Dance Demo Program receives funding
By: Kendra Henry
Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: Lifestyle
For more than 20 years, Webster University's dance program has been presenting lecture-demonstrations at area schools to cultivate interest in dance as an art form and as a career. Now, with the help of a grant from the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation, the program will be able to develop longer lasting connections with schools through its new Dance Demo Program.
"The lecture-demos were one-shot deals," said Beckah Voigt, dance professor and head of WU's dance program. "The dance demo focuses on allowing more than one contact time. We teach workshops and classes."
Through the Dance Demo Program, WU dance students will provide dance theory instruction and mentorship to area school students on a more continual basis.
"Our dance demo students will communicate with students from participating schools to provide a clear understanding of dance as a professional art form," Voigt said. "We work with supporting teachers' curriculum."
The $2,500 grant is the first the WU dance program has received from the FPACF.
"This is the first time Beckah has pursued funding for this program," said Missy Miller, WU's development officer for government and foundation grants. "I worked very closely with her to put all of the materials together and really get a strong sense of what she had been doing with program and where she wanted to go with it."
The WU dance program is working with University City High School to develop the first dance demo.
"We're in the planning phases," Voigt said. "We're looking at calendars with UCHS. Hopefully, we'll get a template going for future demos."
Iyun Harrison, assistant professor of dance, said the dance program was working with a limited budget for the lecture-demonstration series. He said the grant will provide much-needed funding for the dance demo's functions.
"The lecture-demonstration series has operated with students bringing in their own costumes or getting costumes from the WU dance ensemble," Harrison said. "The grant could possibly help pay for gas or t-shirts or costumes for the performances."
"The lecture-demos were one-shot deals," said Beckah Voigt, dance professor and head of WU's dance program. "The dance demo focuses on allowing more than one contact time. We teach workshops and classes."
Through the Dance Demo Program, WU dance students will provide dance theory instruction and mentorship to area school students on a more continual basis.
"Our dance demo students will communicate with students from participating schools to provide a clear understanding of dance as a professional art form," Voigt said. "We work with supporting teachers' curriculum."
The $2,500 grant is the first the WU dance program has received from the FPACF.
"This is the first time Beckah has pursued funding for this program," said Missy Miller, WU's development officer for government and foundation grants. "I worked very closely with her to put all of the materials together and really get a strong sense of what she had been doing with program and where she wanted to go with it."
The WU dance program is working with University City High School to develop the first dance demo.
"We're in the planning phases," Voigt said. "We're looking at calendars with UCHS. Hopefully, we'll get a template going for future demos."
Iyun Harrison, assistant professor of dance, said the dance program was working with a limited budget for the lecture-demonstration series. He said the grant will provide much-needed funding for the dance demo's functions.
"The lecture-demonstration series has operated with students bringing in their own costumes or getting costumes from the WU dance ensemble," Harrison said. "The grant could possibly help pay for gas or t-shirts or costumes for the performances."
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