On October 28th, the University of Utah Alumni Association hosted "Diversity in the Workplace," a live, virtual panel on YouTube featuring School of Dance alumna Natosha Washington, Charlotte Miller, and Nav Dhaliwal, moderated by James Jackson.

Natosha Washington BFA'04 teaches at the Now and Next Dance Mentoring Project and co-directs the Utah-based dance company RawMoves. Her choreography has been seen on many professional, collegiate, and secondary school companies in Utah, Virginia, and Texas. As a voluptuous black woman raised in an LDS southern family, making her way in a white dance community, Washington has a multifaceted lens; she negotiates stereotyping, privilege, and identity every day in her work and loves the challenge the issues present.

The panel covered significant ground: challenges they face as professionals, how mentors played a role in their individual successes, steps organizations can take to be more inclusive and encourage retention of a diverse community, and how emerging leaders can be pioneers of change. 

Watch the entire discussion below! 

"Never think that what you are doing to create inclusivity is too small. Every little thing you are doing matters...Meet people that are different from you, have conversations, don't put up walls or barriers, be willing to be open, be okay sitting in the discomfort. These conversations are not easy. I feel like our society has told us that we are supposed to feel good all the time and that's not true. We learn the most when people make us have to think and reflect." 
Natosha Washington

"Diversity and inclusion is not a marathon, or a sprint, or a destination — it's a journey, and it's an adventure. It's going to constantly evolve, and so it's important that we stay connected and we continue to evolve as well so we can grow in our welcoming in each of our industries." 
James Jackson 

The University of Utah School of Dance presents Performing Dance Company this weekend, October 29-31, through its virtual streaming format. The concert features premieres from faculty choreographers: Natalie Desch, Christine McMillan, and Satu Hummasti & Daniel Clifton.

Guest Artist Melanie George will also premiere a work for eight dancers. “…from Down Here”  is a blues-based jazz work emphasizing themes of labor for the individual and the group through gesture and rhythm. 

Melanie George’s signature neo-jazz style was a new to a majority of the cast, and expanded their vocabulary.

“Melanie’s cast of dancers had varying jazz dance experiences, but no one had experience learning or performing neo-jazz dance,” rehearsal director Jessica Boone said. Boone is second-year graduate student in the MFA in Modern Dance program, and has continued working with the dancers after George’s virtual residency concluded. 

“During this entire process of learning and rehearsing Melanie’s choreography, dancers have continually questioned and deepened their understanding of neo-jazz dance principles of weight-sensing, rhythm, isolations, footwork, musicality in connection with jazz music, Africanist vernacular movement, improvisation and community. It is a lot of information for the dancers to actively consider and make choices about while performing, and they have risen to the challenge.”

“The work has as much improvisation as it does set choreography,” Melanie George explained.  We spent the first few rehearsals learning jazz improvisation methods, which differ significantly from the way improvisation is practiced in postmodern dance. Improvisation in jazz dance is fundamental, as it is in all dance forms of the African Diaspora.”

The music for the work — including compositions by Jimi Hendrix, Roberta Flack, and Cassandra Wilson — was essential to the process as well. “In my work, I mostly use jazz music and its related forms, blues and funk. The blues has many textures and encompasses a wide spectrum of emotions. It’s a very effective path to introduce young dancers to roots-based jazz dancing,” George said. 

As with all Fall 2020 performances, the residency called for creative solutions to the challenges posed by social distancing and mask requirements. It goes without saying that having a guest artist present virtually is a different experience than working together in the studio. Regardless, U dancers faced the process with positivity and enthusiasm.

During this entire process of learning and rehearsing Melanie’s choreography, dancers have continually questioned and deepened their understanding of neo-jazz dance principles of weight-sensing, rhythm, isolations, footwork, musicality in connection with jazz music, Africanist vernacular movement, improvisation and community.

“We had to learn new ways of communicating instructions and questions, figuring out directional facings of movement, and deal with inconsistent technology issues. Despite having two camera views for Melanie to see, it was impossible to get a good viewing angle of the entire room. We had to learn how to maintain a sense of energy and community inside the studio without Melanie's presence in the physical space with us,” Boone said.

