Day of Dance

Oct. 21, 2013

David Morrison

Day of Dance at Brenau University from Brenau University on Vimeo.

Paris Hawkins, a Brenau University dance major, performs along with a group of high school dancers in attendance at this year’s Day of Dance event.

For one day, regional high school dance students converge at Brenau University’s Gainesville campus to learn dance from faculty and outside professionals, see work the current students are producing and learn about the educational opportunities at Brenau.

Vincas Greene, the dance department chair at Brenau, said the free event’s main focus is providing a great experience for those who attend. This year the program’s enrollment grew to over 70 students from last year’s 50.

Students attended classes taught by Brenau faculty and two well-known, special-guest instructors, Tara Lee, the principal dancer with the Atlanta Ballet, and Carol Teitelbaum, a former Member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company and Current Member of the Merce Cunningham Trust. A few current Brenau dance students also danced alongside and got to know the high schoolers, giving them perspective on the college dance experience.

“It’s extremely essential to have (our) students there,” said Casandra Alvarado, a visiting assistant professor of dance at Brenau. “Whenever I was looking for colleges when I was younger, It’s kind of nerve racking just talking to faculty and adults. Our students are more on their age level and can really talk to them about what the college dance experience is really like.”

: High school students from the region converged on Brenau University for one day to learn dance from faculty and outside professionals, see current student works and get a sense of what the Brenau University Dance Department has to offer.

: Amanda Bonilla, a Brenau University dance student, talks with high schoolers during this years Day of Dance event at Brenau University. “It’s extremely essential to have (our) students there,” said Casandra Alvarado, a visiting assistant professor of dance at Brenau. “Whenever I was looking for colleges when I was younger, It’s kind of nerve racking just talking to faculty and adults. Our students are more on their age level and can really talk to them about what the college dance experience is really like.”

: Casandra Alvarado, a visiting assistant professor of dance at Brenau, leads a group of students in jazz dance class at during this year’s Day of Dance.

: High school students from the region converged on Brenau University for one day to learn dance from faculty and outside professionals, see current student works and get a sense of what the Brenau University Dance Department has to offer.

: Paris Hawkins, a Brenau University dance major, performs along with a group of high school dancers in attendance at this year’s Day of Dance event.

: High school students from the region converged on Brenau University for one day to learn dance from faculty and outside professionals, see current student works and get a sense of what the Brenau University Dance Department has to offer.

: As part of the Day of Dance experience, highschoolers watched current Brenau University students perform som works in progress to see what the experience of a college dance course is like.

: Brenau University’s Amanda Bonilla, center, performs a piece of Merce Cunningham choreography with a select group of students during the Day of Dance program at the Fitness Center.