Assistant Professor Rachel Barker won the Alfred Lambourne Prize for movement this year! This is a program connected to the Friends of Great Salt Lake organization and calls for works of art inspired by or utilizing and including the Great Salt Lake. Barker submitted a film entitled “Sand Body Sky”. She is the dancer/choreographer, but the filming and editing was done by students. McCall McClellan was the videographer, and film student Kate McKellar edited the film.
McClellan is currently working on a second rendition that will be exciting to see.
The full catalogue of all the artists’ work is worth browsing through, with lots of various artistic genres represented. The first few pages explain the program and event, and Barker’s work is the very first listed — the fourth page in. The film is just under three minutes. Or the direct YouTube link is here.
The complete winners announcement is shortened list of recipients.
Congratulations to our talented faculty and students on these collaborative endeavors during COVID-19! This film was made this in late April/May 2020, in the thick of the shutdown.
Your new Dance Major Student Reps (DMSRs) will be hosting this year’s first Dance Majors Meeting on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020. Get to know them here and watch for them on the Zoom meeting next week at 11 a.m.!
Tera Taylor – DMSR President
Tera Taylor is a senior from Sacramento, California. She is majoring in Dance Education with an emphasis on contemporary dance. She is currently performing with Contemporary Dance Theatre (CDT) this year and is loving it. She is so excited to be DMSR President and get to know everyone in the department this year.
Cassidy Baugh – courtesy of the artist
Cassidy Baugh – Dance Education Representative
Cassidy Baugh is a senior studying Dance Education. She lived 11 places growing up, but currently calls Daytona Beach, Florida, home. Cassidy is the Dance Education Representative and is the president of the Student Dance Education Organization (SDEO), so feel free to reach out to her with any Dance Ed questions!
Carlee Coulson is a Dance BA major from Boise, Idaho. She is getting a minor in Spanish and is also working on getting her yoga certification. Currently she is performing on danceEnsemble (dE) and is way excited this semester!
Daylin Williams – Social Media/PR Representative
Daylin Williams is a senior Dance Education major from Mansfield, Ohio. She is the current president of dancEnsemble (dE) and is serving as the social media/PR rep for DMSR. She enjoys chicken nuggets, spontaneous dance parties and long walks on the beach.
Jenica Barker – Dance BA Representative
Jenica is from the Chicago area and has had a fantastic time pursuing a BA in Dance while being able to perform on Theatre Ballet and the Showcase Ballroom Company! She is also really enjoying her contemporary classes as well right now! She is excited to serve as the Dance BA rep this year!
Athena Davis – Community Outreach & Service Committee
Athena is a transfer student from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas! Athena has worked as a freelance dance and portrait photographer for the past 3 years, and she has also worked as a costume seamstress for a theater! In her free time she loves to do nail art and other creative projects. Feel free to reach out to her for anything that you need!
Hali Boss – Community Outreach & Service Committee
Hali Boss is a Dance Education major from Salt Lake City. She is serving on the community outreach and service committee. A fun fact about her is she loves to play pickleball!
Victoria Raimondi – Summer Internships/Workshops Committee
Victoria is in the Dance BA major and is in her senior year. She is a part of the Summer Internships/Workshops Committee for DMSR. A fun fact about Victoria is that she’s been apart of three shows at Disney World, her favorite being Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas Parade.
Aullora Fekete – Summer Internships/Workshops Committee
Aullora Fekete is in DSMR summer internships and workshops committee. She is a sophomore in the Dance Education program. Aullora was on dancEnsemble (dE) last semester and is currently on Contemporary Dance Theater (CDT). From Southern California, Aullora enjoys dancing with her four siblings — with her younger brother being a freshman and also on CDT. She is excited to see where Dance Education takes her and where God needs her.
Sarah Duffin – Dance BFA Representative
Sarah is a senior from DeKalb, Illinois. She will graduate in April, and hopes to pursue an MFA in contemporary choreography. Besides dancing, Sarah loves mangoes, British TV, and serving BYU Dance Majors any way she can!
Shani Robison – DMSR Faculty Advisor
Shani Robison is an Associate Professor of Dance at BYU. She teaches in the Ballet Area and works with all new Dance Majors and incoming freshman, as well as the DMSR leaders among many other teaching and creative assignments. Learn more about her here.
Announced at the BYU University Conference, August 25, 2020, in Provo, Utah. Also published in Y News on Sept. 1, 2020. The Faculty Women’s Association can be found at https://fwa.byu.edu/.
For Assistant Professor of Dance Rachel Barker this was “a fun piece I made over Zoom over the summer with [dance students] McCall McClellan and Maddie Butler. This was the piece for which I got a grant from the LDS Center for the Arts for their Art For Uncertain Times projects.”
