Got a case of the Mondays?

Well, this will surely lift your spirits! Another installment of musings from Master of Fine Arts holder, Heather Nabors! Enjoy!

 Heather Nabors is the Assistant Director of Dance Programs at Rice University. Heather relocated to Houston this summer from North Carolina. Heather has been a teacher and freelance choreographer in NC since 2005. She served as an adjunct faculty member at Catawba College, Greensboro College, Elon University, and UNCG. In 2012, Heather founded ArtsMash, a collaborative arts concert in NC. Her work has been presented at ArtsMash, The Saturday Series, UNCG Dance Department Alumni Concert, Greensboro Fringe Festival and the American Dance Festival’s Acts to Follow. She has choreographed over 14 musicals in NC for community theaters and local high schools including Rent, Oklahoma! ,The King & I, Legally Blonde, Little Shop of Horrors, and Children of Eden. Heather received her MFA in Choreography from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Stop, Collaborate, and Listen

I am an only child. When I was seven, my favorite t-shirt exclaimed “I’m the boss” in 70’s iron on fabulousness. I did not enjoy sharing my toys with my younger cousin. I did not appreciate being told what to do by anyone. I would create countless dances in my bedroom and force my mother to watch every last one of them.  It took a little while, but eventually I grew out of this self-centered phase (well, for the most part) and over the years, I have learned how to work quite well with others.

One of the best lessons I have learned from my work in musical theater is the art of collaboration. As a choreographer, I am used to being in charge. It is my dance and I make the final decisions. (“I’m the boss,” remember?) When I am choreographing a musical, artistically, I am the low woman on the totem pole. I have been fortunate to work with good directors who respect my opinion, but I know that if my choreography interferes with singing or action on the stage, I have to rework it. The music and dialogue are set, so I have to be flexible. I have a healthy ego, but I know when to leave it at the door. It is a trait that has served me well and has allowed me to continue working.

My graduate school did not have a combined performing arts department and I don’t remember any department co-mingling or collaboration. The only non-dancers I saw enter the dance building were the pianists who accompanied our technique classes. One semester, I ventured out a bit and took an art class with a fellow dancer. We were the only non-art majors in the class and our classmates regularly spent class staring at us as if we belonged to some exotic species of bird. Unfortunately, I never considered venturing to the music building and asking a music student to write a piece for me. When I first experienced the intense collaborative process of putting together a musical, I realized what I had been missing. I had always enjoyed the feedback process offered in choreography class, but I had never worked with anyone outside my field. It was refreshing to get a non-dance perspective on things and bounce ideas off other artists with radically different backgrounds.

A few years ago, I met a lovely musician and asked him to create a score for me. This collaboration was one of the most exciting and frustrating experiences of my life. I am a task driven list maker. My partner for this collaborative process was a little more laid back. I had to develop a new set of skills that allowed for freedom on both ends and didn’t squash his or my artistic voice. I also had to loosen the reins and put faith in his ability to create something that enhanced my work and expressed his point of view.  I videotaped my rehearsals and we viewed them together. I tweaked my work to fit his notes and he found the nuances in my movements and used that to fuel his writing. The piece turned out well and I loved this collaboration so much that I am marrying the composer. (I can now have free music whenever I want it! Yay!)

As choreographers, we can become isolated and lose our sense of community and collaboration. It is easy to get tunnel vision and miss connections with other artists that can inform and reinvigorate our work. Furthermore, I have seen many choreographers lose jobs and burn bridges because they never learned to play well with others. Use your graduate school experience to form partnerships outside the dance community. Collaborate with painters, musicians, filmmakers, and mimes. Take in all the art on your campus and let that fuel your creativity. It is great to be surrounded by a supportive group of dancers, but there is much to be learned from artists in other disciplines as well.

Another Monday! Another start to a great, full week!

Another  MFA Monday featuring….

(drum rrrroll please)

            Heather Nabors!

Heather Nabors is the Assistant Director of Dance Programs at Rice University. Heather relocated to Houston this summer from North Carolina. Heather has been a teacher and freelance choreographer in NC since 2005. She served as an adjunct faculty member at Catawba College, Greensboro College, Elon University, and UNCG. In 2012, Heather founded ArtsMash, a collaborative arts concert in NC. Her work has been presented at ArtsMash, The Saturday Series, UNCG Dance Department Alumni Concert, Greensboro Fringe Festival and the American Dance Festival’s Acts to Follow. She has choreographed over 14 musicals in NC for community theaters and local high schools including Rent, Oklahoma! ,The King & I, Legally Blonde, Little Shop of Horrors, and Children of Eden. Heather received her MFA in Choreography from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

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The “MFA Monday” series features the musings of local Master of Fine Arts holders. Enjoy their thoughts on the process of attaining an MFA!

