Student dancers further skill, talent with kinesiology degree

Even when they're not dancing, their poised and limber bodies show the strength built up from long practices just like these. Despite having an important performance in just a few months, the rehearsal is light-hearted, with students laughing and joking as they try out new moves. They respond quickly to junior student choreographer Abigail Rich as she helps them learn the contemporary dance routine. \nFinally, they put the sequence altogether, and immediately the movements click. \n"I like this," Rich sings out when she sees it done the way she planned. \nMovements that would be considerably awkward to the average person flow easily through the graceful and athletic bodies of the seven dancers rehearsing for a choreographic performance project, just one of the many requirements of dance majors.\nAs a dance major, students earn their degree through the Department of Kinesiology, with a primary focus on modern dance. \nHowever, all dance majors must study a broad range of dance types including ballet, jazz, African dance and tap, said IU dance coordinator Elizabeth Shea. They also take classes studying how the body works.\n"I think it's important for people to know that it's not just dance we're majoring in," senior Dustin Stephan said. "It's kinesiology, and it's a study of the body." \nHe said dance majors can usually find a great complementary minor to go along with dance, such as exercise science. \nAlthough a lot of dance majors would love to perform after they graduate, that's not always a realistic goal. Many majors find a corresponding minor, said sophomore Richelle Steiner. \n"You have to have something to fall back on," Steiner said. "I hope to own a studio some day and teach. You have to be open-minded about jobs. (With performing), you can go to a million auditions and only get one."\nShea said time commitments for majors are fairly demanding. Dance majors have technique class everyday and modern dance at least three times a week. \nAll dance majors have to participate in at least one choreographic performance project each semester. In addition, many students take on performances through opera as well as performing in the faculty concert in January and other performances in the fall.\n"I rehearse about four days a week, two to three hours a day, plus time on my own in the studio to work on my piece for the choreographic performance project," Rich said. "I love it. I wish I could spend more time (dancing). It can be hard to balance your time, but it's a necessary part if you want to pursue it seriously."\nRich said spending so much of her time dancing does not sacrifice her life as normal college student. Freshman Kelly McCormick agreed.\n"Dance is how I want to spend my time," she said. "We're choosing to do this and we love it. It's when I don't dance that I feel stressed and weird. Dancing relieves so much stress."\nWhile the major is a big time commitment, requiring 70 credit hours, the 18 credit-hour dance minor is an easy way to learn about dance, Shea said. \n"You can do a minor without any experience," she said. "A lot of students take a class and say 'Hey, I really like this' and decide to pick up a minor."\nNext year, the dance program will begin a different type of structure with even more time and demanding rehearsals, McCormick said. \n"Once we get a strong core of dancers established, people are really going to recognize it," she added. "I'm ready to be part of this program really taking off"