“On top of learning choreography on Zoom, we had to navigate COVID safety protocols that impacted the spacing, traveling, and the use of props in the dance. Melanie was very aware of keeping the dancers safe, so when it was time for the dancers to move around the studio, we worked slowly to find pathways that would keep the dancers physically distanced.”

The School of Dance has made it possible to allow as many people into the audience as possible by live-streaming performances at no cost! Viewers can catch this exciting concert at dance.utah.edu/virtual shows.

Join U School of Dance for Performing Dance Company

10/29 at 5:30 pm
10/30 at 7:30 pm
10/31 at 2 & 7:30 pm

For guest choreographer Katlyn Addison, the challenges of rehearsing with dancers over Zoom (a necessary precaution due to the pandemic) catalyzed creativity. 

"There were definitely challenges and restrictions, but to be honest, I liked it. Addison said. "We had to have the dancers 10-feet apart on stage. They had to wear masks, no touching, no partnering... I liked it because there were rules I had to follow, and that helped me build a structure." 

Her work with U School of Dance performers will debut this weekend as part of Utah Ballet I,  a livestreamed concert. Addison's original piece, "Saint-George, The Composer, Fencer, and Creator," is inspired by the music of French composer Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. She not only loved the way the music naturally made her want to move, she felt kinship with the composer's background, as they share Caribbean heritage.

"One thing that inspired me is that he was seen to be just as good as Mozart, and actually Mozart was inspired by his music, but he didn't get the recognition that he should have," Addison said. "I wanted the piece to be a representation of how beautiful Joseph's music is — with the textures of the highs the lows, ins and outs, the gooiness, the sharpness..." 

She encouraged her cast to listen deeply to the music, and instead of rigid counts, be led by the dynamism of the composition. She would dance with them on video so together they could feel  the pull of the sound. "We did everything full-out a million times. I was dancing with them too — I hope that encouraged them to feel like they were dancing with me. Many times I would say 'let's do it together,' so they would feel comfortable enough to push to their own limit but also create the dynamic and timing that I was looking for, and the musicality that I wanted." 

She was impressed by the dancers' authenticity, and they were clearly happy for any chance to be dancing once again. "They came into the studio so eager to work and move the body. Mind you, because of COVID none of us have been in the studio dancing together in months. They were very expressive. One thing that attracted me to them was that they showed their individual unique personalities," she said. I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did. It was a great experience." 

As for the audience, Addison hopes the piece will simply bring them joy. "I hope the people watching can escape reality for a moment and experience the fullness art can bring you," she said. 

Originally from Ontario, Canada, Addison danced with Houston Ballet as a corps de ballet dancers before joining Ballet West in 2011. She was promoted to a demi-soloist in 2014, then a soloist in 2016 and then to first soloist in 2018. An accomplished dancer and choreographer, Addison was the first Black ballerina in Ballet West’s history to perform the Sugar Plum Fairy in Frederick Ashton’s “The Nutcracker” and has been named one of Huffington Post’s “26 Black Female Choreographers and Dancers You Should Know.”

Utah Ballet I will also feature work from Guest Artist Penny Saunders of Grand Rapids Ballet, as well as School of Dance faculty Melissa Bobick and Justine Sheedy-Kramer. 

Viewers can catch this performance, and the remainder of the fall season at dance.utah.edu/virtualshows. Livestreamed performances will be free to all. 

“We recognize that the arts are a vital part of our connection to one another, and we need connection now more than ever,” said School of Dance Director Luc Vanier. “So, we, in the School of Dance, have made the decision to provide free access to any patron who would like to be moved by our movement this year. No cost. Just click.”

Join the School of Dance for Utah Ballet I 
October 22 @ 5:30 PM
October 23 @ 7:30 PM
October 24 @ 2 PM & 7 PM

The University of Utah's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) gives undergraduate students and faculty mentors the opportunity to work together on research or creative projects. The program provides a stipend and educational programming for students who assist with a faculty member’s research or creative project or who carry out a project of their own under the supervision of a faculty member. Students may apply for UROP any semester and may be eligible for a one-semester renewal. UROP awardees are hired as temporary, part-time UROP Participants by the Office of Undergraduate Research and are paid $1,200 for 120 hours of research or creative work during the semester.