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I Love Jazz Hands

I love modern dance. It is wonderful and fulfilling, but it doesn’t always pay the bills. Prior to moving to Houston, I spent nearly a decade making a living teaching jazz, tap, ballet, modern, and dance for musical theater, and choreographing musicals for community theater.

As a young studio kid, I was a full fledged Jazzerina. I spent my early years studying everything from jazz and tap to ballet and acrobatics. In college, I discovered modern dance and though it felt a little foreign in my body at first, I soon warmed to this new way of moving and developed a deep love and appreciation for modern dance. I was drawn to graduate school by my love of choreography. Once there, I was fully immersed in modern dance up to my eyeballs and I loved every minute of it.

While my graduate program did not openly discourage studying other forms of dance, it was not exactly encouraged either and the pickings were slim. There were a limited number of jazz classes (though none were taught by faculty) and tap was only offered because one of the graduate TAs had the ability to teach the class. Though it was never explicitly stated as such, the message was implicit: modern dance was “high art” while other dance forms were seen as mere entertainment; suitable for commercial pursuits but not worthy of serious study.

In graduate school, I imagined I would land a full-time teaching job within a year of graduating and soon after, would start my own modern dance company. (Totally realistic, right?) However, when I began looking for teaching jobs, I found modern dance jobs scarce and I quickly realized that in my area of North Carolina, the need was for teachers who could teach jazz in theater departments. The reality of life quickly hit me in the face and I dusted off my old jazz shoes in pursuit of a modified career path. I started teaching jazz to beginning theater students and to my surprise and delight, it was awesome! I found them open to everything and completely receptive. They didn’t see dance as commercial vs. artistic, they just wanted to move and learn the basic skills to help them succeed in a musical theater audition. Around the same time, a friend and colleague mentioned that her husband was looking for a choreographer for a musical he was directing and wanted to know if I would be interested. I instantly accepted the opportunity and so began my entrance into choreographing musical theater.

During these intense jazz and musical theater years, I learned many things about myself. I really love jazz. I love musical theater. I love working with beginners who have no formal training. And my love of these things in no way negates my love of modern dance. I don’t care what kind of dance I am teaching – I just want to move!

In graduate school, you may have visions of what you think your career will be like, but these plans may go slightly askew. Be open to every opportunity and don’t be afraid to dive into the “commercial” side of dance. Don’t limit yourself to only working in dance departments and reject teaching classes that are not a level 4 modern technique class. My working colleagues in North Carolina earn their bread and butter from being amazing tap, jazz, and hip hop instructors. In my new position at Rice, I get the best of both worlds. I get to work and train wonderful students who love modern dance. I also get to teach beginning level jazz dancers, some of whom come to me not knowing a jazz square from a square root.

I love dance in all shapes and sizes. It challenges me, awakes my senses and inspires me. I love the shift of weight, curve of the spine and release I get from modern dance. I also love a good jazz hand and tapping out the shim sham on a wood floor.  As a student, I felt the need to choose art or entertainment. As an adult, I know it’s all just dance and it rocks.

Hello Framers! I hope you all had a great weekend!

Only ten more days ’til Christmas!!!

This week’s MFA Monday article comes from previous Frame blog contributor and long-time framer, Rosie Trump! This week Rosie is offering advice for the before, during, and after stages of pursuing a M.F.A.

Rosie Trump holds a M.F.A. in Experimental Dance Choreography from UC Riverside.  She is a choreographer, dance filmmaker and educator.  Her teaching credits include Seton Hill University, Mt. San Jacinto College and Rice University. Trump is the founder and curator of the annual Third Coast Dance Film Festival. rosietrump.org

So You Think You Want a M.F.A.?

By Rosie Trump

Let me begin by saying graduate school is not and should not be for every artist.  It requires a huge personal undertaking and a significant financial investment.  You will be a different person and a different artist when you finish.  With that being said, I want to share some advice I have gathered from my own graduate school experiences and post-graduate career.

Know Before You Go

There are many good reasons to pursue an M.F.A.  There are also some very bad reasons. A combination of good timing and clear postgraduate goals can make all the difference. When deciding on pursuing an M.F.A., it is very important to be honest with yourself and realistic about what this degree will add to your life and career.

