Although
she is thankful for the opportunity to work more closely with
her colleagues from other disciplines, Sally Radell, head of the
Emory dance program, is equally glad to gain some autonomy for
her own students. In her fifteen years at Emory, the dance program
has grown from serving fewer than two hundred students a year
to more than eight hundred. Dance now offers some thirty-six courses
and both a major and a minor option. Yet, dancers have made do
with a studio in the Woodruff P.E. Center and a small space in
the Rich building, and have held performances in other venues
not designed for dance.
The
Schwartz Center is going to give us independence from
theater and music, Radell says. Basically, for all
our performances in the past, we had to rely on them to give
us a weekend in their space, which was a challenge because of
full performance schedules. We also had to do a lot of rehearsals
in hallways and offices, which can really compromise the quality
of teaching.
The
Schwartz Center boasts the first studio and performance space
in Atlanta designed expressly for dance. Thats a
big deal, and we have it, Radell says.
Nina
Stratt, a senior majoring in business and dance, will be choreographing
a dance for a handful of fellow student dancers this year. Not
surprisingly, shes thrilled to test out the new studio.
One thing has been a big issue being in the WoodPEC, the
glass walls all around, she says. Its like
being in a fishbowl, people are always staring and watching.
Theyll go by and imitate your movements. It can get very
distracting. Now we have our own space. Its so exciting,
it will be nice and peaceful, no random people walking in and
out.
Stratts
choreography will be featured in a concert planned for this
spring, the first pure dance concert mounted by students in
the programs history. Its all kind of groundbreaking
for us, she says.
Students
pick up on the support that comes from the University. They
need space and they need to have their work valued, and having
this building shows them Emory values their creativity,
Radell says. I am thrilled to walk into that studio and
feel: yes. This is our space.We can produce what we want in
here.
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