DANCE CONSERVATORY
excerpts from LYLAS' 'Notes from the Director'
"CCA Envision Dance was established not only to foster excellence in dance and the development of original thought and creativity, but to also encourage socially aware artists. The goal is for our students to participate in the creation of works that exist as a part of their world. Envision Dance seeks to initiate a dialogue about how art can affect and reflect on a community.
It seeks to ‘stand on the shoulders of giants’ to create new works and experiment with new ideas in order for our artists to tell their stories and address current issues or common themes as those like George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, Bob Fosse, Alvin Aley, and Pilobolus have done before them. The outcome being that dancers learn to think for themselves and voice their opinions as artists."
Level 1
In their first year in the program (typically their sophomore year at CCA), students accepted in Envision must take the appropriate Level 1 course in their area of expertise. The Level 1 course is a highly advanced class involving in-depth hands on experiences with working artists from one or more of our many partners. The Level 1 course will also cover a breadth of curriculum not found in regular "during-the-school-day" elective courses.
The Level 1 course includes an intensive 3-week Interdisciplinary Projects unit in January. Interdisciplinary Projects will consist of student teams working together on pre-approved projects that culminate in a performance, publication, production, exhibit, etc. An example might be a film maker, musician, actor, and digital artists who team up to make a short indie-style film.
The Level 1 course also includes an intensive 3-week Extradisciplinary Electives unit at the end of the school year. The Extradisciplinary Electives unit is designed to give students the opportunity to study an art form outside of their area of expertise, for instance a dancer might choose to take a painting elective or a digital/fine artist might choose to take an acting elective.
Some of the Level I course may include, but are not limited to, Repertory and Collaborative Performance I, Stage Craft and Production, Somatics, Elements of Performing, Partering and Improvisation, and Music Theory & Composition with Motion. Again, these are solely Envision Conservatory classes and are in addition to the fundemental technique instruction each students receive during the day classes.