If you are 5 or less years out of college ask yourself: Do I have significant professional experience?  Do I have ample teaching practice and a developed pedagogical approach?  Have I developed a distinctive, individual artistic point of view? If you answered no to any of these questions, spend the next two years filling in the gaps before you apply.  Additionally ask yourself, will I resent spending the next three+ years of my life being separated from friends and family, extremely poor, lonely, overwhelmed and overworked?  If you answer yes, wait and reconsider an M.F.A. in a few years.

If you are a mid or post-professional ask yourself: Will I resent spending the next three+ years of my life being separated from my established dance community, deferring earning potential and having my established methods and approaches upended and dismantled? Do I have an extra 40-60 hours per week in addition to my non-negotiable responsibilities to dedicate to intense study?

I believe a good M.F.A. experience is akin to boot camp—a very long boot camp.  For me, graduate school was the hardest thing I had done to date. On the flip side, it was also the absolutely most rewarding thing I had ever done.  I came out on the other side armed with an entirely altered perspective on dance and choreography, and a cohort of brilliant, inspiring friends for colleagues.

Still want to go? Tips on how to pick a good program:

Not all M.F.A. programs are created equal.  Finding a good fit for your interests will require a lot of research.  While institutional prestige and geographical desirability are very seductive factors when considering a M.F.A. program, I think the most important factors should be curriculum and faculty.

Curriculum: What excites you about the courses?  Does the curriculum have enough structure and/or flexibility?  Do the classes support your artistic and professional development?  Will you be technically and theoretically challenged? Two important factors that may not seem obvious when you first enter, but will mean everything by the end are:

1. What shape does the thesis project can take? For example, do students produce solo concerts, share an evening or write research document?  Who covers the production costs?  Where can the thesis take place–off campus, in another city, etc?

2. Is the curriculum going to be a rehash or reboot of your undergrad studies?  What I mean by this is, will you take seminars that provide you with information that you could not obtain or have not obtained in any other way?

Faculty: These are the people that will make or break your grad school experience.  Will you be excited and eager to work with these people?  Will they be interested and active in assisting your vision and growth?  Do you have compatible artistic points of view?  Do they have connections and (much more importantly) time and energy to mentor you?  Will they champion you in the post-graduate professional realm?  The best faculty most certainly do not have to be superstars or ‘nice’ people.  The best faculty will push you in directions you didn’t know you needed to go.

Money, It’s What I Want! Or How to Negotiate the Offer…

You buffed up your resume, did the research, applied, interviewed and now you have an acceptance offer! So let’s talk about money. Trust me, no matter how good at living on a minuscule budget you have been thus far, you will need more money than you think for graduate school.  Moving costs, books, costumes, production supplies and countless bottles of wine (as Mary describes) will all quickly add up.

I encourage you to negotiate the best possible situation BEFORE you accept the offer. Now and only now, do you hold a little bit of power.  Once you accept, that offer is your contract with the institution. Negotiating a better situation after this point will be nearly impossible.  This is also why it is important to ascertain more than one acceptance offer.  Even if you prefer one school over another, you can use the other offer to get a better deal (an extended fellowship, an additional semester of TA-ship) at your ‘dream school.’

Here is what you will need:

1. Full tuition remission—you should not pay any tuition fees to attend grad school.
2. A fellowship stipend —this is ‘free’ money that the school pays you to do your creative research.  Often times this is offered in your first semester or year.  This is the money you use to pay for rent and living costs.
3. Teaching assistantships—these are teaching positions where you will either assist a professor with lecturing, grading, etc. or be the primary instructor for a course.  TA-ships usually require around 20 hours of work per week.  This money pays for your rent and living costs.

I will share with you what a mentor told me when I was considering applying to graduate school: They pay you to attend.  You do not pay them. This includes living costs.  If you are like most people, you have already racked up considerable debt from undergraduate student loans.  Do not take out student loans to pay for a M.F.A.!  I cannot emphasis this enough.  It’s bleak, but true, that once you graduate your earning potential will probably not be that much better than before you earned your M.F.A.  Do not shackle yourself to more debt!

If you receive an offer that requests you pay part of the costs and you cannot negotiate a better deal, DON’T GO!  Wait, gain the experience to make yourself a more desirable candidate, and then reapply in a few years.

