Search results matching tag 'ballet'

Re: Dance

BUOlivia — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:12:22 GMT

Hi Jessie,

I know there are classes for non-majors in ballet--I think in either modern or jazz as well. So yes, you can continue to take classes. As for the dance minor, I'm not sure. The only minors I know were those who began the program as majors. If you want more information, tell me, and I'll try to find out.

And hello Zoe,

If you are interested in pedagogy, go for it! Being a pedagogy or an arts admin major does not mean you won't get to perform or you won't have a career in performing. All three types of major (BFA Performance, BS Arts Admin, and BA Pedagogy) participate in Butler Ballet, which means they all perform in shows like The Nutcracker and Cinderella. I wrote a blog post about scheduling here, if you are interested.

The BS and BA majors do not require quite as many semesters of Butler Ballet or as many different dance classes, but they still require dance electives, which are those classes, too. I think that makes sense, and I hope that's accurate (I'm a BFA).

To answer your question, I'm not sure how you'd combine the majors, since so many of the classes are so similar. I would advise you to take the BA route, since you'll still have ample performing experience and many, many technique classes.

I hope this helps!

Olivia

Re: Dance

BUOlivia — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:56:25 GMT

Ah, you must have been in my audition class! Were you the group that auditioned while the studio had been converted into a studio theater?

Deshanked shoes:

The only thing I think that was said was: "We wear deshanked shoes for technique classes. I had never worn them before I came here, and some girls complain about them, but they really don’t bother my feet at all. If you are having problems or pain or something, you just put on soft shoes for a few days for technique, and it’s fine. I didn’t wear deshanked shoes for about a month because I cracked my toe."

You don't go up on them. Um... They've not been pushing the deshanked shoes this year (I haven't heard anyone say anything about them), so some have reverted to soft shoes. I still wear deshanks because... several reasons, but I like them, so I wear them. I do not go en pointe in them.

Greek Life:

The quick answer: Well, I'm not Greek, and I don't feel shunned! :)

The long answer: There are a fair number of dancers who've gone Greek (and of those who did not), but Butler is a small campus and recruitment is in the spring, not immediately after freshman arrive. That way the new students get to experience "normal" college life first before deciding to rush, and they have the opportunity to make friends within their entire class. In fact, if you rush the second semester of the freshman year (the earlier possible), you still live in the same freshman dorm for the remainder of the year. Thus the famous Greek--non-Greek divide isn't as much of an issue at Butler because you retain those early friendships. Also, Greek life is pretty active, but it's not "huge." Because Butler is small, I feel like Greek life can't be huge. Everything on campus is so close together. We are all thrown together during class times anyway--at least, the dancers are.

Sure, those who are in Greek life are good friends, since they have to participate in so many activities together. But the same could be said of those non-Greeks who are in the same housing units or who have the same hobbies or whatever. There are groups, but they are not like the stereotypical high school "in" and "out" crowds. I feel that my (sophomore dancer) class is especially close. You have to be, since you take so many of your classes together.

It could also be said that those who are Greek are crazy busy. I know I wouldn't have time to live in a sorority, but then again, I feel like I am crazy busy as well. So basically, Greek life is not that important in terms of determining who your friends are because of the size of the campus and the time of recruitment, and you have plenty of other opportunities to get involved.

I hope this answers your question, and good luck with all your auditions!

Class of 2013 ENewsletter

BUKristen — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:30:22 GMT

What's Happening in Indy?

This week, explore the Komodo Dragons exhibit at the Indianapolis Zoo, watch “Field of Dreams” on the lawn at the Art Museum, see the new dinosaurs at The Children’s Museum or watch a baseball game at Victory Field with the Indianapolis Indians. Like concerts? Head to White River State Park to see O.A.R. or The Fray perform live! Check out these Indy happenings and more at www.indy.org.

Get Involved

With over 135 different organizations and clubs on campus, you are sure to find one (or several) that is right for you! Choose from student government, academic clubs, diversity and religious organizations, greek life and so much more. If you're a bulldog sports fan, don't forget to join the Dawg Pound, a group of students who cheer on Butler at athletic events. Remember, as a Butler student you get into all Butler sporting events for free! Visit us to see all the ways you can get involved!

We can't wait until you get to campus!

You are probably beginning to pack, so here are some helpful hints on what to bring: Of course you need the essentials: personal items, bed linens, towels and an alarm clock. Other items you might want to bring include a shower caddy, laundry supplies, a fan, a tv, desk lamps, posters, storage crates and anything else that will make you feel more at home. For more ideas, visit our site at go.butler.edu/cs/forums.

Snail Mail, coming to a mailbox near you!

