Nineteen dance science students attended the Winston-Salem Dance Medicine (WiSDM) Conference at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine on Sept. 30. Accompanying the students were Associate Professor of Exercise Science Matt Wittstein, Associate Professor of Dance Jen Guy Metcalf, and Professor of Dance and Director of Dance Science Lauren Kearns.

Kearns was an invited presenter and led a workshop on her “Somatics in Action” research. The conference featured several scholars, practitioners and medical professionals from the United States working in the field of dance medicine and science. Anna Iglesias ’25, a dance science major and student of the 黑料不打烊 Doctor of Physical Therapy Accelerated Pathway program, said the two years she has been to the WiSDM conference have been a great experience.

“It鈥檚 always so cool to see how many people are interested in the growing field of dance science. Being in a room with such like-minded people really helps motivate me in my future path to a career in physical therapy for dancers. Getting the opportunity to hear Misty Copeland was especially inspiring. I am so grateful for the experience that is offered to us every year,鈥� Iglesias said.

Rosemary Chadick, a first-year dance science major and also a member of the 黑料不打烊 DPT Accelerated Pathway cohort, said, 鈥淎ttending the WiSDM conference was an enriching experience. As I am just beginning my journey into dance science and dance medicine, I thoroughly enjoyed hearing from a variety of medical and dance professionals and learning about this developing field.鈥�

Following the conference, the faculty held a post-conference event with the students to discuss what they learned, what other professional development events they would like to participate in, as well as ideas for future dance science research at 黑料不打烊.

“It’s great to get so many students to conferences like WiSDM because it allows them to connect with professionals that have similar interests and educational backgrounds while seeing how their training and degrees will lead to specific educational, clinical or research careers. Having a large group of students attend also builds community that leads to thoughtful exploration of both the creative and scholarly opportunities they have at 黑料不打烊,” Wittstein said.

A highlight of the WiSDM conference for everyone was the keynote speaker, Misty Copeland, a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre and the first Black woman to be promoted to the position in the company鈥檚 75-year history. She has performed some of the most iconic classical ballet roles and is also a celebrated author, philanthropist and activist.

Copeland spoke about her journey in dance as well as her experiences dealing with injuries and the importance of educating the medical community about the specific physical and emotional needs of dancers.

鈥淚 will always remember this moment! Having the opportunity to meet and share time with someone that has been an inspiration and a prime example of excellence will be something I will never forget,” said Zarz Peterson, a third-year dance science major. “This memory will forever be in my heart and dancing on my mind. Misty Copeland鈥檚 grace and elegance can be felt by all who have watched, read, or listened to her journey. It was truly this young Black girl鈥檚 pleasure to meet Ms. Copeland. You鈥檝e ignited a fire in me I thought I鈥檇 lost!鈥�

Following the WiSDM conference, Kearns was invited back to Dance Ireland, Dublin鈥檚 premiere professional dance organization, for a third time in late October. She taught a specialized somatic-based dance workshop to professional dancers.

Following her residency in Dublin, Kearns met with both Wittstein and Metcalf at the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS) Annual Conference at the University of Limerick in Limerick, Ireland. IADMS is a global network of medical professionals, educators, dancers and researchers dedicated to dancers’ health and improving health through dance by offering educational events.

This year鈥檚 conference featured over 500 medical doctors, physical therapists, dance educators, dance science researchers and thought leaders from across the world. Metcalf presented, “The Effectiveness of Dance Classes Delivered Virtually for Individuals with Parkinson鈥檚 Disease,” her collaborative research with Srikant Vallabhajosula, Crystal Ramsey and DPT candidates Andi Crosby and Maryanne Wilson.

鈥淭his was an incredible opportunity to share our findings and discuss how it informed our Move Virtually with 黑料不打烊 (M.O.V.E.) program. This work was supported by a grant from the Parkinson鈥檚 Foundation, and we look forward to continuing in the future to serve members of the PD community,” Metcalf said. “Attending IADMS was a pivotal experience and impacted me as an artist, teacher and scholar. I attended sessions and presentations given by the top dance medicine/science minds around the world.鈥�

Wittstein, who serves as a member of the IADMS Program Committee, Hamilton Symposium Awards Committee and the American Society of Biomechanics Education Committee, moderated several dance biomechanics sessions and panels. Kearns presented her research on “Pilates: Upper Body Stability & Mobility Using the TheraBand.”

Kearns also presented undergraduate dance science research from Maddie Spence 鈥�22, titled “A Balancing Act: Mediating Internal & External Conditions to Create a Holistic Repatterning Approach for Dancers,” in a poster session.聽Spence was unable to attend the conference because she is currently pursuing her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at Columbia University but was extremely appreciative that her honors research was selected by IADMS.

