her own, with guest artists and with grad students, and she’d learned to manage her schedule to prevent burnout. “That friction from sophomore year subsided,” she says.

Look Ahead, but Not Too Far

Junior year is also a good time to start thinking about your postgraduation aspirations. “If your dream is to dance with a company, or if you want to do more commercial dance, there are certain things you need to home in on,” says Burchfield. Be mindful in selecting your classes, but try not to stress over your future too much yet. “I do remember feeling like graduation was looming,” says Sauer. “But my professors reminded me to stay present. You really want to take advantage of the time you have to be in a college dance department.”

Don’t Be Afraid to Take Time Off From Dance

“In our program, many students go abroad junior year, and dance—or not,” says Henderson. “I tell my students, and I don’t think they believe me until they come back, that they don’t lose anything by not taking technique class for a semester. In fact, they’re often better dancers when they go abroad and open themselves as human beings and learn different things. Something gets into your body from being in a new place.”

Senior Year

Dig Deep

Many dance programs, including an increasing number of conservatory programs, involve some kind of senior project. “In my opinion, senior year should be about pursuing a personal interest in a deep way,” says Henderson. “Even if your senior year is not a special project, think about who you are and what you’ve learned about yourself. It’s about taking everything you’ve learned in those previous three years and making it your own.”

Ease Into the Future

Take advantage of any opportunities your program provides to learn skills you’ll need in your professional life. “I remember being in the thick of it and feeling like, Really? You’re going to make me do a mock budget for my thesis? I felt resistant to it then, but now I realize how helpful that was,” says Sauer. Connecting with alumni can also be a helpful way to envision your own future, and many programs will help facilitate those connections. Some programs also offer credit to students who are performing or apprenticing professionally, a good option for those looking for a bridge between college and professional life.

Appreciate Your Accomplishments

Try not to go through your last year with one foot out the door. Instead, focus on how far you’ve come. “I was so anxious about the future,” says Ziegler, “but my advisor reminded me that worrying about things doesn’t actually do anything productive.” That advice helped her embrace the experience of being a senior. “Senior year felt the most creative,” she says. “It was like wrapping up all my college experiences and tying them in a bow. By that point, I really felt like an artist.”

The post How to Make the Most of Each Phase of Your College Career appeared first on Dance Magazine.

We asked five master teachers to describe the things they wish they no longer had to correct—because if students could just remember to incorporate the feedback, they’d be on their way to becoming better dancers.

The post These 5 Mistakes Are Holding You Back from Improving appeared first on Dance Magazine.