Hey Bulldogs, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for a special mailing the admission office will send in the next few weeks. It will have a ton of great information in it, including some service and leadership opportunities, the order form for your 2013 class t-shirt AND your welcome week schedule!

Be sure to check out the BUForums, where current and future students are chatting about all things Butler.

What do you want to hear about next?

Reply to this posting and suggest a topic for next month's newsletter. If we use your idea, we'll mail you a free Butler t-shirt! To reply, simply click on the reply button above and give us your ideas. We look forward to seeing what you come up with.

Butler University - Office of Admission

Sent to Kevin Weingartner

admission@butler.edu - (888) 940-8100 - http://go.butler.edu

Re: Dance

Emi — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 04:04:38 GMT

Hello dancers!

I wanted to add that even though it would be really difficult (almost impossible) to study abroad for a semester as a dance major, there are a few summer travel opportunities for dancers. This summer 16 dancers from Butler Ballet are going to Russia and Poland for a month to study the culture and history of Eastern Europe. They will dance everyday and they will perform several times in St. Petersburg and Warsaw. A downside of traveling and studying in the summer is that you do have to pay for it entirely, which can get expensive, but its an opportunity of a lifetime!

Re: Dance

BUOlivia — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:08:21 GMT

You auditioned on either a Friday or a Monday: We wear black leotards and pink tights on those days. On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday we can wear black or pink tights and colored leotards. The leotards are supposed to be all one color, though you can have differently colored trim. Actually, I have Yumi leo that has a different colored top part, and I wear that and it’s fine. This year, we can wear tights on the outside of our leotards if we want, but Michelle Jarvis (the head of the dance department) doesn’t really like it, I think. Well, I’m not wild about the look myself—I feel like it tends to enlarge certain areas! But sometimes I like to wear them outside just because it can be more comfortable. Anyway, I heard a rumor that we might have to wear tights inside on Mondays and Fridays next year. Not really a big deal.

I never really wear warm-ups in ballet class. I might leave a shirt on for the first combination at barre if it is freezing in the studio, but if you’re working hard, you warm up quickly enough. Sheer skirts are always fine. Shorts are not. In modern and jazz class, the rules vary slightly. The modern teacher is fine with warm ups as long as they are tight fitting: She has to be able to see your body (especially your back/spine), and she will make you take off anything that is too baggy. The jazz teacher is fine with warm-ups, though, again, I usually discard anything before too long because I get hot! I’ll wear jazz pants… Shorts… You get the picture.

Pointe shoes… that depends on your feet, of course! As a freshman, you will have a hour-long pointe class Monday and Wednesday, and you take your technique class on Friday en pointe. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but you can always put them on. It also depends on your rehearsal schedule. For example, I was in the Arabian dance for Nutcracker, and that was on pointe, so I had different amounts of rehearsal time in pointe shoes every week. For our Midwinter Dance Festival, the piece I was in (we were supposed to be aliens landing on a strange planet—it was very modern), I only had to wear flat shoes. So during that time, I would take center on pointe during our technique classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I had some pointe every day: pointe class M W, center technique on pointe T R (R=Thursday), technique on pointe with the rest of my class F… We wear deshanked shoes for technique classes. I had never worn them before I came here, and some girls complain about them, but they really don’t bother my feet at all. If you are having problems or pain or something, you just put on soft shoes for a few days for technique, and it’s fine. I didn’t wear deshanked shoes for about a month because I cracked my toe.

Normal day: It varies. I’ve told Danielle my schedule, so I’m going to post that here for you if you dare read it all!

“What happens is that rehearsal is in your schedule a bit like another class. It's called "Butler Ballet." Butler Ballet meets Mon 4:30-5:30, Tues and Thurs 3:15-5:30, and Sat 8-5. They can call you for rehearsal at any time within this frame, which means you cannot schedule classes during those times since you're already in one! This week, I have rehearsal for Cinderella from 4:40-5:30 Monday and will have it Tuesday 3:30-4:30 and Thursday 2-3 (unusual--during lunch) and 4-4:30; Saturday is from 2-5. It changes every week and it changes depending on which parts you have.

My schedule (a good luck if you actually read all of this!):

8 am M W F Masterworks of Dance. Basically we watch ballets and talk about them and have quizzes on the choreographers, the composers, etc.

9 am M W Public Speaking. Ew.

9 am T R (R stands for Thursday in scheduling-lingo) Piano

10 am T R Body Placement. That's a bit like Pilates/Yoga. We also get nutrition and some anatomy.

10:20 am M F Modern class for an hour and a half

10 am W Professional Practices. That's sort of a grab bag class for anything the dance department wants to teach you. We've done lighting, copyrighting, injury...