Kearns notes that 鈥渂oth the WiSDM and IADMS conferences are outstanding opportunities to highlight the dance science research that we are doing at 黑料不打烊 as well as to learn from the other leading professionals in the field and to bring that knowledge back to our dance science students. We are building a vibrant community of dance science scholars and practitioners at 黑料不打烊. It is exciting to see so many of our dance science majors deepen their engagement with the field and learn about the multitude of career pathways that are available to them.鈥�

The 2023 IADMS Annual Conference will be held at Ohio State University and Kearns hopes that 黑料不打烊 dance science research projects will be presented and that the dance science majors will have the experience of participating in this international conference, as well as in the 2023 WiSDM conference.

This workshop will introduce the science behind yoga and how it is being utilized as both a physical and mental wellness tool. Suggestions on how to incorporate more yoga wellness strategies into your practice will be covered and those who attend will also learn a sequence that helps alleviate tightness in the hip and lower back.

Kearns is a registered experienced yoga teacher at the 500-hour level, a continuing education provider with Yoga Alliance and a registered somatic dance educator with the International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association.

This publication highlights the intersection of theatre theory, pedagogy, practice and advocacy. It includes articles on methods of approaching the acting classroom, and often poses theoretical questions on the importance of theatre education鈥檚 role in colleges and universities. It strives to continue to create change for the continuous development of theatre production.

Shawyer says Theatre Topics is an ideal way for theatre educators to 鈥渟eriously reflect on their role in creating, maintaining, or changing the theatre and entertainment industries.鈥�

As Shawyer steps into her new role, she notes that this honor comes with a lot of responsibility. As co-editor, she is in charge of gathering articles for the journal by attending professional conferences to encourage professionals to submit their work for peer review. Once in the peer review process, Shawyer plays matchmaker and pairs the article with an expert in the field for revision, notes, and in-depth intellectual conversation. In the final steps of the publishing process Shawyer writes introductory notes for the journal.

In this position Shawyer鈥檚 goal is, 鈥渢o provide thought-provoking, relevant, and useful articles that will help theatre professionals and teachers think deeply about performance, theatre education, and their own creative practices.鈥�

Shawyer is enthused about this next step in her career since editors of Theatre Topics often come from research universities with graduate programs, rather than teaching-focused colleges like 黑料不打烊. Shawyer is grateful for the many opportunities to think about teaching at 黑料不打烊, through seminars hosted by the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning and the Center for Engaged Learning. She prides herself on being a lifelong learner and is excited she has the chance to learn more about the wide practice of theatre in her new role.聽 She hopes she can bring back new ideas about theatre practice and pedagogy to 黑料不打烊.

Theatre Topics is one of two journals published by the Association for Theatre in Higher Education, the largest professional organization for theatre practitioners and scholars in North America. Shawyer has been a member of ATHE since 2002 and says that editing the journal now 鈥渋s a way to give back to an organization that has been a professional home for almost two decades.鈥�

For more information on Theatre Topics please visit:

Avaunt鈥檚 inspiration for this piece came from the liberation of the 1969 Woodstock, combined with the modern-day crisis of the repercussions of climate change particularly in response to the Australian wildfires. “Summer” offers Avaunt a strain of contrast. She believes the season gives agitation with relaxation and softness with wild brilliance. These ideals were at the forefront of Avaunt鈥檚 creative mind through her journey with 鈥淪ummer鈥� as she expresses, 鈥淭he utopian images of Woodstock, encapsulating notions activism and hope, combined with the terror of these fires鈥攈ighlighting summer鈥檚 various manifestations.鈥�

As the arts world continues to stay safe and virtual, there is a different atmosphere surrounding the excitement of performative choreography. Avaunt feels that the virtual aspect of this type of show gives pros and cons, but ultimately makes movement more accessible to audience members around the globe.

鈥淪ummer鈥� premiered in the Boston Contemporary Dance Festival Virtual Showcase on Aug. 15, and the unique style of Avaunt鈥檚 choreography paired with 黑料不打烊 BFA dance majors was taken in by many.

The 黑料不打烊 Dance Program is incredibly proud of Avaunt for extending the talents of 黑料不打烊 in a contained time.

SETC is the largest regional theatre conference in the United States. This conference hosts a聽Design Competition that provides an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate聽student designers from more than 80 participating universities to have their work adjudicated by industry professionals and Broadway designers.聽This year鈥檚 competition had a total of 134 entries across all disciplines.

