The Pedagogy of Dance Performance in the University: Internal and External Projects

The pedagogical methods of dance technique and performance at the university level need to be creative to prepare students for the possibility of a professional career in the dance world. By bringing guest artists to the department to teach Great Works, the students have the opportunity to study with professionals, as well as learn, rehearse and perform works that are in professional company repertoire. To further prepare university students for the professional dance world, I developed two collaborative projects with ballet companies: Milwaukee Ballet (2001) and BalletMet, Columbus (2005). The university students were assimilated into company classes, rehearsals, Q&A sessions, private coaching, presentations, etc for 3 days. This experiential, pedagogical tool offers numerous beneficial outcomes. Our Department of Dance intends to extend the collaborative projects to also include jazz and modern dance companies.