Dance

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. Members of the Hollins dance community are encouraged to discover, refine, and celebrate who they are as artists. With an emphasis on transdisciplinary study, the program aims to support a wide variety of student interests by offering outstanding technique classes, an international visiting artist roster, and extensive opportunities to perform and craft.
   Hollins is proud to be the home of two dance companies: the Hollins Repertory Dance Company and the Hollins Dance Project. The HRDC, made up of undergraduate dance majors, has garnered national attention for its imaginative, energy-filled performances. Graduate students and independent professional dancers perform with the Hollins Dance Project, Hollins' professional company in residence.




Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree

Candidates for the degree of bachelor of arts are required to complete a minimum of 46 semester credits of academic work, including studio courses, core courses, and elective courses.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts and Fine Arts (B.A./B.F.A.) Degree

This unique undergraduate program is the first of its kind in dance. Candidates for the degree of bachelor of arts and fine arts normally follow a four-year program. They are required to complete a minimum of 158 semester credits of academic work, four Short Term activities (16 Short Term credits), and two physical education courses. Included in the 158 credits are 82 credits in dance, and general education skills and perspectives.

Hollins University/American Dance Festival/Master of Fine Arts Program

Hollins University, in partnership with American Dance Festival, announced a new M.F.A. program in the summer of 2005. This 60-credit degree program offers students an opportunity to immerse themselves for six weeks in the international community of the ADF followed by the intimate learning atmosphere at Hollins. Using the resources of both institutions, the program offers two tracks.

The Post Baccalaureate Certificate Program in Dance (PBC)

The post baccalaureate certificate in dance is designed to address the needs of a range of students. It is a great choice for students who find themselves in-between graduate school and the professional field of dance. Many students find that after their undergraduate study, they need some time to focus on their choreographic and performance portfolios to prepare for jobs, graduate schools or fellowship opportunities. This non-residential program prepares students for advanced-level work through direct exposure to visiting artists/choreographers, performance opportunities and extended international study projects. As students prepare for a professional career in dance, the PBC offers time and support for important considerations of career choices. The program is ideal for international students who want to immerse themselves in a mature work environment that has a direct relationship to choreography and performance.

Hollins Repertory Dance Company

The Hollins Repertory Dance Company gives students the opportunity to perform on a professional level, with gratifying results.
   Since 2003, students performed over 80 new works by students, alumni, and guest artists, including Nicholas Leichter, Miguel Gutierrez, Jen Nugent and Ayo Jackson. Using the resource of the dance media lab, HRDC students expand their ideas with the use of digital sound, video, and animation.

Performances

Students are strongly encouraged to create works for both formal and informal performance venues.

Apprenticeships, Internships, and Independent Studies

The January Short Term is an ideal time to gain practical experience in an area of special interest. 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)
• Lab assistant to Dr. Ruth Day (Duke University, psychology dept.)
• Movin' 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)
• P.S. 122, (New York City)
• Franklin Furnace, (New York City)
• Improvisational Festival (Budapest, Hungary)

In addition, dance students have undertaken independent study projects during January at the following sites:

• Kyoto, Japan Dance Intensive
• New York City Dance Intensive
• Alvin Ailey School January Intensive (New York City)
• American Dance Festival's January Intensive (New York City)
• Modern Dance Intensive (Paris)
• Dance as a Window on Culture (Prague)
• Creative Landscapes (Japan)

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, current 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?

Please visit http://www.hollinsdance.com/alumni.html

Current Projects

CONGRESS ON RESEARCH IN DANCE

The Congress On Research in Dance is a not-for-profit, interdisciplinary organization with an open, international membership. Its purposes are:

• To encourage research in all aspects of dance, including related fields
• To foster the exchange of ideas, resources, and methodology, through publication, international and regional conferences, and workshops
• To promote the accessibility of research materials.

Dance Studies and Global Feminisms
41st Annual CORD Conference
November 14 - 16, 2008
Hollins University
Roanoke, Virginia

Conference Co-Chairs
Donna Faye Burchfield, Hollins University
Ananya Chatterjea, University of Minnesota
Thomas F. DeFrantz, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Conference Keynote Speaker:
Trinh T. Minh-ha
Conference Committee:
Melissa Blanco Borelli, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Rachmi Diyah Larasati, University of Minnesota
Halifu Osumare, University of California, Davis
Ray Miller, Appalachian State University
Barbara Sellers-Young, University of California, Davis

The market forces of globalization tend to flatten the uneven terrain of spaces and map out the world in terms of flow of capital. How, within this context, can we create a resistant feminine space of Dance Studies? What would that space look like, how would it feel? How are feminist concerns constructed within dance studies, and how are they negotiated? How have global feminisms emerged, and what can they do? What can dance studies do in relation to the space of a global feminine? How has "the feminine" survived asymmetrical tensions of market forces? The 41st Annual CORD Conference will include three days of presentations, roundtables and lecture-demonstrations to address these questions.

The conference is honored to present keynote speaker Trinh T. Minh-ha; filmmaker, writer, academic and composer. Minh-ha will also be screening her latest film in the Visual Arts Center as part of her presentation.

The conference will coincide with a reading by acclaimed writer and novelist Jamaica Kincaid, sponsored by the Hollins University's Department of English and Creative Writing. Kincaid will present a reading from her works on Thursday, November 13th at 8:15 p.m. in the Hollins Theatre, followed by a reception in the Green Drawing Room.

Also occurring alongside the conference will be the 15th Annual Fall Dance Gathering at Hollins University, which has typically featured nationally and internally renowned artists. The 2008 concert will focus particularly on showing of new choreographic work addressing themes of global feminisms from an international cohort of emergent artists such as the Nu Dance Company from Shanghai.

For more information:
http://www.cordance.org
http://www.hollinsdance.com
Conference Details: CORD41@gmail.com

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