This year, the University joins the ranks of other institutions that formally offer academic dance programs to students. Last spring, the University approved its first ever dance minor under the drama department and hired a new faculty member, Rose Beauchamp. This semester the dance minor is making its first appearance on the University stage.
Beginnings
University students have been campaigning for a dance minor for six years, third-year College student and University Dance Committee Co-Chair Kate Gilchrist said.
Gilchrist said it all started in 2000, when two women, Sagé Blaska and Dr. Ann Lane, created the Campaign for Dance. The goal of the Campaign for Dance was to promote the development of an official dance program at the University.
"They originally proposed for it to be in the SWAG department," Gilchrist said.
The University Dance Committee took the place of the Campaign for Dance and today is co-chaired by Gilchrist and third-year College student Kasey Johnson. The UDC is a subcommittee of Student Council and is composed of representatives from different dance CIOs. Johnson said they work to improve the dance community and the general awareness of dance at the University.
Gilchrist said in 2000, the Goals 2000 Educate America Act "qualified dance as a core academic discipline."
She added that the Committee has used this legislation to "promote the idea that dance is just as academically important as any art form such as fine arts, music and drama."
In 2000, Gilchrist said the then-Campaign for Dance created a rubric of what a dance minor should consist of. The original rubric, she said, is similar to the current dance minor requirements.
Gilchrist and Johnson both said the Campaign for Dance's early efforts jumpstarted efforts for a formal academic dance program.
"That established the push for dance at U.Va," Gilchrist said.
Solidifying a Program
The University's first ever full-time dance department consists of one person -- Rose Beauchamp.
Beauchamp said she was hired last spring, when the dance minor was finally approved.
She said the drama department had a dance teacher in previous years; however, she is the first faculty member to head the dance minor.
"The last dance teacher [Tricia Gooley] wrote the curriculum, and she helped the students get it approved," Beauchamp said.
Gooley had been a teacher of modern dance through the drama department. Beauchamp said in the past three years, the University has offered dance classes but not in a minor program.
Students continued to push for the minor, and there was a proposal written by one of the students with the help of Gooley.
Then, she said, the proposal went to the Drama department. Once the drama department approved the program, it went in front of the College of Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee and it was finally approved by the University last spring.
Beauchamp said the next step was to hire a faculty member to support the minor.
"The drama department hired a full-time department to implement and embellish the minor," Beauchamp said, "and that is me."
As the sole Dance faculty member, Beauchamp said she is teaching all the University's dance classes.
"Right now, I'm teaching all dance classes, and I'm basically revising the minor," Beauchamp said. She added that she's discussing future goals and developments with the drama department.
Beauchamp said more than a handful of students have signed up to complete a dance minor.
"People are already signing up this semester, and one person will hopefully graduate this year with the minor," Beauchamp said. "It's been just a month of school, so it's really awesome."
The Minor Itself
The current dance minor is a 19-credit program. In order to graduate with a minor in dance, a student must accumulate credits for a variety of different courses. The 19-credit major consists of 4 credits of technique, 3 credits of choreography, 3 credits of dance history, 3 credits of production, 3 credits of special topics and 3 credits of synthesis.
"I'm hoping to add more options so people will have more real dance classes to take," Beauchamp said.
She said the program is already seeing growth for next semester. For example, this semester the techniques classes include modern and jazz courses. Next semester, ballet courses will be offered.
Beauchamp said she also wants to add more special topics courses.
"Right now, students can take the African Music and Dance Ensemble course through the music department or take theater classes, but I'm hoping to add more options," Beauchamp said.
One of her immediate goals, she said, is to give more options to students.
Beauchamp said another one of her goals for dance minor students is to put on one or two productions per year.
She said space and a lack of facilities is an issue, but the drama department has been extremely supportive throughout the whole dance minor process.
Major Players in the Minor
Beauchamp said she encourages every University student interested in dance to take advantage of the department's course offerings.
She said there are some students, such as Gilchrist, that don't have time to complete a dance minor, but there are also students active in the dance community who are working toward a minor.
In spring 2007, fourth-year College student Laura Moore will become the first University student to graduate with a minor in dance.
"It's really exciting," Moore said. "I started working with the Dance Committee my first year, and to see what we've accomplished and being a part of the process has been really cool."
Moore said completing the dance minor, despite its very recent implementation, will not be a problem.
"I've been taking every dance class I've been able to find since first year, so I am only three classes away going into this year," Moore said. "It's just adjusting this schedule and taking a class I would have taken anyway next semester."
She added that Beauchamp has been extremely supportive and positive.
Johnson, who also plans to graduate with a dance minor, said it has changed her course outlook for the next two years.
Moore said she her minor will be a major part of her future.
The dance minor "will definitely help me in my future dance endeavors," Moore said.
She also said she appreciates the new dance minor because of what courses and learning opportunities it offers.
"It's been a really good experience because it takes you beyond technique and just dancing. It's so much more than dancing," Moore said.
Major Goals
Beauchamp said eventually she hopes the University will offer a dance major.
Moore said she believes with Beauchamp's determination and enthusiasm, the dance minor will develop into a major program.
"[Beauchamp] is so positive about starting the program and getting it running and getting it to be a major," Moore said.
Johnson also said the new dance minor "shows that the University is becoming more appreciative of the arts and working toward a dance major."
Beauchamp said the new dance minor is a small step in the long road toward a possible dance major at the University.
"I hope this becomes a full-fledged major," Beauchamp said. "That's my dream, but that takes a lot of funding, time, space and support."
She said first and foremost, she wants to make sure the dance minor is a "quality program."
The University Steps Up
Beauchamp said the new minor certainly reflects the University's future commitment toward the arts.
"As a dancer and a new faculty member, it's all about valuing the arts," Beauchamp said. "All great universities have really great arts programs, and I know the drama is great here and to add dance to that makes it really well-rounded."
Johnson said she hopes that dance's evolution at the University -- from student groups to the addition of an actual minor -- will lead to more funding for more dance faculty members and facilities.
"There is lack of dance facilities, so hopefully with an established program, there will be more funding."
Beauchamp said even though the drama department has been nothing but supportive, a lack of facilities for dance classes is an issue that she is hopeful will improve.
"It seems like there's a lot of support for it now, but it's just really finding space so that dance can be a real, full-fledged part of drama," Beauchamp said.
She added that she is currently teaching classes at the Aquatic and Fitness Center.
Gilchrist said now that the University is offering a dance minor, its dance programs will be comparable to those of other major universities.
Beauchamp also said she believes a greater commitment to dance and to the arts will make the University a little more competitive.
"More people may choose to come to U.Va. now that there is a dance minor," Beauchamp said.
She added that some of the greatest university dance programs are actually minors.
Beauchamp said she has high expectations of the dance program she oversees.
"It is really great to have the dance movement here," Beauchamp said. "We definitely want this to be a quality program."
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