This fall, three College of Fine Arts students were awarded funding and are now hard at work on their research projects.

Here’s what they’re up to:

Abigail Raasch, School of Dance
Faculty Mentor: Natalie Desch

“As a major in the Modern Dance Program, I intend to research the effect of collaborative experiences for students from both departments. Through a series of movement labs, interviews, rehearsals, and a culminating performance. This project will provide insight into the educational effects of collaboration with embodied movement techniques towards theatrical communications. The result will be a joint directorship producing a movement-based piece to help present my final thesis through the power of movement.”  

“The effects of this project will continue beyond a final climactic performance. I believe this research will demonstrate to participants who create as well as who observe the work that movement collaboration has potent results and therefore carries much value.”

Ashley Goodwin, Department of Theatre
Faculty Mentor: Alexandra Harbold

Ashley's ultimate goal is to create "The Not Broken Monologues," a theatre piece that weaves together her own experiences, her research into inclusive education and theatre practices, and her interviews with people with disabilities. She began developing the project idea as her final project in Beginning Directing Spring 2019.  

“In a broader sense, I am earning my Theatre Teaching BFA because I not only want to teach theatre in a school setting, but I also hope to work on youth outreach programs. I want to bring theatre to at-risk youth as an invaluable therapeutic resource. When working in the public school system, I want my theatre program to be accessible to students from all backgrounds. Rather than sidelining students with disabilities, I believe they can play an integral, dynamic role in the creation of meaningful theatre. I want to be a part of the generation of educators that proves that we are able to do better for the sake of our disabled and otherwise marginalized students.”

Alan Chavez, School of Music
Faculty Mentor: Elizabeth T. Craft

Alan will be researching the history of the U’s School of Music (department est. 1888), specifically, as Alan put it in his UROP application, “how it fostered musical and artistic growth in the state and via exchange with other U.S. and European artists.” He is focusing on collecting information from the Utah Daily Chronicle and other digitized newspapers, and mapping timelines of significant events and developments.  This is a group endeavor: Alan is collaborating with a team of School of Music researchers, headed by Professor Emeritus of Musicology Roger Miller.

Welcome to Fall 2020 at the University of Utah College of Fine Arts! 

It's a whole new world for all of us. Throughout the summer, the College of Fine Arts worked tirelessly to prepare for the safe return of our students, faculty and staff.  Determined that COVID-19 cannot stop education, our college has come together in unprecedented collaboration to establish safety guidelines that will best protect the safety of our community while still allowing for a rigorous environment in which to study and pursue the arts. 

Each academic unit in the College of Fine Arts has created customized webpages where students can find crucial updates, guidelines and advice. These pages will be regularly updated as the semester progresses. They are the best place to start with questions related to coronavirus, remote and hybrid learning, performances, and more. 

The University of Utah also regularly updates their Return to Campus page. All CFA guidelines are led by University-wide policies and procedures, so familiarize yourself with this important resource as well.  

Return to Campus: University of Utah

Department of Art & Art History 

School of Dance 

Department of Film & Media Arts

School of Music

Department of Theatre

2020 continues to keep us all on our toes — with things changing rapidly as the public health situation evolves in our community. The University of Utah and College of Fine Arts continue to work tirelessly to plan the fall semester with safety as a top priority, and while things will look different, our commitment to the student experience is central and will not waver.

We know there is still a lot to be determined, and many of us are standing by for concrete answers and more specifics.

But here is the good news — we have identified several ways you can take action today to start to set yourself up for a rewarding year.  

Here are 7 things to do right now:  

1. Plan to Register

As you may know from the University’s Return to Campus plan, Fall 2020 classes will be conducted with a hybrid in-person and online approach. 

