Human-Interest Story - Loyola Marymount University's Dance Program
LOS ANGELES - At the heart of Loyola Marymount University (LMU) lies the Burns Fine Arts Center where live piano music drifts through the halls and dancers work tirelessly to achieve perfection. With talented students, distinguished faculty members, and a number of state-of-the-art dance studios, the Dance Program continues to thrive. Headed by Damon Rago, the Dance Program has played a central role in the legacy of artistic excellence at LMU. The staff and faculty in the Dance Program, all trained professionally in the field, support students in all of their ventures while challenging them to always improve upon themselves. Participants in the Dance Program are encouraged to develop their artistic skills inside and outside of the studio with a curriculum based both on dance education and cultural awareness, music studies, and the health sciences. With this foundation, participants in the Dance Program (both majors and non-majors) are given unique experiences and opportunities.
Kloii Hummingbird, Dance ’19, demonstrates one of her favorite movements in front of the Foley Center
Kloii Hummingbird (a senior dance major), Damon Rago (the chair of the Dance Program), and Judith Scalin (the Associate Dean of the College of Communication and Fine Arts) are all involved with the Dance Program. Scalin, a veteran of dance at LMU for over 43 years, took an interest in becoming a faculty member after learning of LMU’s mission for the education of the whole person: mind, body, and soul. “You have that opportunity to train to be a professional dancer. There’s a world of dance that you’re ready to do. You can do that here, and get a wonderful liberal arts education at the same time. We pay attention to our whole person and we also pay attention to dance as social action,” she explained. For many dancers, social action plays a large role in their dance education. The courses offered to participants in the Dance Program are designed to encourage awareness of oneself as well as the usage of dance as a form of communication. Scalin, who served as the chair of the Dance Program for 34 years, described the standards held for the dancers she works with: discipline, artistry, humanity, and integrity. The high expectations of the program attract a variety of students interested in dance who aspire to be professional and non-professional performers. The Dance Program also offers courses for students hoping to fulfill their core requirements and explore the world of dance.
Kloii Hummingbird, a senior dance and theatre double major, has been a participant in LMU’s Dance Program for the past two years. “What’s awesome about LMU’s Dance Program is that I can be super immersed in acting and dancing without having to choose between the two,” said Hummingbird. Since becoming an LMU student, Hummingbird has participated in many of the student and faculty-run showcases held by the Dance Program as well as in workshops and intensives offered by her teachers. Hummingbird, who also teaches Yoga glasses on campus, describes the many offerings as “the perks of being in the Dance Program.” Dancers are encouraged to pursue other endeavors, with academia just as present within the Dance Program as in other majors. Because of this flexibility, many of the participants are double majors or have a minor with no direct relation to the world of dance. All dance students have the opportunity to be exposed to many different career paths through their study of dance and have the resources to pursue them with the support and guidance of their teachers.
The Dance Program was born out of LMU’s theatre program in the 1970s. Dance courses were required of students participating in the theatre program along with their regular curriculum. This sparked an interest in the study body, leading to the eventual creation of the dance major at the university. “We did this gorgeous job of evolving the department into what it is today,” Scalin recounted. “Every dance major is different. Every single one! That’s what makes it so beautiful. That’s what’s always been true here.” Together, Scalin and Rago rebuilt the Dance Program from the ground up. They began to hold auditions for prospective students, followed by in-person interviews. This allowed them to reduce the number of participants in the program and enabled a greater focus on improving the whole self for each individual student. Today, the freshman class size is around 80 students and its graduate class is around 25 students. “We think about what we can train our students to do on the side that can support them financially so that they can pursue their artistic dreams,” Rago said about the improved Dance Program. Damon Rago, serving as the chair of the Dance Program, started at LMU after a dance company he danced with used the university’s studios as a rehearsal space for an extended amount of time. He formed friendships with members of the Dance Program’s faculty and was eventually offered a part-time job as a dance teacher and choreographer. Rago accepted and began his journey with the Dance Program. Since beginning to teach at LMU, Rago has taken part in organizing many showcases put on by faculty and by students.
Kloii Hummingbird, Dance ’19, smiles proudly after finishing a showcase audition on Dec. 7
As mentioned before, students in the program are expected to educate themselves beyond the dance studio. Dance students are given a large number of courses to choose from in order to achieve this goal as well as those they set for themselves during their time at LMU. They are encouraged to continue their education over the breaks as well, suggesting several intensive workshops, classes, and programs that are offered by Dance Program alumni, teachers and partnerships (such as the Debbie Allen Dance Company in Los Angeles and the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company in New York). Hummingbird was one of the participants in the summer intensive hosted by the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company after being selected and receiving a scholarship with one other LMU dance student. The company’s partnership with LMU has now lasted for over 3 years and has been renewed for another 4 years. Allowing students at LMU to experience life in a dance company provides a special experience unmatched by many internships and workshops offered in other LMU majors.
Despite the small size of the program, there is no denying that their presence can be felt and seen on campus by all. Dancers practicing choreographed pieces can be found outside of the studio around the Burns Fine Arts Center, counting beats and cheering for each other. Flyers for showcases and performances can frequently be found pinned on message boards and taped creatively on doors, inviting the student body to serve as an audience. About these shows, Rago said, “a more formal concert has a more formal audition process. A less formal concert event could just be ‘hey, do you guys want to do this thing? Alright, let’s go.’” There are multiple ways dancers can take part in these events. Showcases and performances, both formal and informal, are open to all dance students that have an interest in performance (and in some cases are required). If a showcase has been organized been formally organized and put on by the faculty, dancers are expected to sign up for a space in the show and then audition their piece. In showcases such as these, the Dance Program often reaches out to choreographers outside of the LMU faculty. Students are also given the opportunity to put on their own showcases over which they have a complete creative license: choreographing, casting, and costuming included. Interested dancers have the option of forming their own performance groups or participating in the showcases organized by others.
In addition to a variety of courses, workshops, and showcases offered by the Dance Program, the faculty members offer their own professional knowledge and connections to their students. “We have a phenomenal faculty that we are exposing our students to. Our students, just by being in class (as diligent and respectful students) are building their professional networks because their teachers are professionals in the field,” Damon Rago, chair of the Dance Program, stated. On LMU’s website for the major, the biographies of many lecturers of dance have been formed by years of experience as teachers, dancers, choreographers, and studio owners. According to Rago, the location of the school allows the hiring of many talented faculty members, as the location allows easy access from all corners of Los Angeles “with no extra hassle.” Students have the resources to begin forming connections with their teachers, and consequently, with the Los Angeles dance scene. The showcases that students are involved in also allow opportunities to form relationships with visiting choreographers.
Although many of the students in the dance program go on to pursue careers in performance, it is worth noting their career choices are not limited to becoming a dancer. An education in both the fine and liberal arts opens doors to hundreds of career paths for students. For example, Hummingbird hopes to pursue a career in dance as well as in theatre and yoga. When asked if participants in the dance program only become dancers, Scalin responded by saying “what I tell my students is that they need to be awake dreamers. There’s a way out there. There’s a way to get there. You just have to be awake and not wishing for something you can’t change. Don’t give up.” Not all students decide to become dancers and not all students have the chance to become dancers in the traditional way. According to the university’s website, the main goal of the dance program is to prepare students for the many possible futures that they may face, as well as provide insight into what will be expected of them as professionals. Participants in the dance program are encouraged to always continue dreaming as well as work hard to achieve each and every one of the dreams they desire.