Dear Ohio State Dance Community,
On the cusp of a new year and a new decade, we share four stories that epitomize the mission and vision of Ohio State Dance moving into the future. They exemplify our intention to connect with partners and collaborators far and wide through vibrant community engagement.
Many of our BFA students pursue study at the intersection of dance and other disciplines, resulting in one or more minors, a second major, and senior projects that explore dance in wide-ranging contexts. Kelsey Kempner, a 2019 graduate with a BFA in Dance and a BS in Neuroscience is a shining example, using dance to work with children on the autism spectrum.
Professor Valarie Williams presented her reconstruction of Anna Sokolow’s Rooms in a variety of community and branch campus settings, connecting with mental health professionals to discuss the work’s themes of social alienation. This project reminded us all that masterworks transcend time and place, speaking a universal language about the human condition.
Our new Production Manager Jonathon Hunter hit the ground running, bringing energy and strong leadership to his work in the Barnett Theatre. His new ideas for the teaching of Production and Lighting aspire to connect this curriculum to existing choreographic works, as well as ongoing creative dance-making.
The hip-hop and street dance classes of lecturer Donald Isom further our commitment to study and training in multiple dance forms of the African Diaspora. Isom’s hosting of a dance battle in the Barnett brought hundreds of new dancers, both on campus and in our wider community, in contact with Ohio State Dance.
We will host another street dance battle in April, as well as four student concerts. Please join us, and say hello.
