Dance Commons^™

Dust To Dust, Emma Ask

SPARK Symposium Presentations

"Dust to Dust" is a small group dance composition inspired by Genesis 3:19 and other passages referring to the human experience as that which is Earthly (dust). In this piece, the scripture is used as a framework for telling the story of life and the cyclical nature of being molded and created by God, the interweaving pathways of life in Creation and the eventual return to that which we were created from. In this piece, we are offered a chance reflect on the juxtaposition of the intricacy of our individual lives and the vastness and beauty of the collective human …

Alicia Alonso’S Giselle: A Cuban Dancer’S Journey Into Romantic Ballet And Modern Dramaturgy | La Giselle Di Alicia Alonso: Il Viaggio Di Una Ballerina Cubana Nel Balletto Romantico E Nella Drammaturgia Moderna, Lester Tomé

Dance: Faculty Books

This article examines the trajectory of Cuban ballerina Alicia Alonso as both performer and restager of Giselle. After offering a historical overview of Romantic ballet in nineteenth-century Cuba, the study traces Alonso’s transformation into one of the most acclaimed figures in the performance history of Giselle. The text considers her interpretation of the eponymous role in the United States, Cuba and beyond, beginning with her 1943 debut as Giselle with Ballet Theatre in New York, and highlights the interplay between her performances and stagings of the piece. It charts the evolution of Alonso’s productions of Giselle from the first time …

The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University's performance of The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams.

Performed September 25-28, 2025 in the Mitchell Theatre at Taylor University.

At its heart, The Glass Menagerie is a story about the grace that vulnerability makes possible. The Wingfield family—Tom, Amanda, and Laura—are fragile, flawed, and fiercely human. Their lives are marked by disappointment and desire, yet Williams invites us to approach them with tenderness. Laura’s glass animals, so delicate and beautiful, are not just a metaphor for her own inner world but for the human spirit itself—easily broken, but capable of reflecting light in ways that …

Dames At Sea, Otterbein Theatre And Dance Department

2025 Summer Theatre

No abstract provided.

Always... Patsy Cline, Otterbein Theatre And Dance Department

2025 Summer Theatre

No abstract provided.

Living Heritage, Resilience And Ethically Informed Infrastructures In Malawi, Martha B. Lerski, Frank Puluputu Mwale

Publications and Research

Rooted in a rural community’s needs, this paper explores how historically, and ethically informed infrastructures can support community engagement towards identification, documentation, and dissemination of local, traditional, and indigenous knowledge relating to climate change. The paper examines climate adaptation and sustainability issues through the lenses of community organizing and Library & Information Science best practices. It draws on a growing body of literature identifying a role for expanded epistemological and subject discipline perspectives. While the impacts of climate on material culture are increasingly recognized, intangible, and biocultural heritage have not received as much attention. Living heritage traditions and knowledge systems …

Noverre’S Lament: Inscription, Posterity, And The Ephemeral Art Of Dance, Olivia Sabee

Dance Faculty Works

Jean-Georges Noverre defined pantomime ballet, or ballet d’action, as an ephemeral art. In his published writings, Noverre argued that to notate a ballet’s movement was both inadequate – in that the present day’s dance notation could not record a pantomime ballet – and inappropriate – in that the passions, the core of pantomime ballet, could not be recorded as discrete, repeatable units the way steps could have been. At the same time, Noverre was deeply invested in posterity, both his own, and that of pantomime ballet as a form. This essay examines the values of ephemerality and posterity in …

Movement As Metamorphosis: An Examination Of Transformative Learning In Dance, Whitney Egstad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using the arts-based methodology of Educational Criticism and Connoisseurship (Uhrmacher, Moroye, & Flinders, 2017) to examine the curriculum and pedagogy of a Colorado-based dance studio, this qualitative dissertation explores how transformative learning (TL) unfolds within the context of adult dance education. Grounded in Mezirow’s (1991) theory of transformative learning, the study investigates how dance becomes a medium for personal transformation, identity reconstruction, and emotional healing. Data collection included six hours of interviews with instructors and students and twelve hours of class observations, focusing on how adult learners experience curriculum not just as technical instruction, but as an embodied, relational journey …

The Glass Menagerie, Otterbein Theatre And Dance Department

2025 Summer Theatre

No abstract provided.

Bfa Dance Showcase

Dance Programs

No abstract provided.

Dance/Movement Therapy Interventions That Can Address And Decrease Impacts Of Developmental Prosopagnosia: A Literature Review, Caitlin Rivenbark

Expressive Therapies Theses

This literature review explores dance/movement therapy (DMT) as a treatment modality for developmental prosopagnosia (DP) or face blindness. Research on DP causes and assessments are limited, as well as research on treatments and supportive management. In order to conceptualize how DMT might support people with DP, this paper focuses on mitigating the impacts of having the condition by exploring treatments for conditions with similar impacts including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and social anxiety disorder (SAD). The interventions included were pharmacotherapy, behavioral contingencies, mainstream therapies, and alternative therapies including DMT and drama therapy (DT). The various …

Spring Dance Concert

Dance Programs

No abstract provided.

