At Hollins, dance extends far beyond its traditional boundaries. Students learn to think of dance as a dynamic form, full of possibilities for growth and innovation. The program aims to support a wide variety of student interests by offering outstanding technique classes, with extensive opportunities to perform and craft with an emphasis on interdisciplinary study in visual art, film, creative writing, and theatre. Students are constantly preparing for or in the midst of performance.
Donna Faye Burchfield, associate professor of dance and director of Hollins' dance department, has been choreographing and performing her own work since 1979. Burchfield is dean of the American Dance Festival (ADF), the world's largest modern dance festival. As a result of this association, students have access to the ADF community each winter and summer, with the option of earning academic credit for their studies.
Hollins Repertory Dance Company
The Hollins Repertory Dance Company, made up of undergraduate dance majors, has garnered national attention for its imaginative, energy-filled performances. In spring 2003, the Hollins Repertory Dance Company performed over 30 new works over two weeks choreographed by students and guest artists, including Nicholas Leichter, Miguel Gutierrez, and Jen Nugent. Company member Ann Liv Young's work was selected for New York's Fresh Tracks Series at Dance Theater Workshop.
Performances
Such diverse and noted professionals as Doug Varone, Shen Wei, Jennifer Nugent, Miguel Gutierrez, Nicholas Leichter, Neta Pulvermacher, John Jasperse, Mark Haim, Karinne Keithley, Ray Schwartz, Ayo Jackson, and Christal Brown perform on campus, conduct master classes, and create new works for and with students.
Apprenticeships and Internships
The January Short Term is an ideal time to gain practical experience in an area of special interest to you. During this time faculty and students develop special courses for an intensive month-long period of study. Recent dance apprenticeships and internships include:
• Shen Wei Dance Arts (New York City)
• London Dance Umbrella (London)
• Ronald K. Brown (New York City)
• Donald Byrd (New York City)
• Brooklyn Academy of Music (New York City)
• American Dance Festival (New York City and Durham, N.C.)
• Harkness Center for Dance Injuries (New York City)
• Symphony Space (New York City)
• Moving Spirits Dance Theater, Marlies Yearby (New York City)
• Movement Research (New York City)
• Urban Bush Women (New York City)
• Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company (New York City)
• Franklin Furnace (New York City)
• Improvisational Festival (Budapest)
Dance Connections
Another significant aspect of the dance program is Hollins' connection with the American Dance Festival (ADF) at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Donna Faye Burchfield, director of dance at Hollins, also serves as dean of ADF. Students may choose to attend ADF both in the summer and during Short Term for more focused study, with the option of earning academic credit.
In 2001, at the Kennedy Performing Arts Center in Washington, D.C., Chinese choreographer Shen Wei presented a new work commissioned by the American Dance Festival with support of the Doris Duke Awards for New York, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and Hollins University. Shen Wei, a founding member of China's first modern dance troupe, was in residence at Hollins in 1997 and again in spring 2001, while the piece was being developed. Four Hollins-trained dancers, Sara Procopio '98, M.A.L.S. '01; Jesse Zaritt, a former M.A.L.S. student; Vanessa Fassie '02; and Maria Arias '03, were among the performers in "Near the Terrace," which premiered at ADF in July 2001. New York Times critic Anna Kisselgoff wrote, "...this is dance that must be savored moment by moment. The effect on the viewer is cumulative, but the instant can often be more resonant than the whole."
Hollins Alumnae: Where Are They Now?
Here's what several recent Hollins graduates are doing:
• Dana Rainey, featured dancer in "Harlem Song," New York City
• Shani Collins, current company member of Ron Brown's Evidence, New York City; former member of Urban Bush Women
• Katy Pyle, member of John Jasperse Company, New York City
• Kate Totherow, independent dancemaker; member, The Glass Bead Players, northern California
• Kelly East, independent dancemaker and performer; member, The Glass Bead Players, northern California
• Sara Procopio, current member and rehearsal director of Shen Wei's Dance Arts, New York City
• Melissa Chris, associate artist for prestigious Atlantic Center for the Arts, working with Carrie Mae Weems, DJ Spooky, and Sol Williams; independent choreographer, Chapel Hill, N.C.; choreographer, summer 2003, The Yard
• Jenefer Davies Mansfield, executive director, Roanoke Ballet Theatre, Hollins dance faculty
• Sharon W. Goodill, director of dance/movement therapy at University of Pennsylvania
• Carol Wallace Sherman, professor of dance, William and Mary
Admissions
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Hollins University • P.O. Box 9707 • Roanoke, VA 24020-1707 • (800) 456-9595 • www.hollins.edu