Even after the whirlwind of Nutcracker season and finals dies down, summer break can feel very far away. Still, because applications for intensives, internships, and jobs open in winter, now is the time to start planning for the warmer months. Find Your Focus In her Intro to Dance Studies course at Chapman University, Jennifer Backhaus encourages dancers […]
Despite all the hours young dancers spend in the studio, for many coming out of high school, the idea of dance as an academic discipline—an intellectual as much as a physical pursuit—can be unfamiliar, even mysterious. What do college dance programs actually require? What do students’ days look like? A college’s faculty, size, location, and […]
The story took flight with a chance encounter at the 60th Street post office in Manhattan. It was the mid-’90s and Denise Jefferson, then head of The Ailey School, and Edward Bristow, then dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center, would often bump into each other in the neighborhood. At that point, both schools were […]
No two dancers’ career paths are exactly alike…which is actually pretty great! Equally great: New kinds of opportunities are constantly cropping up in the dance world, along with new skills necessary to book them. (Did anyone really know how to make a self-tape before 2020?) But in an industry that seems to quick-change faster than […]
You may know what it means to earn a silver, gold, or platinum award for your performance—but probably not an A, B, or C grade. Often, dancers don’t encounter the idea of grading in dance until they enter collegiate dance programs. When you’re evaluating an inherently subjective art form, what distinguishes an A student from […]
It’s a scenario that only 2020 could create. Butler University student and popular TikTok user Chinyelu Mwaafrika (@chinforshort) posted this TikTok narrating his struggles of living under a “pod of dance majors” shortly after Butler University announced that all classes would be held virtually for the first two weeks of the semester. Ballet TikToker and […]
We grilled a dance professor and a rising sophomore for their best tips on how to make the most of freshman year—starting on day 1. Get Your Head—and Body—In the Game According to Michelle Nance, director of dance at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX, the challenges incoming dance majors struggle with most can […]
Making future college plans can seem daunting. What is life as a dance major really going to be like? Catie Robinson, a sophomore at California State University, Fullerton, gave us an inside peek at her life on campus. Originally from Round Rock, TX, Robinson trained in a variety of styles growing up, including ballet, jazz, […]