Plan to register for your classes now! If you are a continuing CFA student and have not already registered for Fall, we encourage you follow the directions that the University Registrar’s Office has sent to students to ensure you will be ready to complete your registration as soon as the system opens up (anticipated date: July 1, 2020). 

If you are already registered for classes, the University’s Registrar’s Office will encourage to check your schedule on or around July 1 to make sure you are aware of any scheduling changes that happened in the process.   

With things still taking shape, please also keep your eye on your Umail for any updates.

 
2. Create Success

Navigate on over to createsuccess.utah.edu which is packed with tips, links and resources for students to help them succeed in the CFA. This handy site provides you with the information to plan what to do early and what to do often. Now is the perfect time to get your calendar all lined up with your to-dos, setting yourself up for a great Fall 2020 and beyond. 

3. Lean on CFA’s Advisors

Not sure what classes to take or how to start creating success for yourself? CFA Academic Advisors are here to help you navigate the university so you can meet your academic goals. They are excellent problem solvers. They can help know what classes to take, discuss University policies and procedures, explore other campus opportunities, and connect you to campus resources.    

From Create Success, you can book an advising appointment with a CFA Academic Advisor. Don’t wait to get to know these wonderful student advocates!  

4. Join ArtsForce and explore its many resources

CFA students who have joined ArtsForce have access to important information about how to effectively articulate the knowledge and skills they are gaining in their arts degrees to those in and out of the arts. 

The ArtsForce canvas community has a ton of resources: advice from working professionals, how to prepare for internships, effective networking strategies, and ways to maximize your professional development. ArtsForce regularly announces professional development and internship opportunities (even now, as many positions have moved online).

Use time now to read through this information and make a plan to start your career in the arts today. If you aren’t already, join ArtsForce now.  
 

5. Join ProjectThriveCFA

Right after the COVID-19 pandemic hit our community, we started #ProjectThriveCFA to keep our students, faculty and staff connected from afar. This summer, we are continuing #ProjectThriveCFA on Instagram!  You can follow along to see how our community is deepening their practices, continuing to learn from a distance, and staying connected to their creativity during this time of continued uncertainty.  While much is unknown, we truly believe not just in the value of, but the need for art in trying times. 

So, use #ProjectThriveCFA and tag @uofufinearts on Instagram to be featured, and follow along to see how art persists.
 

6. Incoming student? Take a virtual campus tour!

University of Utah student ambassadors have put together a virtual campus tour on YouTube, walking you through the U’s most beloved spaces. Take the tour and get a bit more oriented before the fall begins.

If you have other orientation questions, visit https://orientation.utah.edu/orientation/first-year-fall-semester.php  
 

7. Get updates fast: Follow the CFA

Follow! Follow! Follow! Our social media channels will help you stay up to date with all the latest information both as we prepare to reopen campus and throughout the academic year. The CFA shares information from the university and across our five units. For more detailed curricular and programming info, check with your specific academic area.

College of Fine Arts
@uofufinearts | UofUFineArts  

Department of Art & Art History
@uofu_art | UtahArtArtHistory

School of Dance
@uofudance | UofUDance 

Department of Film & Media Arts
@uofufandmad | UofUFandMAD

School of Music
@uofumusic | UofUMusic 

Department of Theatre
@uofutheatre | @UofUTheatre

Arts Pass
@uofuartspass 

Research from two University of Utah College of Fine Arts undergraduate students was recently published in the university's 2020 Undergraduate Research Journal. The Undergraduate Research Journal collects and celebrates the contributions our undergraduate students from all over campus make to scholarship in their fields.

Sydney Porter Williams from the Department of Art & Art History focused her research on the outcomes and benefits of a collaborative mural project in Murray, while Amelie Bennett from the School of Dance examined the role of dance therapy in improving empathy and emotion recognition in non-clinical adults and children. 

We encourage you to learn more about these important student projects, as well as discover the work of many other undergraduate researchers from across campus disciplines! 

