Contemporary dance finds new department

Aiming to further explore the arts through collaboration and innovation in performance, the contemporary dance program will merge with the IU Department of Theatre and Drama, according to a press release.

Elizabeth Shea, director of the contemporary dance program, said she believes the addition will provide contemporary dance majors with a broadened perspective on the theatrics involved in dance performance.

There is a natural partnership between theater and dance — an outlook Shea said she agrees with.

“We are performance oriented, sharing and expressing with an audience, and that can be in a big space or an informal space,” Shea said. “There is also the technical side of theater, which dancers desperately need to support them, which includes lighting, scenic design, sound design, and those things go hand-in-hand with both theater and dance.”

Shea said she believes the benefits of the new partnership not only cater to the technical aspects of dance that theater provides but also give dance students a chance to relate theater concepts to contemporary movement.

“It’s an opportunity for them to see a whole new world of movement and inform their knowledge and career in performing arts,” she said. “The students will be open to a whole new approach to theatricality and a comfort with their use of vocals.”

Collectively, the merger is a productive, enhancing union, Shea said. She said the two programs compliment each other in numerous fashions and forecasts favorable outcomes.

“This is a really exciting merger,” Shea said. “It’s a good thing for IU. Theater will be strengthened as well as dance.

“Usually more is better, and strength in numbers is a very good thing, and pulling the talents of all the students and faculty is good. We expect momentous growth in our new department.”

Follow reporter Olivia Williams on Twitter @obwillia.