Last but not least, beware of the “once you get here you can apply for XX fellowship or XX grant to supplement our offer.”  This is dangerous because these opportunities are often contingent on external funding sources that can waiver with the economy, etc. and/or are competitive.  You could find yourself competing with a hundred other graduate students in ‘sexier/more traditional/more practical’ fields for one or two awards.

*Helpful links:

Don’t Go to Graduate School (aimed at PhD students, but much applies to the M.F.A, too)

100 Reason’s Not to Go to Graduate School

M.F.A. Fever – an article about perusing a creative writing M.F.A.

A listing of over 100 graduate dance programs

* While some of these links may seemed aimed at keeping you out of graduate school, their real goal is to reveal the honest truth of what lies ahead.  Many artists are all too aware of the hardships in their field, but can still romanticize the academic life.

Happy chilly Houston Monday! Cozy up with some tea and read the newest installment of MFA Mondays from the incredible  Diane Cahill Bedford!

Diane Cahill Bedford holds her M.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography from Florida State University. She is a dancer, choreographer, educator, and photographer; she currently serves as Professor of Dance at San Jacinto College South in Houston, TX. Diane has previously taught dance and presented her choreography in New York, Florida, Indiana, South Carolina, New Mexico, and Texas. www.dianecahillbedford.com

M.F. A. Life vs. Real Life

Tools of the Trade then and now…

I remember entering grad school after a four-year hiatus from academia thinking about how much I had missed that environment. Looking back, I’m not sure that I fully realized (even with four years of professional, real-life experience under my belt) what exactly I was so overjoyed about. There was of course the feeling of an immense weight being lifted off my shoulders (ironically); there was the possibility of creating dance and performing without spending so much of my time doing that other pesky thing called earning money at odd-end jobs like waiting tables. But now, two and half years into my first full-time Professorship, I know exactly what I was so elated about.

I had the fortunate experience of attending grad school where a plethora of tools and experiences were available to me: endless talented dancers to choose from, ample studio space to rehearse in, state-of-the-art technology, and a conditioning studio full of equipment to whip myself into shape when the endless technique classes were just not enough to keep me in peak form. Oh, and lest I forget to mention, I also had that one “little” thing so many people have comment on as being a lifeline to their creative work – mentors and colleagues to help me grow. And even though I truly feel I utilized as much of those available resources as I could, I look back now and think about how I could have done more and appreciated it more. If only I knew then what I know now (that those tools of the trade might be the very best I’d have in a long time) maybe I would have done things a little differently.

The illusions of an M.F.A. program is that the endless tools we have at our disposal will somehow always be available to us now that we have that illustrious degree. Of course, I should have known better. I wasn’t naïve to the fact that in my own professional life before returning to grad school, I struggled to have those very tools at my disposal. But somehow, the M.F.A. program became like Disney World. It was a safe haven. A place to escape the “real-world” and delve into the art I loved full-time again. It was a place where I would earn the degree that would keep me from ever having to return to that land of struggle, that land of not so top-of-the-line tools. I was confidant that I would get a full-time job and leave that life behind me forever. I guess in the end, I really was naïve. Even though I succeeded in getting the job, that life of struggle returned waiting to greet me when I stepped into my new office.

Let me be clear when I say I am tremendously grateful and appreciative that I did succeed in finding a full-time job. My musings are more a wake-up call to myself and to those pursuing their M.F.A. degree now. A full-time teaching job does not necessarily guarantee the same level of artistic freedom constantly at one’s disposal as in grad school. I am speaking to the common graduate of course. Unless you are one of the few that land the job of your dreams right off the bat, you will be faced will a tremendous learning curve. For instance, I remember when three hours of rehearsal a week for one piece of choreography often times felt rushed. Well in the real world, even the world of academia (that gleaming, glittery place where everything is supposed to be available to you) that may be a luxury you look back upon longingly. I also remember when I could focus more on the complexities of my choreography; I took for granted that the dancers I was using could do just about anything I asked of them. For now, that luxury is also long-gone. In its place is the role of teacher where I use rehearsal time to teach the skills I want to work with in my dancers. As dance artists, our work is in part only as good as the tools we have to use; sometimes I have to let my ego go knowing that my work is not necessarily top-of-the-line. Instead, I must focus on the experiences I give my dancers as my most important accomplishment.

