My Discipline

Below I will further discuss one of the disciplines of which I will be working in, which is dance.

1)  What do students in your program or department learn how to do?

• In our department student learn how to be the cleanest and most diverse dancers possible.  Not only do we take daily dance classes in numerous styles (ballet, modern, jazz, and tap), but we also have music classes, dance history classes, and classes that focus on careers in dance and how to prepare for a professional dance environment.  

2)  What do people who get degrees in this field usually go on to do for work? 

• Most often people with degrees in dance go on to dance professionally.  This includes work in concert dance companies, cruise lines, commercials, music videos, and Broadway shows.  Other times, they will open their own dance schools and teach dance.

3)  What drew you to this field?

• I have been dancing since I was 4 years old.  I thought it was the most beautiful art form.  Not only are you working with the movement of the human body (which is possibly the arguably the most unique, complex, and sophisticated form on earth), you get to pair it with music.  The options are endless, which allows for maximum creativity.  And the bounds don't stop there, site-specific work, and even work in silence allow for incredible works.

• I get great satisfaction from dance.  However, what is great is that satisfaction is not easily achieved.  It can take weeks, months, or year, but the self-satisfaction is so worth it.

• It teaches you to strive for perfection, knowing that you'll never reach it.  (This is frustrating a lot of the time though).

4)  Name three of the leaders/most exciting people involved in this field right now in 2016. Why are they interesting or exciting to you? These could be individual people or specific companies, organizations, businesses or non-profits. Hyperlink us to a homepage professional website for each person, if possible.

• Misty Copeland--Not only has she pushed the body and race boundaries in dance, but she is also someone, who is primarily a ballerina, and she is working in a lot of commercial venues.

• Batsheva Dance Ensemble--  Their movement is different from most dance in that it works off of movement that is mostly based off of sensation and audible ques.  The movement quality by their Gaga Language is uninhibited and to me represents raw human nature.

• Netherlands Danse Theater--  This company is unique in that its repertoire features pieces that employ a hybrid contemporary/ballet technique.  Although presented in a theater, their pieces often use elaborate props that almost give it the appearance of performance art.  Their dancers appear animalistic and human all at once.

"Dance Magazine" via ebscomags.com. Public Domain

5)  What are the names of three leading academic/scholarly journals in your field? Where are they published? Give us the names and locations of at least 3.

• Dance Magazine-- Published in New York City. 

• Pointe Magazine-- Published in New York City.

• Dance Spirit-- Published in New York City.