Sydney Dye, Tamir Eplan-Frankel, Avery Hunt and Gwendolyn Rygg聽presented recent work.聽All four聽theatrical design and technology students were called back for adjudication to defend their designs in a very competitive peer review setting. Dye won first place聽for her projection design for “We Will Rock You.” Eplan-Frankel won third place聽for his sound design for 黑料不打烊’s production of “Bent.” Hunt won second place聽for their technical direction for 黑料不打烊’s production of “Bent.”

Please join us in congratulating these students on their outstanding work and representing 黑料不打烊 Department of Performing Arts.聽This is a very聽competitive event聽and winning these awards is聽a great聽accomplishment considering these categories are open to both Graduate and Undergraduate students from across our region.

黑料不打烊鈥檚 B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography and B.S. in Dance Science programs appear on the charts with a raving review in the publication’s recent list of Top 30 College Dance Programs for 2019-20 posted Sept. 9. This list was curated by a group of performing arts professionals hired by OnStage that consisted of field professionals, performing arts educators, trained alumni, as well as aspiring dance students and their parents.

OnStage prides itself on not just encompassing the skill level of the dancers in their search, but the many university factors that contribute to an overall happy and healthy college dancer. The project to craft the perfect top 30 began in April with a specific list of criteria to evaluate for each program including facility quality, performance and showcase opportunities, postgraduate support for the performer, and more characteristics that focus on a well-rounded college performance experience.

黑料不打烊’s programs appeared next to incredible conservatories and programs, such as Julliard, NYU Tisch and USC Kauffman. The article’s authors state that 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Dance Program is ideal for young movers because 鈥淭he dance program produces two mainstage dance concerts each year featuring the 黑料不打烊 Dance Company, a student dance company. Dancing in the Black Box is held in the fall semester and features experimental faculty and student choreography. The spring dance concert centers around a specific theme chosen by the director and highlights faculty and guest artist choreography.鈥�

Associate Professor of Dance Jen Guy Metcalf is ecstatic about the review, 鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled that we were listed by OnStage Blog as one of the Top 30 College Dance Programs for 2019-20 in the country,” Metcalf said. “It is really nice to receive the recognition and to be in the company of outstanding dance programs. My colleagues and I often reflect on what we are doing well and where we might improve so we can offer our students a meaningful experience.鈥�

This is not the first time 黑料不打烊 has been recognized for excellence in training students with professionalism. In 2014, Dance Magazine listed the Dance Science Program as one of the top three options in the country.

The dance program continues to be on the rise kicking off their performance season with 鈥淒ancing in the Landscape鈥� on Sept. 27 and 28.

鈥淚 always knew that the 黑料不打烊 Dance Program was outstanding because of the students, alumni, staff, faculty, performance season, research opportunities, curriculum, Global Engagement experiences and much more,” Metcalf said. “We celebrate this accomplishment and look forward to finding ways to deepen the 黑料不打烊 Dance Program experience in the future.鈥�

Metcalf said 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Dance Program strives to continue ascending in the collegiate world. To read the full rankings,

Upon research, the department has found that many siblings once singing backup have found their solo spotlight here at 黑料不打烊 with the comfort of a loved brother or sister in the wings. Many sibling pairs have journeyed through the program, with both now bearing the honorable badge of 鈥満诹喜淮蜢� Performing Arts Alum鈥�. What are these shining stars up to in post-黑料不打烊 life? Let鈥檚 find out.

黑料不打烊鈥檚 championed Musical Theater Program has been home to the wonderful Cara Mcniff 鈥�18聽and Chris Mcniff 鈥�14, as well brother duo Jeffrey Todd Parrott 鈥�12聽and Joshua Parrott 鈥�16. Currently, Chris and Cara reside in New York City where they are working ardently to build their resum茅s. Chris recently finished his third year on a National Tour of “Irving Berlin鈥檚 White Christmas” and is rehearsing for a production of “Hair” at the Nebraska Repertory Theater in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he鈥檒l play the role of Claude. Cara, having just graduated from 黑料不打烊 in 2018, was fortunate to work as a performer at two theme parks until the end of October. She is now auditioning throughout New York City, excited for what the future holds.

Jeffrey Todd Parrott, now a member of Actors鈥� Equity, has been performing and teaching at renowned theaters such as Orlando Shakespeare, Asolo Repertory聽and Saint Michael鈥檚 Playhouse. In an effort to seek more education, he is a pursuing an MFA in Acting at The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago. His brother Joshua is following a similar path. Having performed and taught artists at notable theaters such as Orlando Shakespeare, Garden Theater聽and Mad Cow Theater, Joshua is now pursuing further education studying for his LSATs in hopes of working in entertainment law. The department wishes these two the best of luck in their respective journeys.