Do I sometimes wish I could return to grad school and be free to create work in a bubble without obstacles? Of course! Sometimes I wonder if grad school trains us to become spoiled artists who, upon re-entering the real world, have to learn how to function again. For three years, I lived in close-knit, family kind of atmosphere where the thought of scrapping for artistic tools was as foreign to me as hunting for food in today’s microwave era. Perhaps grad school needs a “survivor” course in which students are forced to create work with as few tools readily accessible to them as possible. Or, perhaps the beauty of grad school lies in the fundamental ability to take the reins of your work and run wild with as much creativity and top-of-the-line tools as possible. It is true that without experimenting with all of the possibilities in creative work, one’s art will never grow beyond their own known boundaries. Two things are for certain: looking back at the tools I had at my disposal then compared to what I have now makes me even more grateful for my grad school experience. And, finding that full-time job in academia does not necessarily solve all the struggles of the post M.F.A. dancer life.

Welcome Back Framers!  I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving last weekend! Here is a new MFA Monday for all of you!

For those of  you who might not know…The “MFA Monday” series features the musings of local Master of Fine Arts holders. Enjoy their thoughts on the process of attaining an MFA!

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          Angela Falcone!

Angela Falcone, a Houston native, graduated from Friendswood High School in 2007. She was a member of the drill team, the Friendswood Wranglerettes, where she held the title of Grand Marshal. After graduating, she followed her dream and tried out for the Kilgore College Rangerettes. She had the honor of being chosen as the Freshmen Sergeant and Swingster her freshman year, and received the greatest honor of being chosen as Captain her sophomore year. Following graduation from Kilgore College with an Associate in Fine Arts, she was accepted to the University of Texas at Austin, where she holds a B.F.A. in Dance. Angela currently attends Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas where she is pursuing her M.F.A. in Dance. She is specifically interested in shifting the paradigm of high school drill team by reinvigorating the choreographic process and bringing a somatic awareness to high school dancers’ bodies.

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Oh grad school…

Being a current first year M.F.A. candidate/student at Texas Woman’s University, I have quickly learned the heightened expectations of a graduate student.   One of my professors, Sarah Gamblin, said one afternoon, “you must do everything to the nth degree.”  After she mentioned this revelation about graduate school, my life has been turned upside down.  I am in my second semester of what everyone calls the “first year” and the journey has been everything I have expected…challenging, stressful, and rewarding. Not only am I tested mentally and physically every day, I am one part of a community striving to better themselves as artists and as dancers.  Below are three revelations I have had about this journey…so far.

1. You can never “over do” an assignment. 

I have always been an “A” student throughout my academic career, but I have never had the pressure of succeeding and/or being challenged to this degree.  If you think you are doing the assignment “correctly,” better think again.  I have quickly learned the expectation of an assignment is truly infinite.  If it is one blog entry for .5 points of your overall grade, you better be writing that blog as if it is your proposal for your final paper. Having adapted to this type of expectation over the past semester, I am rapidly becoming a better writer, thinker, innovator, and creator.  I am so thankful for this revelation!

2. It is not the “what” that is important anymore, but the “so what.”

I am one of the many students at TWU that went straight from undergrad to graduate school.  In saying that, I have quickly realized within my very first class, I need to dive deeper into the topic at hand.  Regurgitating information (like a banking system education) is not the expected anymore.  When stating anything, I now know I need to find connections, anomalies, dichotomies, and/or possible links between any and all things, no matter the significance (because everything means something).  I am still working through the kinks of this revelation in my writing.

3. Process! Process! Process!

My background mainly consists of drill team training, which is coined (in the dance community) as a genre that does not challenge process and is completely final-product based. I would like to shift this paradigm and invite improvisation and collaboration into the drill team process.  Normally when I choreograph, I would have every detail planned out ahead of time, but now, I am well aware of the possibilities of improvisation and provocation (Larry Lavender’s term). This semester, I have had many revelations in my own choreographic process.  I am granted four hours a week with my dancers, which is just enough time to play, experiment, create, and collaborate.  The process of creating work has truly been stimulating and invigorating.

These revelations have truly shaped the artist I am becoming.  I hope to one day be able to succinctly articulate how the impact of dance has had on my life, but until next time…

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Happy Monday!

Hi Framers!

Howdy everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend! Can you believe it’s only four days until Thanksgiving?! Wow.

Anyway, this Monday we bring you a little post about MFA Basics!

…So what is an MFA anyway?

A Master of Fine Arts (according to the Wikipedia article) is “a creative degree usually awarded as a terminal degree in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance or theatre and other performing arts. Coursework is primarily of an applied or performing nature with the program often culminating in a major work or performance.”