Leading And Following: Exploring The Impact Of Mentorship On Collegiate Dancers, Peyton Winsett

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Mentorship plays a pivotal role in student development across various disciplines, yet its specific impact on dancers within collegiate programs remains underexplored. This literature review and small pilot study investigates the hypothesis that mentorship in university dance programs positively influences students’ artistic identity, academic achievement, and career readiness. Drawing from six empirical studies, including research in arts education, peer mentorship, and emotional development, the paper analyzes how mentorship structures shape dancers’ holistic growth. While mentorship is generally associated with beneficial outcomes, findings also reveal critical nuances regarding mentorship quality, accessibility, and the risks of informal or biased systems. Through a …

Inherited Fervor: Maternal Archive, Maria Angela Talavera Tejeda

Theses and Dissertations

Inherited Fervor: Maternal Archive investigates the deconstruction of the non-verbal language of Catholic ecstasy rituals to develop a choreographic language. Through the piece Doves Don’t Fly at Night, it explores the expansion of dancers’ physical range, positioning the body as an archive that embodies memories and mirrors the audience’s humanity.

Aquí Y Ahora A Dance Tribute To Gustavo Cerati And The Expression Of Hispanic Immigrant Identity In New York City, Karina Terán

Theses and Dissertations

This Thesis explores how dance serves as a language of cultural identity among Hispanic immigrants in New York City. Through a multidisciplinary performance and research, it reflects lived experiences, blending movement and music to celebrate legacy, resilience, and community, while honoring the influence of Argentine rock icon Gustavo Cerati.

Raised Spirits The Visceral Journey Of Black Generational Female Trauma And The Transcendent Healing Power Of Spiritual Dance, Wendy Ann Powell

Theses and Dissertations

Black female bodies have endured sustained trauma globally since the transatlantic slave trade, and it continues into 2025. The collective consciousness has carried the generational burden and mobilized it within the womb. Powell uses this intergenerational knowledge to frame the basis for spiritual dance practices as a healing praxis.

Who Cares For The Caregivers? How Dance And Movement Can Benefit Caregiving Parents Of Children With Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities: A Literature Review, Haley E. Gilbert

Expressive Therapies Theses

Caregiver parents of people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) are not able to care for themselves as often as they should be able to for their own mental and physical wellness due to their caregiving responsibilities that often carry into adulthood. These can lead to anxiety, depression, grief, and dysregulation for the parent. Dance and movement practices have been found to relieve the symptoms of these experiences while helping the child with IDD and the parent connect more, building stronger relationships. This thesis will include a comprehensive literature review of body-based theories such as the Polyvagal Theory (Polyvagal Institute, 2025), Bowlby’s …

The Playground: Redefining The Artistic Experience And Expression With Technology, Meghan Hutto

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Throughout the artistic community, many creators are exploring new ways to generate innovative works for growing audiences. With the emergence of endless technology, dance makers are searching for mediums to include new lighting techniques and music composition. Across this past year, I have researched and explored new frontiers of artistic mediums to further my project’s artistic expression. By developing and investigating new systems of lighting and musical composition, I created a fifteen-minute work called “Metaphysical Mindscape”. When solidifying the through-line that carried the expression of my piece, I uncovered a piece of myself. The themes that I explored were thoughts …

A Feasibility Study Of Creating A Model For A Dance Outreach Program In Chesterfield County Public Schools, Katelyn Elizabeth Roberts

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Exposure to dance at a young age has many proven benefits for children and their communities, including healthier brain development, deeper cultural understandings, and higher rates of supporting the arts in the future. Unfortunately, most dance education options are costly, greatly limiting which families have access to the opportunity to allow their children to experience training in dance. Dance outreach programs, which focus on introducing dance to communities and children that may otherwise never have access to dance education, are one way the arts community is working to dismantle this elitism. Partnering with public schools is the most common way …

Redeemed: A Dance Composition And Analysis On Transformation, Kasia D. Oliver

Undergraduate Honors Theses

I have created a film entitled Redeemed, which utilizes the medium of dance to explore emotional devastation and restoration present throughout life. My experience as a kinesiology major with an exercise science concentration, dance minor, and fine and performing arts student at East Tennessee State University from 2021-2025 has ignited my desire to connect kinesthetic awareness, somatic movement, dance choreography, and improvisation in a way that is cathartic for both me as the choreographer/performer and the audience. My goal is to touch viewers on a soul level by embodying how it feels to truly and fully exist. This film consists …