Dance 317: Advanced Writing for Dance – MWF, 8:00-8:50 a.m.
**This course fulfills the Advanced Writing and Oral Communication GE requirement** Co-taught by Shelli Spotts (English) and Marin Roper (Dance).
Unless dancers can write and speak effectively about what it is we do, our best efforts to ‘move’ the world often fall flat. The goal of Dance 317: Advanced Writing for Dance, is to prepare dance majors with specific writing skills needed in your work as artists, educators, scholars and advocates out in the world. This class focuses on similarities between the creative processes used in writing and dancing to help you become more articulate and embodied writers and dancers. Units such as Dance Criticism, Dance Research, Dance Advocacy and Technical Writing for Dance will equip students with the tools to get funded, to get published, to get hired and to create change in the world.
Paired with the new Dance 317: Advanced Writing for Dance course, the Department of Dance is also excited to reinstate the annual “Writers’ Symposium” in Winter 2021. The Writers’ Symposium is a department event that recognizes, celebrates and rewards excellent student writing. The Writers’ Symposium will be directed by Professor Amy Jex.
Student Dance Education Organization (SDEO) Rep – Mac Braithwaite
The BYU Dance Majors are a tight group around the RB! These student leaders above have served for a full year as DMSRs, doing various projects from planning activities and organizing events to designing and ordering group T-shirts and swag!
“The DMSRs provide an important service to the dance majors and to the department,” said Associate Professor of Dance Shani Robison, who is faculty advisor over the student leaders and new dance majors. “They help with dance major meetings, preview day, student orientations, major fairs, and more. They set up socials and serve the dance majors in any way that they can.”
“I am so blessed to have made life-long friends that have changed my life,” said Ryan Hatch, class of 2020, BFA in Dance and DSMR secretary this past year. “My time on BYU Theatre Ballet has shaped me into the person that I am! I am so grateful for the amazing directors Shayla Bott, Ashley Ivory Parov, Hilary Wolfley and all of the other amazing faculty I have worked with!
“The DMSRs are excellent students, strong contributors and an invaluable part of the Department of Dance,” Robison said. “I thoroughly enjoy working with them and know that as they graduate they will provide great leadership and service to the dance field for many years to come! Thank you for all of your work and congratulations to the graduates this year!”
BYU Contemporary Dance Theatre (CDT) dances to Vanish, a piece exploring isolation, loneliness, support, friendship, togetherness and hope.
Visiting from NYC, choreographer Jesse Ombreski created the piece as a spiritual journey for all involved. It was shot and edited by Scott Cook Films. BYU Assistant Professor of Dance Keely Song, who is also Artistic Director of CDT, produced the film.
BYU graduating seniors from the Class of 2020 share their thoughts about Vanish, working with Jesse and dancing at BYU.
In their own words:
Bronte Hopkins
Bronte Hopkins, Dance Education Major, Class of 2020 ~ It was such a wonderful experience working with Jesse Obremski, as he is a talented choreographer and such a generous human being. It felt like a journey. “It’s all about the humanity,” is what Jesse would often remind us throughout the entire process working with him. Read More…
Jenni Zackrison Humphrey ~ Class of 2020, Dance Education Major ~ I feel like this piece and our dance community in general is all about supporting one another. In this dance, we focused on supporting Ben but it works the same way for anyone and everyone else. It was a special experience to be a part of this dance as part of my final performance at BYU. Read more…
BYU Contemporary Dance Theatre, 2019-2020
Vanessa Redden, Dance Minor, CDT President, Class of 2020 ~ The creative process with Jesse Obremski was a memorable and unique experience. I’ve never worked with someone who puts so much heart into their work and also creates a space of individual self-discovery for his dancers. Read more…
Taft M. Robinson, Class of 2020, MDT Major ~ I was humbled and inspired after working with Jesse [Obremski]. Seeing and experiencing the collaborative process between his vision and us dancers was a real treat. The movement in Vanishexplored the intricate experiences of connection among people; loneliness, a warm embrace, peaceful solace, seeking others, and community. Read more…
Keely Song Glenn, Artistic Director, CDT
Keely Song, BYU Assistant Professor of Dance, CDT Artistic Director, Vanish Producer ~ This week we celebrate the flight of seniors and reflect back on those who have impacted our lives for good. As a tribute to the vitality of human connection and a hope for the day when we can one day physically connect to each other again, we are releasing Vanish, a screendance choreographed by Jesse Obremski and filmed by Scott Cook with music by Jarom Hanson. Performed by the CDT company, Vanish reminds us of our humanity and the power of lifting others on this journey called life. Congratulations to the class of 2020.Read more…
Today my little boys released the butterflies that they have been observing and nurturing since the caterpillars first arrived at our doorstep in a small jar. The temperature warmed up to 60 degrees and as their wings were exposed fully in the sunlight, I could sense the energy within their stillness. They were about to take flight.