Other MFA factoids:

• Programs typically range from 2-3 years
• Requires a bachelor’s degree (not necessarily in same area of study as the MFA) prior to admittance
• Sample portfolio or audition performance often very important aspect of application
• InU.S. an MFA is considered “terminal” because it is the highest degree in its field

…What programs are out there?

Here is a list of 109 MFA Dance programs around the world!

…Which MFA programs are the “best”?

SO many variables to consider, there isn’t a cohesive list of rankings. But here are a few schools that are very prestigious:

http://dance.tisch.nyu.edu/object/dance_mfa.html

http://dance.fsu.edu/

…MFA programs in Texas?

Of course! But only three…

Southern Methodist University

Texas Woman’s University

Sam Houston State University

Stay tuned for next week’s MFA Monday!

Going into graduate school, I always thought of an MFA as the desired end result. In reality, the journey to the MFA became much more important than attaining the MFA itself. Here I am, one year post-grad, and what I wouldn’t give to be living that journey again. I’m not saying that it’s all roses and butterflies, but the four years I spent working on my MFA (yes, FOUR!) were the most rewarding and selfish years of my life. When I say selfish, I’m referring to a number of things – for one, my time was completely devoted to dance in all forms. I spent hours upon hours dancing, choreographing, writing, reading, teaching, thinking, talking, performing (etc.) to the point that I probably spent less than 8 hours a day at home (sleeping) and it didn’t even phase me.

Having a significant other, or even a pet, can be tough during this type of selfish study. Because it can be so draining and taxing, having some support system outside of your colleagues is important, whether it be a person or a pet. But be warned – they will get sick of you being gone! In order to do grad school (and I mean really do it) it requires an extreme level of sacrifice on the people (or animals) you are living with (maybe a dog isn’t the best grad school friend – go with a cat, they could care less about you anyway!). The key to successful support is communication and understanding.

Even now I struggle with communicating within my own support system, something I think many artists find. How do you explain an MFA in a meaningful way that is both accurate and understandable for people who aren’t in the arts? Something most people do not understand is that the MFA in Dance is a terminal degree, which puts it at an equivalent to a PhD for many fields. For academic jobs in dance, the MFA is the preferred degree, though many do have a PhD, but they are in areas such as education. My friends and family understand my job to some extent, but I still get called a “dance instructor” when being introduced to other people and its something I just have to either get used to hearing or get used to explaining how I’m not that different from other “professors” out there, I just get to enjoy what I’m doing a little more.

The best way I’ve found to tackle this is by having conversations and by convincing my family and friends to come out and actually see what I do in the professional world. They are almost always surprised that I do not do what they thought I did. It is not always easy to do, but I’ve found that getting in touch with what people do know and enjoy has been one of the best ways to start conversation and gear it toward what the larger dance world is all about. Many of my friends watch television shows like So You Think You Can Dance and if I can start conversation there, they’re much more open to trying to understand what I do and how it relates to the commercialized dance they enjoy watching from home.

A huge advantage of a full-time faculty position is the funding that is available for presenting work, given that the university and its budget supports it. I have been extremely lucky that various grants have been available to fund my travel to the different festivals I’ve participated in with my company, SWADanceCo. Because many university tenure and promotion documents have been revised to include creative work as scholarship, I have been able to continue choreographing and performing as a professional with the monetary support of my institution. Without this support, I would not be able to go out and get my work seen and share my art with the world. My colleagues have been brilliant supporters as well and I’m in a readily made environment conducive to active collaboration and interdisciplinary scholarship.

Support comes from many places and understanding how to build the net of support from all aspects of your life is extremely important. Without all walls supported, there are bound to be cracks in the foundation.

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Sarah Wildes Arnett is Founder/Artistic Director of SWADanceCollective and Assistant Professor of  Dance at Valdosta State University in Georgia. She received a Master of Fine Arts in Dance Choreography at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2012 and a Bachelor of Arts in  American Studies from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Sarah’s interests are interdisciplinary as she enjoys integrating her talents  in film-making, photography and music composition into her choreography while also expanding boundaries of genre and style. She continues to perform professionally with various companies and artists in the southeast. Most recently, she has performed and shown work at the MAD Festival (Atlanta), Alabama Dance Festival (Birmingham), NC Dance Alliance Annual Event (Greensboro) and RE:Vision by Forward Motion Theatre (NYC).  http://www.swadanceco.com/