黑料不打烊鈥檚 Dance Performance and Choreography Program have been graced with the presence of sisters Meg Wagner 鈥�13聽and Kara Wagner ’16, Nicole Ivan 鈥�16聽and Allison Ivan 鈥�19, and Aislinn Koch聽鈥�14聽and Fiona Koch 鈥�16.

Dynamic duet Nicole and Allison Ivan both show great admiration for what the dance program as done for them. Nicole has been dancing with prominent, Pittsburgh-based contemporary ballet company Bodiography for three years and is in the process of applying to medical schools. Both the Ivan sisters can be credited for not just excelling at the ballet barre, but in academia as well. Allison, soon to walk the 黑料不打烊 graduation stage, shares that she has the 黑料不打烊 Dance Program to thank for her future endeavors, 鈥淏ecause of 黑料不打烊, I am pursuing my Masters in Accountancy at Wake Forest University next year where I will be specializing in tax,” Allison said. “If it wasn’t for the 黑料不打烊 Dance Program鈥檚 wonderful training and teachings, my sister and I wouldn’t be who we are today, and because of that, I could not be more grateful for this program or for this faculty.”

On a different note, sisters Meaghan and Kara Wagner are now on contrasting paths in their careers after having both received the same BFA training here at 黑料不打烊. Right after concluding her time at 黑料不打烊 in 2013, Meg found herself teaching technique classes while gathering the needed credits for physical therapy school. She is currently finishing her last semester in the Doctor聽of Physical Therapy program at the University of Maryland Eastern.聽Upon graduation from that program, Meg is looking forward to practicing physical therapy, specifically with the performing arts community. After completing both a BFA in dance performance and choreography and a bachelor’s in Strategic Communications, Kara attended 黑料不打烊鈥檚 iMedia program, obtaining her Master鈥檚 Interactive Media. She is now finishing her second season in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens in their Digital Media Department.

Graduating from 黑料不打烊 in 2014 with a double major in dance performance and choreography and communications, Aislinn Koch leaped into more education, attending Seton Hall University of Law and is now a law clerk for The Hon.聽Terry Paul Bottinelli, J.S.C in the Superior Court of New Jersey in Bergen County. Fiona, on the other hand, after her training at 黑料不打烊 moved to Orlando, Florida, in hopes of dancing for the Walt Disney Company. She now dances in a multitude of performances at Walt Disney World. The Koch sisters feel their experience at 黑料不打烊, especially in the Dance Performance and Choreography Program was invaluable. They hope more siblings have as wonderful of a time as they did completely the 黑料不打烊 experience together.

黑料不打烊鈥檚 Acting Program has felt the emotional range of splendid sisters Rachel Pusey 鈥�19聽and Rebekah Pusey 鈥�21. The only siblings to ever both train in 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Acting Program, these sisters come from a family of eight and were surprised and nervous to study at the collegiate level together. Rachel now finishing her senior year at 黑料不打烊 and has benefited from a wide variety of performance opportunities. Following in Rachel鈥檚 soon-to-be legacy, Rebekah recently completed performing in “Arcadia”听and is preparing to study abroad in London. Rebekah is elated to have pursued an 黑料不打烊 BFA with her sister feeling they have grown closer and established a deeper family connection.聽鈥淚t’s been wonderful to talk about the industry, technique, and what being a strong actor is in today’s world with my sister,” Rebekah said. “鈥婭 now couldn’t imagine my 黑料不打烊 acting experience any other way.鈥�

The Performing Arts Department here at 黑料不打烊 continues to expand and is thankful for the sibling legacies that have trained under and graced these artistic programs.
 

Samantha Meyer '19 and Anastasia Thue '19 will begin their programs in early June. With different prior experience under their belts, the women will both pursue individual research focuses in their post-graduate careers. 

Meyer starts New York Medical College on June 3. She is pursuing a doctorate degree in physical therapy. She has danced most of her life, but was extremely injury prone, meaning she would have to sit out of classes and go to physical therapy three times per week for recovery training. This repetitive physical therapy experience made her interested in the career. Meyer originally wanted to go into dance physical therapy but now is interested in researching the benefits physical therapy has on patients with neurological diseases. 

