From Boardroom to Barre
Sometimes it's difficult to be in a industry so isolated from from the world. We sit in studios and theaters all day which naturally leads people to make assumptions about what kind of people dancers are. Butler Ballet is quite the breaker of the mold. Not only do most dancers take perquisite academics in various fields of study, but in addition many dance majors have other minors or even double majors. I am a current Junior BFA dance major with a minor in Strategic Communication, this means that on top of "twirling around all day" I'm over in Jordan Hall and the Fairbanks center most likely in full ballet gear with multiple bags by my desk.
With the minor I've taken several courses on Public Relations, Advertising, Marketing, and various writing seminars these not only broaden my academic horizon but have really opened my eyes to all that is considered communications. Although balancing the two can be a bit of a struggle at times, and this summer in particular has been the ultimate balancing act. This summer I was fortunate enough to be offered a paid internship with an Event and Conference Planning Agency based out of Boston. However, as any dancer knows it is extremely important to stay in shape particularly over the summer as many of us are on our way to summer programs or back to school programs. Working with a 40 hour week can be quite difficult when trying to fit in ballet classes and gym workouts. But there is truly nothing better than taking a ballet class after a long stressful day and getting to chance to unwind with a slow tempo plié. So sure enough Jose Mateo Ballet Theater is only one short train stop away from my office and at 5pm each day I transform from the blazer wearing intern to the Trina in birkenstocks and a bun. What most people don't realize is that the industry is changing, dancers are just working on stage or in the studio but they're innovators, making their own businesses or working in out in business related fields. Being able to do both of the things I am most passionate about not only at school but during the summer as well has been a wonderful learning experience.
This post was written by Delaney Waldron, a member of the class of 2016, pictured left.
Open Class for a Ballet Dancer
Moving into my Junior year at Butler, I've found myself falling into a pretty standard routine for my supplementary training. Generally, when I'm at school, I find the curriculum to be extremely stimulating. There's enough variety between the ballet classes to explore several ways of moving, and enough other forms of dance presented to us to diversify our education. While the program does offer many important aspects of dance, it does not offer everything. It is important for the modern day dancer, ballet or otherwise, to explore several different ways of moving. That's why whenever I have the opportunity, I force myself to take open class.
If you're lucky enough, you live close to a major city that offers all kinds of dance. Your breaks can be filled with West African dance, Gaga improvisation classes, hip hop, or even Irish step dance. If not, it is important that you make the time to visit a major city (Chicago is only a bus ride away, and cheaper to fly out of than Indianapolis Airport) to explore these options. Taking open class is a skill that many ballet dancers lack. We get comfortable doing our style our way with our teachers. If you only move one way, you're only marketable to a few companies. And if that's what you want then fine, but good luck trying to find a job!
Many students enter Butler with the idea that after their four years, they'll get a contract with a ballet company and that will be the end of it. Frankly that's not always the case. You have to be ready to open your mind to other ideas, such as freelance work. Most freelance work requires you to do things you've never done before. A lot of projects and directors involved with freelance work will watch open classes at places like Broadway Dance Center. You taking class may be an audition for someone you don't even know is watching. You have to always be on your A game and willing to try and go for anything.
This is a scary thing for many "Trina's" but I'm telling you, it's a necessary part of the business. If you've gotta dance, you've gotta work and go that extra mile. You may never get to be in a professional ballet company after you graduate, but you also may do work that no one else you've ever danced with has the opportunity to do. Lots of traveling companies are project based, allowing you to see parts of the world you've never seen before. Opening yourself to new ideas is what college is all about! So go the distance and take lots of open classes when you can! Chances are you might find a way of moving that you never thought you'd enjoy.
This post was written by Niklas Nelson, a member of the class of 2017 (pictured above).
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| Photo by: Allie Martin Photography |
This is a scary thing for many "Trina's" but I'm telling you, it's a necessary part of the business. If you've gotta dance, you've gotta work and go that extra mile. You may never get to be in a professional ballet company after you graduate, but you also may do work that no one else you've ever danced with has the opportunity to do. Lots of traveling companies are project based, allowing you to see parts of the world you've never seen before. Opening yourself to new ideas is what college is all about! So go the distance and take lots of open classes when you can! Chances are you might find a way of moving that you never thought you'd enjoy.
This post was written by Niklas Nelson, a member of the class of 2017 (pictured above).