This Friday marks what would have been the convocation & commencement at BYU. We would have basked in the sunlight and accomplishments of the students in their caps and gowns as they prepared to fly. However, that has all vanished and we are left with only the imagination of what might have been. We are left in a stasis of stillness remembering warm embraces, genuine greetings, and welcoming smiles.
Reflecting back on my first year overseeing the responsibilities of the BYU Contemporary Dance Theatre, I feel blessed the company members were able share experiences and memories well before this day of isolated graduation. However, like many performance groups, there were opportunities and performances left undone leaving the company in a state of unfinished closure.
Like a butterfly, dance is an art form that is evanescent. It leaves only the memories of invisible traces that permeates the air and the pathways on the ground. Because the physicality transforms into ephemerality, dance pushes us to fully live in the present. It begs us to live in the present, and perhaps it is that begging that drives us to seek human connection and share that with others. How grateful I am then, to have witnessed these connections transpire over the course of the year through the daily grind of rehearsals and performances.
This week we celebrate the flight of seniors and reflect back on those who have impacted our lives for good. As a tribute to the vitality of human connection and a hope for the day when we can one day physically connect to each other again, we are releasing “Vanish”, a screendance choreographed by Jesse Obremski and filmed by Scott Cook with music by Jarom Hanson. Performed by the CDT company, “Vanish” reminds us of our humanity and the power of lifting others on this journey called life. Congratulations to the class of 2020.
Taft M. Robinson, Class of 2020, BYU MDT ~ In His Own Words:
I was humbled and inspired after working with Jesse [Obremski]. Seeing and experiencing the collaborative process between his vision and us dancers was a real treat. The movement in “Vanish” explored the intricate experiences of connection among people; loneliness, a warm embrace, peaceful solace, seeking others, and community. I loved the opportunity to experience this dance anew in each rehearsal and performance: this piece, to me, is a living and breathing piece of art.I count myself lucky, blessed, and shaped by the opportunities I’ve had as a member of BYU’s MDT program and dancer on CDT this past school year. I love BYU Dance’s focused combination of art and spirituality; and my opportunities to feel God’s influence in performing firsthand. I’m so grateful for my professors and my peers who have cheered me on and allowed me to cheer them on. Thank you to BYU Dance, CDT, and MDT for setting the bar of excellence high and providing the journey to who I am today.
Vanessa Redden, Class of 2020, Dance Minor, CDT President ~ In Her Own Words:
The creative process with Jesse Obremski was a memorable and unique experience. I’ve never worked with someone who puts so much heart into their work and also creates a space of individual self-discovery for his dancers. He made it very clear that each gesture, each interaction and each moment had meaning — meaning that added to the overall piece. Much like Vanish, my dance experience at BYU has become more meaningful with time, experiences and growing relationships with many dancers, professors and professionals. Each time we ran this piece I found deeper meaning and a deeper connection to the movement and my fellow dancers. This was a perfect finale to my college dance career. The final time we performed this piece I truly felt immersed in the movement, the music and the people. The range of human emotion that I felt in that 11-minute piece was an experience I never want to forget. The most important emotion, however, was unconditional love. I have immense love for my CDT dancers, I love BYU Dance, and I love the all the experiences that have added such great meaning to my BYU education. While my final season was cut short, these memories that dance has given me will never vanish. It was a perfect unexpected ending. Thank you Jesse for reminding me that dance is only an extension and expression of something much bigger than ourselves. Thank you, BYU Dance for letting me be a small piece of something so transformative.