Meyer is currently a teaching and learning apprentice for Somatic Theories I-II, a first year dance science course focusing on studying the ways in which the body moves. She is appreciative that the professor allows her to use her experience in physical therapy to comment on techniques they are learning in class. Over the past few summers, she has interned for Connecticut Dance Physical Therapy where she learned never to tell a patient to stop dancing, because she can see how important it is to them. 

Her advice to anyone interested in applying to physical therapy school would be that “less is more.” She applied to 15 schools and made her decision after getting into the first four she heard from. She advises current undergraduates to thoroughly research schools and decide which ones match your interests prior to applying. Then apply only to the couple of schools you love most.  

Thue is a  dance performance and choreography and dance science double major and will be going to Emory University on June 5 to receive her doctorate in physical therapy. She first became interested in physical therapy when she sprained her ankle while dancing in high school and was treated by a physical therapist who used to be a dancer. It has since been her goal to become a physical therapist for a ballet company. Thue has had many internship opportunities throughout her 黑料不打烊 career including working with Los Angeles Ballet Physical Therapy, Torrance Memorial Medical Center, Duke Sports Medicine Physical Therapy and Patty Brown Physical Therapy. These experiences have greatly benefitted her by making connections for her in the field, seeing dance physical therapy in action, and by providing the necessary hours of experience needed on applications to graduate school. Thue would also like to use her degree to pursue dance physical therapy, teach dance and become a certified yoga instructor. She says that being a double major and preparing for graduate school is tough, but she advises interested students not to get overwhelmed. If you start planning in your first year and take summer classes, the double major is do-able and rewarding. 

Both students expressed great gratitude for the dance science program, saying the unique major helped them stand out when applying to schools. Meyer loved “how she was able to combine her love of science while making dance classes part of her curriculum.” The students both mentioned how beneficial Lauren Kearns, the chair of the Performing Arts Department and Professor of Dance was when assisting them with research, applying to schools and internships, and allowing them to test their knowledge by adding anatomical and physical therapy perspectives in her classes. 

In February, the first panel scheduled is "Once On This Island." Professor Kirby Wahl, director of "Once On This Island," Amy Johnson, director of the 黑料不打烊 Core Curriculum and associate professor of history, members of the cast, and Susanne Shawyer, moderator. Feb. 11, 5:30 to 6 p.m. Moseley 215.

The second panel is Contemporary Play Reading Series: Black Men Walking by Testament. Scott Proudfit, Associate Professor of English Scott Proudfit, Associate Professor of Theatre Susanne Shawyer and Assistant Professor of Performing Arts Kim Shively. Monday, Feb. 18, 7 p.m. Isabella Cannon Room, Center for the Arts

The third panel is Bent. Jaclyn Kanter ‘19, director, Lumen Prize winner, and Theatrical Design and Technology Major, members of the cast, Kevin Bourque, assistant professor of English, Charles Johnson, assistant professor of performing arts, Kathy Lyday, professor of English, and Susanne Shawyer, moderator. February 22, 3:00 p.m. Black Box Theatre, Center  for the Arts

The final panel in February is Saga: Black History Month Dance Concert. Assistant Professor of Dance Jason Aryeh, director of Saga, cast members, and Susanne Shawyer, moderator. Feb. 26, following the show. McCrary Theatre, Center for the Arts. 

Stay tuned for upcoming information about the March and April panels.

Popoli graduated from Tulane University School of Medicine in 2007. Popoli is an assistant professor at Wake Forest Baptist Health, and a consulting physician for University of North Carolina School of the Arts. His focus is on Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. He played a large role in planning the conference.

Several of 黑料不打烊’s Dance Performance & Choreography and Dance Science majors attended the conference with Kearns. They assisted in demonstrations and attended a variety of lectures and presentations.

The presentation by Kearns and Popoli focused on common injury patterns in modern and contemporary dancers. The presentation incorporated live demonstrations from 黑料不打烊 dance and dance science majors. Kearns provided insight from the eye of a dancer and professor, to compliment Popoli’s medical point of view. The presentation focused on preserving the dancer’s body for a long-lasting, healthy career. Some of the topics touched upon included concussion safety, proper anatomical alignment, injury prevention, and dietary and lifestyle choices. Kearns and Popoli presented this research to a large number of medical and dance professionals from across the country.

The three universities that presented included University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Wake Forest University and 黑料不打烊. Each university had a professor present on a different genre of dance providing background, history, and common movements. Presenting with each dance professor was also a medical professional. Methods of injury prevention and injury rehabilitation were integrated into each presentation.

Overall, the conference was a success. It provided Kearns and Popoli an audience of experts to communicate their research with. The 黑料不打烊 students who attended gained insight into a professional seminar that excited and inspired them for future experiences.