11 am T R Jazz class

12:20 T R Ballet technique

1 pm M W F My English class

2 pm M W F Ballet technique

3:40 pm M W pointe class (we take technique en pointe on Fridays)

Then Butler Ballet at the times I already gave you…

Then 7-8:40 pm W is my honors class about Community, Ecology, and Design.”

Well, this week is not normal, since we are performing Cinderella. Dress rehearsal is tonight and the shows are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, so my week looks very different from that right now.

Study abroad. I know it is possible. I know it is difficult. I have not even looked into it because, under ideal circumstances, I will graduate with a double major in Dance Performance and English Literature, and I will have completed the honors program. That’s probably not going to happen, but I don’t have time to study abroad. I have a dancer friend who was talking about it. If you want, I can ask her if she is still going to try to fit that in. You don’t have time to dance with other companies, and, frankly, I don’t think you would be able to find a job (i.e. a company willing to work with a college student’s finicky schedule) with the economy in such a shambles.

Graduating seniors: Let’s see. I think someone is going to Louisville Ballet. I think someone is going to Dance Kaleidoscope. Umm… I’m having a brain blip. If I think of any more, I’ll tell you.

I’m sorry that this turned into the mammoth post. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask! Good luck with your senior year.

Oh, and yes, my friend Emi is a freshman with me. She wants to know where you dance.

Re: Dance

BUKristen — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:36:38 GMT

If anyone is interested in seeing what the dance program is all about, go to: http://www.butler.edu/dance/?pg=6108&navID=17224

You can see what types of productions are put on each year, view the curriculum, and so much more. Ask these dancers for their experiences, they have a lot to share with you!

Dance

BUOlivia — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:14:08 GMT

Since I've been talking to Danielle about the ballet program at Butler, and I just heard that Kristi is joining our ranks next year, I thought I'd start a post for any dance-related questions so other people interested in the dance department can read them. For those of you who don't know me, I'm a freshman dance major eager to answer any questions you can throw at me!

And Kristi, my good dancer friend Emi is also from Northern Virginia, the DC area. She's from Falls Church. She also wrote for her school's newspaper and might double major in journalism. (I'm looking at an English major myself.) So you guys should get along really well. :)

Re: Summer Programs?

ChristinaL — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 03:52:45 GMT

Hey there!

I don't think we have a ton of programs for high school students, but there are a few:

Sports camps (not all for HS, but some are): http://www.butlersports.com/camps/butl-camps.html

English Department's Creative Writing Camp: http://www.butler.edu/english/index.aspx?pg=4621

Our dance program offers summer opportunities through their affiliate school, Jordan Academy of Dance: http://www.butler.edu/jcad/welcome.html

The music school has a similar program called the Butler Community Arts School: http://www.butler.edu/JCFA/community_arts.htm.

I am not sure about others, but they may exist, so hopefully other BU students and staff can chime in... was there a specific area you were interested in? I could investigate if you let me know!

Re: What do you think of when you hear "Butler University"

ChristinaL — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:21:20 GMT

Butler is most known for...

1. Outstanding pharmacy and ballet programs - some of the very best in the country

2. Men's Basketball! We were in the Sweet Sixteen in 2007 and we were Horizon League Champs last year

3. Smart students who make amazing interns and volunteers in Indy (that's our local reputation with employers and non-profits)

4. A very cool activist history - We were the second university in the US to admit African Americans and women.

5. Beautiful campus!

that's not necessarily my personal top 5 favorite things about Butler, but what I think we are best known for... hopefully that's what you were looking for!

Re: Question

ChristinaL — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 08:38:55 GMT

Hey Nicole! So I'm studying abroad in Spain and missing Butler very much, so I totally went overboard with answering your questions, but hopefully you can find something helpful in the novel I wrote you ; )