~ Vanessa Redden
Vanessa minored in Dance and majored in Business in BYU’s Marriott School of Management. She looks forward to an exciting career ahead, using her creativity from dance to enhance her business skills and training.
Jenni Zackrison Humphrey, Class of 2020, BA in Dance Education ~ In Her Own Words:
I feel like this piece and our dance community in general is all about supporting one another. In this dance, we focused on supporting Ben but it works the same way for anyone and everyone else. It was a special experience to be a part of this dance as part of my final performance at BYU. I felt the love of my fellow dancers every time we performed this dance. I felt like this movement allowed me to share my emotions and love with those around me. At the end of the dance we had the opportunity to say goodbye to Ben. I always felt like this moment also allowed me to say goodbye to this chapter of my life and look forward to a new one, knowing that I would always keep these people and these memories with me. This dance and this community testified of the great love we have for one another and I’m grateful to have been a part of it.
Bronte Hopkins, Class of 2020, BA in Dance Education~ In Her Own Words:
It was such a wonderful experience working with Jesse Obremski, as he is a talented choreographer and such a generous human being. It felt like a journey. “It’s all about the humanity,” is what Jesse would often remind us throughout the entire process working with him. This was a defining period of time for us, as a company, to come together to show our love and resilience—to really become a community. I think that is what BYU DANCE has meant to me. Even and especially when our show week came in February and one of our dancers was injured, this piece was a through-line for the show that pulled us even closer. We stepped up and showed ourselves the importance of caring for one another—which only augmented and crystallized this dance for me. “To see and be seen by others” is how I would describe what Vanish means to me. Those moments in our lives when we all feel so small and insignificant, but are reminded moment by moment that we matter and our worth is much greater than we can understand. My experience at BYU has been a longer journey than most students, but it has also afforded me such life-changing opportunities. What’s interesting about the dance form is that while visual artists work in oil, acrylic, watercolor and ink, our medium is people. People matter most and it is the art that exposes their spirits and connects us to our Father in Heaven. I have so much reverence for the sacred space and time I have shared here at BYU. I LOVE these people. They have changed my life. I am full of gratitude for an ever-expanding family that I’ve come to know through dance. I will carry them with me as I move into the future.
~ Bronte Hopkins
Bronte begins a new job in August 2020 as the dance teacher at Mountain View High School in Orem, Utah. She is excited to share her knowledge and love of dance with her new students!
The annual Department of Dance Awards Night Dinner is a special tradition each year where dance majors and faculty come together to celebrate each others’ achievements and art. This year we honor each of you remotely, with an even fuller collective heart, hoping for the very best for each one of you. From graduating seniors moving on, to up-and-coming underclassmen, we salute your hard work, creativity, tenacity and spirit.
