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Vol. XVII No. 1 September 2001 |
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Gotta Dance: Fifty Years of Dance at Juilliard The Juilliard School will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Dance Division during the current academic year. At this historic time, it is appropriate to reflect on the extraordinarily positive impact that our dancers—faculty, students, alumni—have had on the entire school community. In the months ahead, The Juilliard Journal will present various views of how the Dance Division has influenced our school, its people, and the entire performing arts profession.
Schuman and Hill’s vision for the Juilliard dance program was highly innovative and groundbreaking for the time. They both spoke of teaching and performing many choreographic styles, using different movement techniques in order to realize new artistic initiatives, and—perhaps most audacious of all—they required Juilliard dancers to study the fundamentals of music, just as their musician colleagues did. The resulting artistic and educational environment—which exists to this day—is one filled with creativity, diversity, energy, intellectual rigor, and exceptional artistic excellence. Just as each of Juilliard’s three divisions in dance, drama, and music has its own distinctive characteristics and curricula, it is also important to note that our dancers, actors, and musicians create an environment that is unique in American educational institutions of higher learning. Due to the inherent collaborative nature of the art of dance, with its linkages to music and drama, Juilliard dancers have played a particularly important role in developing inter-disciplinary work at the School, as well as enriching the artistic environment for all members of the Juilliard community. Through their creativity and their willingness to experiment and take artistic risks, Juilliard dancers have provided numerous examples for their fellow students of how to approach the realization of a fulfilling and successful life in the arts. I would like to add that I have had the privilege of having had many dance students in my course “American Society and the Arts” during the past decade. Class discussions were greatly enhanced by their participation; their intellect and creative perspectives added considerably to the analysis of artistic and political issues. A few years ago, the graduating dance class titled their senior production “Gotta Dance.” In many ways that is an appropriate title for Juilliard’s 50 years of dance. For anyone who has attended a Juilliard dance concert, shaped by the Dance Divison’s distinguished and visionary director, Benjamin Harkarvy, has experienced dancers who move onstage with such technical assurance and passion that each audience member is left breathless by the end of the evening. It is nothing short of thrilling to witness dancers dedicating every fiber of their being to the realization of an abstract and powerful art form: the art of dance. It is no wonder that Juilliard dancers and choreographers are to be found in ballet and contemporary dance companies all over the world. May we celebrate this historic 50th anniversary with respect and admiration for the past and its traditions, enthusiasm for our current programs and people, and intense hope and optimism for the future. Our dancers have an important role to fulfill as effective artistic communicators who allow all of us to understand better the human condition. I know that with Mr. Harkarvy, our extraordinary dance faculty, our students, and our distinguished alumni, there is no doubt that Juilliard dance will grow and flourish in the years ahead. |
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