THE MURRAY MURALS PROJECT: CONNECTING LIVES ON CANVAS -- Sydney Porter Williams, Department of Art & Art History
Faculty Mentor: V. Kim Martinez

"The Murray Murals Project is a collaborative effort between University of Utah art students and thousands of Murray youth and community members. These groups worked collaboratively over the course of the fall 2018 semester to create community-engaged, portable murals for nine Murray elementary schools. These murals now hang in the halls of these schools, giving students ownership of their artwork and of their communities." 

HOW WE MOVE WHEN WE FEEL: KINESTHETIC EMPATHY THROUGH MIRROR NEURONS – Amelie Bennett, School of Dance
Faculty Mentor: Kate Mattingly

"This work examines the commonly accepted notion of dance/movement therapy that mirroring another person’s movement will increase both participants’ levels of empathy. Mirroring involves a participant creating expressive dance; in a therapeutic setting, the therapist mirrors their movements to establish a relationship and gain insight into their physical and emotional experience."

EXPLORE THE 2020 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH JOURNAL

Congratulations to the graduating class of 2020! 

Your journey to this moment was herculean even before the pandemic, and that you made it to the finish line in spite of this life-changing reality makes you our heroes.
So, don your capes, turn up your volume, and enjoy this special graduation address from Dean John W. Scheib.  

Below it, you’ll find even more to celebrate, including a list of our students who are graduating with honors degrees, acknowledgement of our retiring and emeritus faculty members, and announcement of our esteemed Faculty and Staff Excellence Award recipients and a University of Utah Distinguished Teaching Award.

To each and every one of you: thank you for all you bring to the University of Utah College of Fine Arts. And congratulations to our graduates!

Honors degrees 

The Honors College is celebrating another record-breaking academic year in terms of number of students graduating with an Honors Bachelor degree. Below are the College of Fine Arts students receiving honors degrees who contributed to the overall success:

Abigail Bowe
Department of Film & Media Arts
Tehua Clark
Department of Film & Media Arts
Morgan Cox
Department of Film & Media Arts, Entertainment Arts & Engineering 
Tony Elison
School of Music
Roxanne Fitzwilliam
Department of Film & Media Arts 
Erin Jackson
Department of Art & Art History
Sydney Porter Williams
Department of Art & Art History
Severin Sargent-Catterton
School of Dance
Michal Tvrdik
School of Music
Bryce Wallace
Department of Film & Media Arts, Entertainment Arts & Engineering 

Retiring and Emeritus Faculty

Ellen Bromberg
School of Dance

Distinguished Professor Ellen Bromberg is a choreographer, filmmaker, mediadesigner, curator and educator. A former dancer and choreographer with Utah’s Repertory Dance Theater, she has received numerous awards for her work including a Guggenheim Fellowship, three Bay Area Isadora Duncan Dance Awards, a Bonnie Bird American Choreographer Award, grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Arizona Commission on the Arts, and the George Soros Foundation, among others. She has also been honored with a Pew National Dance/Media Fellowship, a UC Berkeley Townsend Humanities Fellowship, and two UC Davis Granada Artist-in-Residence Awards. Ellen’s screen works havebeen presented on public television stations, online channels, and at numerous national and international dance film festivals including Lincoln Center’s Dance on Camera Festival,Cinedans Amsterdam, VideoDanza, Buenos Aires, and Dance Camera West, Los Angeles, to name a few. Recent work focuses on the integration of media in performance and she has designed video for stage and installations in her own work and in collaboration with other choreographers including Della Davidson, Zvi Gotheiner, Pat Graney, Deborah Hay, Stephen Koester, Victoria Marks, Douglas Rosenberg, Doug Varone among others. Ellen is a recipient of a 2012 Distinguished Innovation and Impact Award and is the founding director of the Universityof Utah International Screendance Festival, which began in 1999. Ellen has also designed the first Graduate Certificate in Screendance, in collaboration with the Department of Film & Media Arts, which is now in its seventh year.

