The Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences will host the second annual Dance Awareness Day on Nov. 4 in the Don Taft University Center.
Augusto Soledade, associate professor of dance in the Division of Performing and Visual Arts, said the objective of Dance Awareness Day is to make dance more visible on campus and to connect participants with the local dance community. The event also aims to showcase the university and its offerings to guests.
Registration will be open from 9 to 10 a.m. and attendees can choose to take a 30-minute campus tour at 9 a.m. From 10 to 11 a.m., participants have the option of attending a ballet or an Afro-Brazilian class, followed by either a jazz or a modern dance class from 11 a.m. to noon.
After a 30-minute lunch break, there will be a “Careers in Dance” discussion by Luke Kahlich, adjunct instructor at Farquhar, from 12:30 to 1 p.m. Afterward, participants can attend a dance composition class or dance improvisation class from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Finally, from 2 to 2:30 p.m., special guest Pioneer Winter, award-winning choreographer and dancer, will host a question and answer session.
The classes will be taught by Soledade and Kahlich, along with Elana Lanczi, associate professor of dance in the Division of Performing and Visual Arts, and adjunct instructor Crystal Patient.
Camille Arroyo, senior dance major, attended Dance Awareness Day last year and is excited about this year’s event.
“It’s really good to be exposed to different kinds of dance,” Arroyo said. “Usually at school, you’re taking specific classes, so you learn specific techniques, but having different styles [at the event] gives dancers an idea of what else there is in the community and what else they could be doing.”
Although anyone is welcome to attend, the event is targeted at college and high school students, so they can attend college-level classes and meet faculty members to learn about professional opportunities in the dance field.
Soledade said the organizers reached out to the dance community, dance studios and public schools with dance programs to attend the event.
Elana Lanczi, associate professor of the Division of Performing and Visual Arts, said, “It’s a nice opportunity for the students to really experience dance styles that they might not otherwise have the opportunity to.”
Lanczi said around 40 students attended Dance Awareness Day last year. This year, 70 people have registered for the event, mostly from high schools.
Soledade said they plan to host the event next year as well.
“We are feeling that this can really be something that we do every year and can become a very nice event, not just for the university community but, also, for the local community,” he said.
For more information or to RSVP, contact Lanczi at 954-262-7613.