What made you pick to go to BU?1. Location – Even now that we’re studying in Spain, living up the European culture, my Butler friends and I still talk about how much we love Indianapolis. It was very important to me to go to college in a city where there would be lots of culture, entertainment, sports, etc. both on and off campus. In addition to everything that’s going on campus, Indy definitely doesn’t disappoint – there are SO many great restaurants, bars and shops and fun theatres, concerts, cultural festivals, sporting events, etc. that make Indy an exciting place to live. (To name a few: Yats Cajun restaurant, Bazbeaux’s Pizza, the Music Mill - restaurant and concert venue, the Indy Fringe Festival, the Indianapolis International Film Festival, Fiesta Hispanic festival, political rallies like Barack Obama’s in May, the Big Ten basketball tournament, Bands of America Grand Nationals, the Penrod Arts Festival, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Broadway shows at the Murat … plus .all these events and more are easy to find out about with Nuvo, Indy’s free A&E magazine). I just love being right in the middle of all the action, and with campus only 15 minutes away from downtown Indy, that’s easy. I get all the benefits of college campus culture… PLUS everything the city has to offer.)We’re also in the state capital, and tons of business and non-profits are based in Indy, which makes it a great location for internships, volunteer opportunities, etc. Also, we’re within a few hours of Bloomington, Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, St. Louis, etc. so it’s really easy to visit other friends and family you may have in the Midwest.2. Professors & staffFrom the first time I came here to visit, everyone at Butler, from the receptionist at the Admissions Office to the head of the English Department, was so friendly and helpful, and willing to do basically anything to make sure I had a good experience here. I could tell that they genuinely cared and would help me with whatever I needed to succeed, and that has continued to be my experience in the two years I’ve spent here as a student. I have close relationships with many of my professors – for example they often invite classes over for dinner, and if I have a question about ANYTHING, even not related to their class, they will spend hours talking with me and just giving good general life advice. I am in Spain right now with one of my professors, and she and her husband are practically our family. Maybe it’s just the Midwest-style, but everyone is so friendly, which brings me to my next point.3. We’re basically the Butler fam.Students at Butler are really friendly, and we KNOW each other. Yeah, there may not be the anonymity of a huge campus, but I like it that way because I really get to know the people who I live with, take classes with, am in clubs with, etc. I always feel at home whenever I am at Butler because there is always a smiling face around of someone who knows me and will say hello and see how I’m doing. Even, when I came to Butler as a prospective, I stayed with two people I didn’t know and they were so welcoming and included me in on the campus fun right away. To me, Butler really is like a family you love to come home to.4. Academic ScholarshipsMy education is almost free thanks to several academic scholarships I receive from Butler. Obviously this isn’t something that can be offered to every student, but compared to some private institutions which don’t give ANY merit based scholarships, I think Butler has really great financial opportunities.5. Entertainment on campusI am a Liberal Arts and Sciences major, but another reason I chose Butler was for our amazing College of Fine Arts. I love dance, music and theatre, and we have outstanding programs in all three that have great student productions all year long. Clowes Hall, the theatre on campus, also hosts tons of concerts and events like Broadway shows, the opera, comedians, dance companies, rock bands, etc…. all of which are literally down the street from your dorm at Butler (and you get a student discount!)
What is your favorite thing about living on campus? I love the busy busy busy campus life! There is always something going on, more than I could ever possibly do. If you like sports, there is nothing like Butler basketball in Hinkle Fieldhouse! If you like movies, or coffeehouse concerts, or games or all-night dance marathons, Student Government always has something planned for you. Greek houses have cookouts and philanthropy events like tournaments or lip-sync contests almost every weekend, and these events are open to the whole campus. I mentioned above all the cool things that happen at Clowes, but there are also tons of other smaller cultural events such as lectures, films, etc. Residence Life and Greek houses will also plan plenty of activities to do with your neighbors. We also have a ton of student organizations, and most people are very involved. I have been involved with a sorority, the Student Foundation, Basketball Band, yearbook, the literary magazine, Ballroom Dance Club, Environmental Concerns Organization, College Democrats, College Mentors for Kids, Student Government and a music fraternity, and all of these clubs have even more fun events and opportunities that really make it impossible to get bored.
What is your least favorite thing about living on campus?

Hard to say, because I love living on campus. I guess I would have to say that I wish it was easier to get off campus without a car. You can have one as a freshmen, and many people do, so it is never too difficult to get a ride from someone if you don’t have one… but lots of cars just means parking on campus can be tricky. Did you have any problems with your roommate? We had a few small disagreements (as anyone would), but overall it was pretty smooth. At the beginning of the year, the RAs have you fill out a roommate contract where you and your roomie set up rules for the room such as: when and how often is it okay to have visitors and how far in advance do we need to warn each other? or How often are we going to clean up? When are we going to have quiet study hours? This solves a lot of problems right away, but the biggest way to avoid problems with your roommate is just be honest and talk to them about your needs!
What are some good thing to get into at BU? Whatever you’re interested in! Chances are, there is something that fits what you like to do… or something new you want to give a try. You can check out our Student Organizations here. I agree with Ashlen that Dawg Pound and SGA are very popular and a good place to start. Greek Life can also be very fun and rewarding. If you are into community service, College Mentors for Kids is a very popular club where you are paired with a buddy from Indianapolis Public Schools who comes to visit you once a week on campus. We also have some popular religious groups, such as Campus Crusade for Christ. Hmm, Dance Marathon and Relay for Life are big philanthropy groups that many people get involved with as well! But really, you will have the most fulfilling experience at college if you just explore your own interests. Go to Block Party during the first week and shop around! All the clubs have email listservs you can sign up for which will let you know about upcoming events and how to get involved, and we have a daily email digest for the whole campus with general announcements of activities and opportunities.