“It’s not super high quality, because of Zoom,” Barker continued. “But that was the intent. It’s definitely a good reflection of how we’ve continued to make our art in the midst of COVID-19 and social distancing in dance.”
Choreography: Rachel Barker in collaboration with the performers
Performers: Maddie Butler, McCall McClellan
Music: Michael Wall “3 166” and “War Machines”; Yann Tiersen “The Old Man Still Wants It (Portrait Version)”
Music and Video Editing: McCall McClellan
This piece begins from a desire to explore personal physical histories. Particularly, during this strange and uncertain time of the COVID-19 pandemic, as we are all struggling to navigate major changes in lifestyle, relationships, financial situations, living and dancing spaces, etc., I am curious about how we catalogue these changes in our emotional and physical states through movement. We are all processing a great deal, and there is much to be mined in our bodies.
In true COVID-19 style, Quarantine Book Club was created completely over Zoom, with one dancer, Maddie, in her backyard in California, and the other, McCall, in her garage in Provo, while I was at my home in Salt Lake City. We never physically met together throughout the entire process. Choreographing through digital means was not without its challenges, and proved to be very tedious—a 150 ft ethernet cable was purchased, and multiple “you’re frozen” statements were muttered—but it was exciting to play with rich, disparate spaces which offered much more than a studio or theater could. I encouraged the dancers to explore and dance with their particular spaces in a site-specific manner—lifting up a garage door, tipping over a chair, hiding behind a palm tree… Much like we as a global community have tried to find ways to continue to connect despite isolation, in this piece I worked to connect these two women , albeit in a quirky manner, across time and space through movement.
Pictured: BYU students and faculty with Dr. Elsie Dunin. Photo courtesy of Amy Jex.
National Folk Organization Conference, March 2020
By: Amy Jex
In early March the National Folk Organization held its annual conference in Laguna Hills, California in conjunction with the Laguna Woods Folk Festival’s 50 anniversary. For the first time, the BYU World Dance Area was able to send 14 students to the conference.
The 2020 conference highlighted presentations and workshops from many American pioneering researchers who began their work in the Balkans in the 1960’s including Elsie Dunin, Martin Koenig, Yves Moreau and Janet Reineck. Students from Jeanette Geslison’s “Dance: A Reflection of Culture” class were especially excited to meet and hear Dr. Dunin, whose work in dance ethnology they had studied in class. Colin Anderson, a member of the International Folk Dance Ensemble commented, “I enjoyed the chance to learn about the various research projects that actually document folk dance. We always perform “authentic” dances and I hadn’t really considered the work that went into recording and preserving those cultural styles.”
Other exciting workshops included a giant lace-making demonstration that the explored the similarities between contra dancing, dancing to live music with the Laguna Woods dancers, and instruction from respected guest instructors at the conference and the festival.
Student Levi Hancock expressed, “The conference and festival that we attended opened my eyes to a whole different community that I never knew existed. The people that participated in this conference and festival were so passionate about appreciating culture and expressing themselves through dance. I absolutely loved learning so many dances from around the world, but even more enjoyable to me was talking to the people. Each person had a unique story about how they came to love folk dance and had all sorts of personal experiences to share about when they have traveled around the world and experienced the cultures that we were doing dances from. I wish more college-aged students like myself could get this same experience to see and experience this community of amazing people in the future.”
I hope you are all well and safe. I have seen a few of you in the halls and am so excited to be back in the Fall. I have a few updates. Please feel free to share this information with others—and reach out to a friend to make sure they saw this email.
Here are a few things to keep in mind as we begin this school year:
New faculty!
We are excited to welcome Angela Challis and Adeena Lago as new Dance Education faculty! They both have incredible experience and insights!
We are also welcoming Marin Roper to the Dance Education Committee – she will be helping with some advisement and program development.
Dance 276R and Dance 245 block switch for F2020 only.
Some of the shifts of the semester meant that we swapped Dance 245 Urban to first block and Dance 276R to second block (only for Fall 2020). This will help with fingerprinting especially (see below). If you are needing an add code for Dance 276R, fingerprint/background clearance must be approved before I can send you an add code.
Dance 346 add code:
I think some of you may not be able to register for this course due to fingerprint clearance. The instructor, Dr. Kathleen Sheffield, is aware of this and can send you an add code—please contact her at kathleen.bunker.sheffield@gmail.com.
We will be doing some virtual school visits, but plan on doing as much in-person as possible. Please consider transportation options for school visits.
Stay safe and healthy:
Lastly, we hope to keep meeting in-person and while simultaneously keeping people healthy. Please continue to mask-up and practice social distancing as much as possible.