Below is our list of special awards and scholarships to deserving students and faculty. If you listen closely, you might even hear the roaring applause and sense the tears of joy from those who would be at the table next to you, if they could…
Wherever you may be, please imagine yourself in dressy attire, finishing your delicious catered meal, and raise your glass of sparkling cider or chocolate milk in a toast to our very own BYU dancers extraordinaire…
Department of Dance Awards 2020
Departmental Recognition of Students
DMSRs 2019-20 (Dance Major Student Representatives)
President – Sasha Chopelas
VP & Dance Ed – Tera Taylor Egbert
Secretary – Ryan Hatch
BA Rep – Lauren James
Ballroom Rep – Saidi Cordon
Contemporary Rep- Victoria Raimondi
World Rep- Natalie Van Wagoner
SDEO Rep – Mac Braithwaite
GRADUATING STUDENTS
DECEMBER 2019 Taylor Buck Mackenzie Cruz Braithwaite Susanne Kitchen Carli Treu Ralph Brayden Singley
APRIL 2020 James Adamson Lindsey Christensen Roman Curiel Autumn Hawkes Eliza Hoffman Robinson Bronte Hopkins Aubrie Hutchings Rebekah McConkie Skylar Moore Wardle Kiersten Robertson Kathryn Rogers Mckenzie Ward Rucker Lauren Smith Natalie Van Wagoner Jennifer Zackrison Humphrey
JUNE 2020 Hanna Ashton Brockbank Brenna Bartholomew Kaila Bradley Podzikowski Diana Brewster Katia Flores Quiroz Veronica Harvey
AUGUST 2020 Fallon Fristoe Lesley Gee Lauren Halversen Ryan Hatch Sarah McClure Kyra Morgan Caitlin Shill Kira van Dyk
DEAN’S LIST RECIPIENTS
Winter 2019 Karlee Brotherson Roman Curiel Fallon Fristoe Ryan Hatch Ashley Jex Katelynn Johnson McCall McClellan Skylar Moore Montana Shugars Jennifer Watts Adrienne Whitworth Jennifer Zackrison Humphrey
Spring 2019 Taylor Buck Aubrie Hutchings Skylar Moore Wardle Isaac Moras Guevara Brayden Singley Jennifer Watts
Summer 2019 James Adamson Corinne Colt Ashley Jex Caitlin Shill
Fall 2019 Brynn Foote Megan Fuhriman Melanie Hilton Anastasia Krzymowski Madyson McCook Skylar Moore Wardle Meg Nielsen Samatha Proffit Mariah Sainsbury Jennifer Watts
Please TURN your phone or VIEW IN BROWSER if table formatting is skewed. Thank you!
BENEFACTOR SCHOLARSHIPS
RECIPIENTS
Sarah Ann Edgren Dance Scholarship(1/2 tuition) The family of Sarah Ann Edgren created this scholarship in honor of their late daughter who loved to dance, but passed away before being able to complete a university degree. Her dancing spirit and longing to continue to learn and develop can be an influence for good for life-long learners.
Ashley Jex
Mabel Smith Hanks Dance Education Award (1/2 tuition) “The true aim of everyone who aspires to be a teacher should be, not to impart solely her own opinions, but to motivate minds and thereby become eternal in the lives of her students; could anyone wish a greater reward?” -Mabel Smith Hanks This award is given to enable one who exemplifies this philosophy to complete certification for entering the teaching profession.
Jessica Jensen Walker
Milton F. Hartvigsen Physical Education Scholarship(1/2 tuition) “As the individual or the collective body assigns right or wrong to any action or decision, they reflect the moral and ethical values they esteem.” – Milton Hartvigsen This award is given to one whose actions have reflected ethical and moral values consistent with the ideals most highly esteemed within their chosen profession.
Madyson McCook
A. Gary Hopkinson Dance Scholarship(1/2 tuition) This award is given annually to one who demonstrates an affinity for creation in full production detail and technology.
Hattie Shepherd
Emerson and LeGene Lyman Scholarship(1/2 tuition)
Brynn Lewis
Sara Lee Gibb Dance Education Scholarship (1/2 tuition) “Talents are gifts of the spirit and are divinely given. As seekers of meaning in dance, we discover the beauties and mysteries of the earth, as well as eternal truth. The art of movement celebrates the unspoken language of the soul.” – Sara Lee Gibb This award is given to a dance education major who shows promise as a dance educator while embodying integrity and gospel values.
Tera Taylor Egbert
Cherrill Brown Liptak(1/2 tuition) This award is given to one who, through dancing, will give and receive joy as well as inspire others to dance.
Joey Anderson
Phyllis C. Jacobson Dance Award(1/2 Tuition) “Havelock Ellis made the following statement which eloquently expresses my convictions, ‘If we are indifferent to the art of dancing, we have failed to understand not merely the supreme manifestation of physical life, but also the supreme symbol of spiritual life.”-Phyllis Jacobsen This award is given to one whose work reflects dance as a creative activity that involves the total being, as well as the qualities of perseverance, endurance and service.
