By POSY KNIGHT

Julliard's Evening Division is making an important contribution to both the dance community and to the general public by offering its first course on dance education this semester. Titled "The Artistry of Dance: Watching Dance With Understanding and Joy," the class is led by dancer and choreographer Henning Rübsam (B.F.A. '91, dance), founder and director of the company Sensedance, and is providing its participants with a greater understanding of the history and vocabulary needed to better appreciate the wide offering of dance performances one can see here in New York. I also graduated from the Dance Division and currently perform with Pascal Rioult Dance Theater, and I am excited to join the class as Henning's teaching assistant. As colleagues in the modern dance world, as well as fellow alumni, we both agree that this class is the perfect opportunity to develop people's passion for and understanding of dance.

The 31 members of the class are encouraged to see (and then share their impressions of) dance performances throughout the semester. But another way Henning is spreading the "gospel of dance" is by inviting dancers as guest speakers to share their knowledge and experience with the class. A lecture on Romanticism at the end of September was led by guest speaker and prima ballerina assoluta Eva Evdokimova, whose career has included artistic triumphs on many of the great stages of the world. Her first professional breakthrough was with the Royal Danish Ballet, as one of the first foreigners ever invited to join the company, and she passionately shared with us the insights she gained working with a company whose artistic history and even technique (that of 19th-century choreographer August Bournonville)

"People know about literature, theater, music, but dance as an art form has been forgotten."

had remained more purely Romantic than any other dance company in the world in her time. She danced many Romantic ballets throughout her career, and we focused on Bournonville's 1836 La Sylphide, one of the few works to survive with its original choreography and history intact. Ms. Evdokimova pointed out the trademarks of the Romantic era, using a video of the ballet—the use of gestures and mime, the integration of folk dancing to contrast with the ballet choreography, and the use of costumes and scenery to support the production and story. She pointed out that expression was more important than virtuosity at that time, and that the dancers' schooling reflected those beliefs. The class stayed an extra half hour so that Ms. Evdokimova could share a few more stories about her experiences as a dancer and now, as a teacher.

The following week, Henning had class members take off their shoes and experience a few ballet exercises at the barre, and then we walked through some of the vocabulary found in modern dance. The differences between a curve and a contraction were debated, the concepts behind techniques discussed. Henning shared exercises from his own warm-up routine, a series based on modern dance pioneer Hanya Holm's use of under-curves and over-curves. The class followed along closely, appreciating the difficulties of even the simplest moves. Henning wants to teach people how to know what to look for in a dance performance. "People don't feel confident to enjoy dance without reservation, just because they don't have a background in it. Dance isn't a part of any curriculum in regular schooling," he points out. "People know about literature, theater, music, but dance as an art form has been forgotten." He adds, "Dance is about sensitizing, being aware of one's body, and being able to share that awareness with another person. In the end, dance is about communication."

Soon the class will be familiarized with all the eras in dance's past, they will have been exposed to new ways of thinking about dance, and the time will be perfect to introduce the works of contemporary choreographers who are creating today. The class will continue to meet the dancers and choreographers who are guarding dance's legacy—many of whom are or were connected to Juilliard. These artists are interested in helping new audiences understand and appreciate their works better, and by engaging in dialogue, they will also be obtaining helpful feedback. Most importantly, a new generation of dance enthusiasts will be created from a general public that seems to look upon the diverse and abstract world of contemporary dance as a foreign language rather than as something with relevance to their own lives. The ranks of those supporting all types of dance might increase as more people discover their own intimate connections with this wonderful art form. Everyone will benefit from this new kind of educational interaction.

Posy Knight (B.F.A. '02, dance) is a member of the Pascal Rioult Dance Theater.