Kevin James
Kevin James is from Atlanta, Georgia, where he trained with the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education. He graduated from Butler University with a BFA in Dance Performance. After graduation, he joined Sarasota Ballet for two years, where he performed works by a variety of choreographers, including Yuri Possokhov, John Cranko, Andre Prokovsky, and Sir Peter Wright. Kevin then danced with Minnesota Ballet for three years. There he performed solo and principal roles, such as the Prince in “The Nutcracker” and Lysander in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream." From there, Kevin moved cross-country to perform with Smuin Ballet, in San Francisco, where he performed works by Michael Smuin, Amy Seiwert, and Garrett Ammon. Kevin is now retiring from his professional dance career to continue teaching, coaching, and choreographing in Atlanta, Georgia. He was recently selected as a finalist for the 2015 Dance Gallery Festival in Texas for his work “One to Two.”
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| Photo by Keith Sutter |
The instruction and support of all the teachers at Butler helped me develop as a dancer. Susan McGuire gave me a foundation and appreciation for modern dance, which helped me when performing contemporary and modern roles. Stephan Laurent and Michelle Jarvis believed in me and helped me realize I had a future in dance. I hear myself echoing the lessons of Marek Cholewa and Cynthia Pratt whenever I teach, and Derek Reid’s “Ken Doll Lectures” certainly shaped aspects of my career. For me, Butler was the perfect transition from a dance school to a professional career.
Read more about Kevin James and his "Dancer Diet" on Smuin Ballet's blog
Graduating Early and What You Need to Know About it
Deciding to graduate in 3 years was not an easy decision,
but after taking time to weigh all of the pros and cons, it turned out to be
the best choice for my family and my career goals.
Coming into Butler, I had a good amount of transfer credits
from dual enrollment courses that I took in high school. This helped free up my
schedule from general education requirements so I could progress more quickly
with my degree requirements. I also took two online summer courses and took
over the maximum credit load every semester except for my final semester. However, the courses that surpassed the
credit limit were dance classes that weren’t required for my degree plan (i.e.
musical theatre dance) so I took them for non-credit. Taking dance classes for
non-credit is a popular thing to do in our department because we all love
dancing and want to squeeze in as many classes as we can, but we all have busy
schedules. It is also free of charge for up to two credit hours!
Here’s a more definitive list of the pros and cons of
graduating in 3 years:
Cons:
-Requires planning even before starting freshman year so you
stack your schedule correctly and take accelerated high school courses, plus
continual planning during each semester’s registration period
-It means that you will be very busy
-Unless you take a lot more summer classes, it will be much
more difficult to get a minor in an outside field
-Your last semester will still be fairly busy which
complicates the audition process
-You get a whole less year of the wonderful Butler
experienceà
definitely the worst con
Pros:
-You save lots of the Mondayyyyyss
-You are a year younger when you start auditioning, which to
some artistic directors means that they’ll have another year to mold you
-You still have a college degree and greater maturity than
dancers coming straight from high school
-You really don’t get senioritis
-It’s a lot harder to get “distracted” because you’re so
busy
-And you get to start dancing professionally sooner!
It worked out for me because I still got to dance every
summer, I stayed on top of my academic classes, I have a company position lined
up, and I still got my “senior experience” thanks to the best group of friends I’ve
ever had (Butler Ballet Class of 2016 shout out). Graduating in 3 years definitely
wasn’t easy, but because Butler is filled with so many supportive people it is absolutely
a possibility if you put your mind to it (bleh so corny but true). It isn’t for
everyone, so definitely weigh how the pros and cons would impact your
lifestyle. You might even consider graduating in 3.5 years so you will have
complete freedom to audition in the spring. But overall I am happy with how
everything “turned out” for me. But…don’t think that means you’re getting rid
of me quite yet. I already miss everyone so much that I have many plans to come
visit!!
This blog post is by, Kate Webb, a recent graduate of the class of 2015. She says, "The past 3 years at Butler have been the best years of my life. The Butler dancers here are truly the most beautiful people I know." Next year Kate will be dancing as a full time company member with Verb Ballet in Cleveland, OH. She says for anyone and everyone to come visit and she will give you a place to sleep and some chocolate. Congrats Kate! You will be missed! <3
Dawg Up and Dance with Butler Ballet!
Annie Mushrush
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| Annie Mushrush, class of 2015 graduate |
Congrats Annie!
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