Isaac Moras Guevara
Cherrill Brown Liptak Dance Award(TWO Full tuition scholarships) “If, as Thomas Carlyle has said, ‘Music is the speech of angels,’ then dance is surely its gestural equivalent in the expression of joy and inspiration.” This award is given to one who through dancing, will give and receive joy as well as inspire others to dance.
Annah Brooks
Melanie Hilton
Leona Holbrook Dance Award(TWO full tuition scholarships) “There is a human dignity which should govern all of man’s activities and a human worth which should give those activities significance.”-Leona Holbrook This award is given to one whose dance contributions reflect exemplary human worth and dignity, as well as demonstrated leadership abilities.
McCall McClellan
Daylin Williams
Please TURN your phone or VIEW IN BROWSER if table formatting is skewed. Thank you!
DANCE MAJORDEPARTMENTAL SCHOLARSHIPS
RECIPIENTS
FALL 2020 AND WINTER 2021 AWARDS
$2000 split between two semesters
Courtney Barclay, Jenica Barker, Ashley Bouwhuis, Kayla Brown, Bethany Claunch, Kaeli Dance, Athena Davis, Baylee Dowdle, Aullora Fekete, Miranda Fife, Megan Fuhriman, Kallie Hatch, Anastasia Krzymowski, Dana Lambert, Raegan Nelson, Mallory Pruitt, Susana Pettis, Eleanor Reugner, Braden Swanson, Emma Talbot, Jennifer Watts
Graduating Seniors – Submit Your Dance Video Clip or Photo to:
Jeanette Geslison – jeanette_geslison at byu.edu or Scott Cook – scottcookfilm at gmail.com for the final touches of the Department of Dance Grad Collaboration Video, if you haven’t done so already! There are a few graduating seniors we are missing! We don’t want to leave you out! Hurry!
Dance Submissions are Needed ASAP in the CFAC Graduation Coverage! (Along with Music, Art, Comms, Design, etc.)
We need to represent DANCE! Submit your 700 word (or less) story, video clips or photos of your time at BYU: Our College of Fine Arts and Communications wants to celebrate the successes of all its departments from Art, Comms, Dance, Design, Music, MDT and Theatre and Media Arts. Dance submissions are low, so hurry and add to your fellow dancers’ submissions by sending your content (brief or detailed) to the CFAC team now! You deserve the spotlight! It’s not “bragging,” it’s sharing and uplifting to others!
From the #CFACGrad page:
Are you a December 2019, April 2020, June 2020 or August 2020 graduate? Share your story with us! We are accepting memories, essays, videos and photos from graduating seniors that we will post on the College of Fine Arts and Communications’ social media media channels and websites. When you submit your story, just make sure it follows the following guidelines:
The entry is BYU-appropriate.
The entry relates to your BYU experience in some way.
Essay and memory entries must include a photo or image to post alongside the essay or memory.
Essay entries must be 700 words or less.
Please feel free to use these questions/ideas as inspiration when you submit your memory, essay, photo or video. These questions are not mandatory.Experience Questions
What cool/interesting experiences have you had because of your BYU education?
How has it impacted your art/your career?
Are there any notable awards or achievements you’ve been a part of as a BYU student?
Identity Questions
How has BYU shaped your role as an artist/communicator?
How has being a BYU student impacted your life?
How do you practice your art or your craft at BYU?
How did you find your creative outlet at BYU?
How do you combine your art with your faith?
Miscellaneous Questions
Why did you choose to come to BYU?
What advice do you give to current and future BYU students?
Why did you choose your major and what do you love about it?
What are your future ambitions/plans?
What is the hardest thing you had to overcome/biggest challenge at BYU?
What are some things you are most proud of in your academic career?
How did BYU help you launch your career?
What is the biggest lesson BYU has taught you?
Photo/Video Suggestions
Cap and Gown/Graduation Photos
Photos of a BYU class, experience, internship, etc.
Videos of rehearsals, classes, etc. (These must meet copyright guidelines).
Thank you, dance students! You are fabulous and we want you to shine bright and get the recognition you deserve!
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