From student performances in New York City and Washington, DC, to an alumni concert in Chicago, Dance at Illinois students, faculty, and alumni have performed on some of the nation’s most prominent stages, cementing the department’s growing national visibility.
The Department of Dance opened a new studio space in Urbana, called the Storefront Studio, that will flex from classroom to rehearsal to office and performance space for faculty, students, guest artists, and community collaborators.
What does a dance dramaturg do? We spoke with dramaturg and professor Betsy Brandt to learn more about how dramaturgy helps a choreographer realize their vision and the audience understand the story.
Choreographer, composer, and dancer Nawal Assougdam provides a unique student perspective on the new Dance at Illinois curriculum that was implemented in the fall of 2022.
Urban planning and dance interconnect in this course that investigates the intersections between bodies and spaces.
The College of Fine and Applied Arts is so grateful for passionate alumni like Pam and John Rozehnal. It is through their support that Dance at Illinois can recruit the best and most talented dancers regardless of their ability to pay for their education.
We sat down with the newly appointed head of the Department of Dance, Sara Hook. As Dance at Illinois launches a bold new curriculum, she leads the department at an important point in its history.
As part of their 2022 programming, Krannert Art Museum (KAM) hosted two dance residencies that culminated in immersive live performance experiences. Dance in museums, while not unheard of, introduces visitors to an art form not typically represented in these spaces — a living work made of bodies in motion that cannot be confined to a dated plaque on the wall.
A more inclusive media, one that incorporates the ideas and opinions of our nation’s top experts across disciplines and fields, regardless of gender or race, will lead to major change in public policies and the historical record moving forward.
“By diversifying the movement systems that inform what we call dance, we’re diversifying what it means to get a dance degree.”
