With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I find myself thinking about the dynamics of partnering. We know that teaching partnering protocol can be complicated because you must teach what it’s like to partner and do the partnering, as well. So in our Technique & Artistry column this month, we’re offering you tips on preparing students for panic-free pas de deux to ensure they achieve a successful partnership both on and off the stage.
If you work in the higher education sphere, you know that repertory experiences are a critical part of dance education. We speak with professors in BFA dance programs across the country to shed some light on the curation process in their programs. And we also hear from Stefanie Batten Bland/Company SBB on the launch of CONCRETE—a three-week immersive-theater summer intensive at Montclair State University that runs from June 10 to June 28.
In honor of Black History Month, we’re also spotlighting incredible artists and educators who enlighten and inspire us all year long. Chloe Arnold—who has been named a 2023 Black Future Maker through AT&T’s Dream in Black program—tells us about the launch of her fifth after-school program, Tap into Life, which brings free tap dance lessons to inner-city Black children across the U.S.; James Alonzo White invites us into his choreographing world; and Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Ariana Dickerson tells us why Christian Claessens has been influential in her career.
Be sure to stop by and check out all our other columns for more insights. I hope you’ll love reading all our stories and share what you’ve learned from them with your students.
With excitement,
Reanne Rodrigues
[email protected]
P.S. Remember: Nominations are still open for the 2024 Dance Teacher Awards. Submit your nominations via this form by Sunday, March 31.