BYU DEPARTMENT OF DANCE ~ PRACTICES AND PROTOCOLS ~ FOR FALL SEMESTER 2020
Dear Department of Dance faculty,
We are busily preparing for the upcoming fall semester and have thoughtfully evaluated how to best operate in this new and very unusual environment. These evaluations have resulted in new practices, policies and protocols which will allow us to operate as safely as possible while still accomplishing our academic goals. We ask for your co-operation, flexibility and support as we embark upon this new adventure, realizing that much of our student’s experiences will be shaped by how we respond to the current crisis. I echo the admonition of many of our prophets to “look forward with faith”. Thank you for all your efforts, both seen and unseen, that will contribute to the success of this semester. 2020 will certainly be one for the records books — here we go!!!
Curt Holman Chair, Department of Dance
Studios • Maximum occupancy in each studio has been lowered. • If studios have two entrances one will be designated as “entrance” and one as “exit”.
Classes • Teachers will adapt course work to maximize possible social distancing. • Masks will be worn by faculty and students when in class (rare, if any, exceptions will be at the discretion of the teacher). • Students must bring their own masks and hand sanitizer. • Each class will be responsible to sanitize studio/classroom space at the conclusion of each class. • Different studios/classrooms may have additional protocols.
Performing companies • Members of performing companies will go through a symptom/temperature check prior to each rehearsal.
Performances • All on-campus (ticketed) performances, with public audiences, are cancelled. • Senior projects/dancEnsemble/Ballet Showcase will have an adapted concert. • We are happy to announce that the BYU Department Dance will produce a weekly live-streaming event that will give our performing groups an opportunity to have a performance experience this semester. Stand by…. more information to come!
Hallways • Students should not congregate in hallways and/or lounge areas.
Dance Medicine and Wellness Facility • Additional protocols have been established for the Dance Medicine and Wellness Facility (formerly known as the training room) to ensure the safety of our staff and students.
Studio availability for practice • Students must go through the established scheduling protocols to obtain access to studios for practice. • Masks must be worn at all times when in studios.
Julie Ahlander has had an illustrious career in the arts! From being Artistic Director, and then Co-Artistic Director with Nick Cendese, for the Dance Company at South Valley Creative Dance for 13 years to traveling with a rising star boy band for 18 months, she has taught and choreographed all sorts of interesting projects in the community, in education and for corporations. She was on the board for the Utah Dance Education Organization (UDEO) from 2005-2007, is on her fifth year as Associate Producer of The Forgotten Carols tour and taught adjunct for a few semesters at UVU and for 10 years at BYU.
While at BYU she was on the Ballroom Dance Backup Team, choreographed for dancEnsemble, worked with Les Ditson on Impulse Improv and made Dancers’ Company (now CDT), although she wasn’t able to accept that spot due to scheduling conflicts at the time. She was a student assistant to Cathy Black — one of her favorite people ever — and served with the Society of Dance History Scholars, assisting Black as treasurer of the group.
She’s grateful for the opportunity she had to take two semesters of the theatre management class at BYU. Paul Duerden, who managed the HFAC theatres at the time, taught it well. He now manages the Covey Center for the Arts in Provo.
“Knowing the business side and the creative side of things is why I’ve been able to stay working in the arts,” Ahlander said. “To do and understand both has definitely served me well. I learned so much taking that class.”
Ahlander grew up in Oklahoma taking ballet, jazz and tap over the years. In college at Oklahoma State she became a Musical Theatre major. After joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she transferred to BYU as a junior. Her first modern dance class ever was taught by Peggy Caughey and Ahlander was hooked. She had found her niche! She completely switched her focus to contemporary dance and has loved it ever since! She finished at BYU with her MA in choreography.
She loved her time at BYU and continued to teach as an adjunct instructor for over 10 years. She feels blessed to have learned from BYU Dance faculty Pat Debenham, Marilyn Berrett and many other inspirational professors and colleagues throughout the years.
By Marin Leggat Roper, Assistant Professor of Dance, Brigham Young University. Originally presented at the BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications monthly lectures series: Faith and Works, on Thursday March 7, 2019. Reprinted with permission and edited by author.
08/06/2020 ~ A Special Excerpt for the BYU Department of Dance’s Blog, A Time To Dance
What does the moving body teach us about Yielding?
Helaman 3:35 – 35 ~ Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.
from the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ
The scriptures teach us to yield our heart. Yielding is also an important concept in dance training. The physiological principle is that, in our attempts to dance LARGE, jump HIGH, reach FAR in our dancing, we first have to YIELD, meaning literally releasing the binding in our muscles, the grip or hold. Dancers who don’t yield won’t be able to get the spring, lift, height, fullness (“ballon” in ballet). A really important part of dance training, then, is not only training for the BIG moments, but training for the Yield BEFORE the BIG moments (hence, all the plie work dancers do).
