Despite the fully equipped studio in the P.E. Center, the dance program is growing so rapidly that "our second studio is the hallways," according to Sally Radell, director of the dance department. Indeed, growth and development are not only the themes currently characterizing the program itself, but also what faculty members in the program stress to their students when teaching dance--and they do it in a way that is unique and all-encompassing.
"I came to Emory not wanting to go into dance at all," said Gabrielle Mertz, who graduated from Emory in 1993 and has gone on to form her own dance company, Ondine and Company, in Atlanta. Mertz came to Emory with an extensive dance background, having trained for years at a premier dance studio in Knoxville, Tenn. "I was burned out and frustrated with the competitive atmosphere. Then I met Sally Radell, who is the antithesis of the competitive dance person. She reminded me of what I love about dance, and I started choreographing and dancing again. I credit Emory with being one of the few programs in the nation that is quality, but not cutthroat."
Although Emory doesn't have a dance major, only a minor, the department works to instill the values that are taught through dance and emphasizes that these values and skills are applicable to facets of every student's life.
"We all have to find our vehicles," Radell said. "Dance is a critically important vehicle. It embodies so much of what is valued in a liberal arts education. Dance develops our capacity to respond--intellectually, spiritually and emotionally--and it teaches us how to learn. Dance teaches you about risk-taking and making choices from experience, which can be incorporated into lives and careers. Through dance, students learn to select and synthesize materials.
Emory's dance program provides many opportunities for that learning and synthesis in almost every capacity where a student would want to be involved. In addition to the regular classes, Emory Dance Company (EDC) is offered as a course for dedicated dance students. The Dance Alliance at Emory (DAE) and the African Hispanic Asian Native American (AHANA) group are both student run, with the former focusing on specific dance projects and the latter on multicultural dance. While EDC, DAE and AHANA are usually centered on students with a formulated interest in dance, the department offers a number of general interest courses for all Emory students.
"We put a tremendous emphasis on personal experience and inclusivity," Radell said. "Many schools will only take the best performers. We believe that everyone has something special to bring to a performance. Every contribution is valued; we respect diversity in individual thought."
Dance instructor Anna Leo, who just began her third year as a dance instructor at Emory, echoed many of Radell's sentiments about the dance program. "The classes teach and instill professionalism and dedication," Leo said. "You understand what it is to make a commitment."
And some students, according to Leo and Radell, do turn this commitment into a professional endeavor. "This is our first year where we graduated a rather large group of students interested in pursuing dance, either going to graduate school or looking for professional work," said Leo. "They're looking to the future to see how dance will be in their lives."
Mertz claimed that 1993, the year she graduated, was also a turning point in terms of program expansion and professional work. "The program attracted great dancers that were ready to quit dancing," she said. "Emory's program changed their minds." In addition to Mertz's year, alums from other classes have begun their own dance companies and other professional endeavors.
Recent Emory success stories include 1990 graduate Dardi McGinley, who is presently a member of the Chicago-based companies Mordine Dance Company and Madd Shak. In addition, McGinley presents her own choreography in the Chicago area. Gage Ball of the class of 1992 is a member of the Atlanta-based Garden House Dance Company and also teaches dance classes in Atlanta. Claire Brinsden, who graduated with Ball, is teaching ballet at the Decatur School of Ballet. Hope Mirlis and Alison Armbrecht, who graduated in 1993, presented a concert of their work this past year at Seven Stages in Atlanta.
Radell characterized Emory dancers as "smart, committed and serious about life choices. I've taught at schools where that interest was low. Not here." Leo, whose relative newness to the program may give her additional perspective, said, "I just really like the students here. Emory is different from other schools I've worked at. It's the spirit of the students and how they approach dancing. They are creative, fresh and hardworking."
Perhaps it has something to do with the spirit in the hallways of the P.E. Center.
--Danielle Service