Photos by Ralph Freso
In a matter of minutes, the dance studio on the first floor of Grand Canyon University's Saguaro Hall went from serene to hustle and bustle as it filled with the sound of students.
They were eager to see returning friends, meet incoming dance majors, and once again stretch creativity through Christian-worldview dance during the College of Arts and Media's Welcome Week open dance sessions.
“We’ve been doing this for years, but this is the first time we are on the (Welcome Week) calendar,” said assistant professor Bekki Price, chair of dance. “We wanted to welcome our students and others interested in dance.”
Faculty for the Welcome Week workshops volunteer, offering informal sessions covering all aspects of dance. The three classes a day during the week offered a sampling of dance styles.
The dance program attracts students who want to perform or teach, as well as those interested in creative dance skills as an expression of self and a lifelong skill.
“We have 25 new (dance) majors this year,” Price said of the incoming students. “Another 20 are dance minors.”
The program offers small, intimate classes for the now 75 students majoring in dance and 50 minors. Faculty teach techniques across ballet, modern, jazz, tap and hip-hop.
“I intended to be a biology major,” said Ella Campbell of Minnesota, a returning junior. “I love to teach, I love to dance, and here I am.”
She appreciates that Welcome Week provides an opportunity to reconnect with old friends and meet incoming first-year students.
“Lots of new faces every year,” she said. “Our program is smaller than many, which makes it more special.”
Part of Welcome Week’s role is to ease students into or back into campus life, take away some of the stress and reunite them with old friends. As part of the week’s offerings, Price said that classes have a more casual workshop feel to them.
“New students often feel overwhelmed,” she said. “They are excited, but anxious. These informal classes help welcome them to the school.”
Students in the program come from 10 states, Price said.
“I like that this is a faith-based dance program,” Campbell said. “It holds me accountable to my principles and lets me create pieces for shows that reflect my values.”
She said that this aspect of dance at GCU is different. The concept of Christian-worldview dance performances is integral to the process of creating and presenting a piece.
“This is more than just a major and a degree,” Campbell said. “For me, dance is a calling.”
That belief is built on the foundation of the dance program. GCU dance student development moves beyond technique and choreography to cultivate character, ethics and leadership.
The welcoming environment helps the new students feel part of the program as they are ready to start learning technique and performance courses. Sometimes, Price said, students will drop in out of curiosity and end up taking some classes or even joining the program as a minor course of study.
GCU’s program also emphasizes community involvement, with students working with or performing at churches, schools and arts organizations. Campbell likes that aspect. “This is something that lets me express my passion and work on different styles of this art,” she said. “GCU has made this very easy.”
“(Welcome Week) is a great opportunity for students to get excited,” Price said. “It’s just awesome watching students greet old friends and meet new ones.”
Senior writer Eric Jay Toll can be reached at [email protected]