A yield doesn’t just collapse, however. In dance, a “yield” is always followed by a “push” out into space. In dance, this is called, “Yield to Push phrasing.” And, wow, we practice that a LOT. The body yields to prime the neuromuscular system to receive the push back from the earth and channel that line of energy through our body in the most functional way, in order to fulfill our intent in space.
Just as yielding primes the body to receive energy necessary for propulsion, yielding our hearts primes our spirit to receive – to receive what? – spiritual promptings, personal revelation, the promptings of the Holy Spirit that will also propel us towards action or change of some kind.
How do we Yield our hearts? I suggest we start right here, with our hand on our sternum. I’m aware of physical sensations I feel when I’m NOT yielding, physically or spiritually. I feel a grip, and tightening or binding: in my thoughts, in my heart, even in my muscles. When I identify these physical sensations, it usually means there is resistance happening somewhere in my life.
So, I breathe. I pause, I release, and I listen deeply. I receive.
Take a minute or two to keep your hand on your sternum, breath, soften and yield and be open to receive. Sense any physical felt sensations in the body. No need to describe, to conceptualize or wrap words around anything. Be aware of felt physical sensation, and any urging towards action…
Raquelle Madsen Morse is the owner of the Tallahassee School of Dance (a small private studio in Florida) which focuses on inclusiveness and outreach (below). Above: Then and now, (L-R) Morse as a student at BYU in 1995, her family now, and with her husband, Jon, still dancing every chance she gets.
“Everyone deserves a chance to fly.”
~ Raquelle Madsen Morse
Raquelle Madsen Morse, BYU Class of 1996, BA in Dance, started her private home studio after she graduated from BYU and moved back home to the panhandle of Florida. The Tallahassee School of Dance — and Raquelle herself — is known for lovingly sharing the joy of dance with all who seek it.
A Time to Dance has asked Morse to share some insights on earning her degree in Dance and how that’s impacted her life since then.
“I’ve been thinking about the use of the academic side [of my BA in Dance] and I use it all the time,” Morse said. “In my choreography I utilize historic dance moves I learned about in dance history. In classes I teach, if I see the physical need of a student, I can usually find an exercise because of the anatomy and kinesiology classes I took at BYU.”
“But the most important time I’ve used those classes, was when my last kid was born,” Morse continued. “He had two massive strokes. I was able to understand what the doctors were saying and have been able to follow and repeat the exercises his physical therapist assigned to us. Because of my training I can see if his feet are turning in the wrong way and other things like that. It has honestly been a huge blessing to have the academic side of my BA.”
Morse uses her skills in more creative ways, as well, to serve in her community.
“I’m also the official choreographer for Montford Middle School in town,” she said. “That’s super fun!”
What would she tell current BYU Dance students, in light of all that’s changing in the world?
“My best experience advice would be to look outside the norm,” Morse said. “My favorite experiences have been teaching kids with special needs.”
Morse has had a great impact on her community over the years, helping countless students — and their families — enjoy dance regardless of their challenges.
From a parent in her community: “My daughter is 10 years old and has sensory issues. She loves to dance, but there are times the combination of the music, tap shoes, and class sizes have overwhelmed her greatly. We just finished up our first year with Ms. Raquelle and it was exactly what she needed. After explaining my daughter’s issues to Ms. Raquelle, she knew exactly how to help her be successful in her dance class. My daughter looked forward to dance each week and cannot wait for it to begin again! It’s been such a relief to finally find something for my daughter that she can enjoy. Patient, kind, loving, knowledgeable, and amazing are all words that describe Ms. Raquelle! We are so grateful! We love Ms. Raquelle!” -Kathy Ladle
These niche opportunities for Morse to teach and serve have opened up naturally in her life over the years. She’s confident that if BYU students keep an open mind and work hard, they will be guided to the types of work that will fit their own skills, interests and talents as well.
“My daughter Jacqueline is coming to BYU in the fall,” Morse concluded. “I am so excited for her! She is not a dancer, but is looking forward to taking some social dance classes.”
Morse believes Dance at BYU is for everyone! She hopes her daughter, as well as all students, faculty and staff across campus, can enjoy performances, beginning classes (which are open to all students!) and any exciting dance-related activities and experiences.
[Raquelle Madsen Morse is the owner and teacher at the Tallahassee School of Dance. Raquelle has been dancing since 1980 and started in theater in 1981. She has been trained in ballet, contemporary, musical theater, ballroom, tap, jazz, as well as many other forms of dance. She was a soloist in the Tallahassee Ballet and graduated with a BA in dance. Raquelle started choreographing in 1991 and is currently the choreographer for the Montford Middle School Choral and Theater Department. Raquelle has been teaching since 1994. In 2000 she opened the Tallahassee School of Dance and started an adaptive class in 2004 for children with special needs. She loves working with children of all ages and abilities and truly believes that everyone deserves the chance to fly.]
atimetodance.news.blog 