Kathy Pope
School of Music 

Professor Kathy Pope has been active musically in the Salt Lake area for many years as a teacher, clinician, adjudicator, and performer. Professor Pope was the Principal Clarinetist for Ballet West and also performed frequently with the Utah Symphony. She has played with the Opus Chamber Orchestra, Utah Chamber Artists, and has been a soloist with the Salt Lake Symphony. She is the National Clarinet Repertoire Consultant for the Music Teachers National Association. Her compact disc recordings, "From Bach to Gershwin," "Clarinet Kaleidoscope," and "A French Soirée" have all received critical acclaim. The American Record Guide cited her most recent CD, "A French Soirée," as “absolute perfection” and The Clarinet said, “this recording is very worthy of anyclarinetist’s library.” Ms. Pope has been very active in the International Clarinet Association including soloing at theconventions in Stockholm, Salt Lake City and Washington D.C. She was the conference coordinator for the 2003 Clarinet Association convention at the University of Utah. She has served as coordinator for the Orchestral Audition and High School Competitions, and is the Utah State Chair. Ms. Pope is an artist-clinician for both Buffet Crampon USA and Rico International.

Steve Roens
School of Music 

Dr. Steve Roens holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology from Swarthmore College, a Master of Fine Arts degree in music theory and composition from Brandeis University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition from Columbia University. He studied composition with Seymour Shifrin, Martin Boykan, Arthur Berger, Chou Wen-Chung, Jack Beeson, and Mario Davidovsky. He is the recipient of fellowships from the MacDowell Colony and the Composers' Conference, and a former visiting assistant professor at Wellesley College. Roens's writing is freely atonal, rhythmically fluid, and spare. It has been called by one critic, neo-Webernian. Primarily for chamber groups of varying sizes and soloists, pieces have been commissioned by the Stony Brook Contemporary Chamber Players, the Nova Chamber Music Series, the Intermezzo Chamber Music Series, and pianists Jason Hardink, and Rebecca La Brecque. His music is published by the Association for the Promotion of New Music and is available on the Centaur label. As a teacher of composition, while his background and practice are informed by the literature of atonal music, Roens’s approach to teaching helps students find their own voices and originality in whatever direction their stylistic predilections evolve. In addition to teaching music theory andcomposition, during his 30 year career at the University of Utah Dr. Roens took on a variety of administrative positions, serving at different times as Associate Dean of the College of Fine Arts, as Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies, as Director of the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, and as Head of the School of Music Composition Area. Roens enjoyed dividing his time between teaching and his administrative duties and believes that these differenta ctivities can support each other in a variety of ways.He is also an avid photographer, amateur astronomer, and hiker.

CFA Faculty Excellence Awards 2020

Faculty Excellence in Research 

Jane Hatter
School of Music 

"Since her research transcends the field of Music and crosses over into Art and Culture, Dr. Hatter has an excellent record of engagement with scholars in the field of musicology as well as scholars in other research areas of Medieval and Renaissance Studies. In 2019 she presented her work at the Medieval-Renaissance Music Conference in Switzerland, the 25th Annual Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies and Medieval Association of the Pacific Joint Conference, and at an International Symposium at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts.  In past years she also presented at conferences that are more broadly aimed at medieval and renaissance scholars, such as the conference of the Renaissance Society of America (in 2017 and 2018), and at the Medieval Association of the Pacific 50th Annual Conference (2016). She also has presented her work at important musicology conferences, such as the North American British Musical Studies Association (2018), and the Annual Meeting of the American Musicological Society (2018), which is the most prestigious U.S. annual meeting for musicologists."
- Faculty nominator 

Faculty Excellence in Teaching 

Carol Sogard 
Department of Art & Art History 

"Professor Sogard offers students a space to explore design in ways that they’ve yet been able to imagine, and helps them find the independence they need to become confident designers...Carol makes a point to teach her students that their work has an impact on the world around them. Her approach in the classroom is focused on connection and community building, and she makes a point to educate her students about important issues in or society, while also giving us the tools that allow us to use our design practice to create discussion and positive change. Her passion for sustainable design has been inspiring, and her efforts have helped my classmates and myself educate not only ourselves, but those around us."
- Graphic Design student nominator 

Staff Excellence Award 

Penny Caywood
Artistic Director, University of Utah Youth Theatre 
Department of Theatre 

"Penny Caywood's years of service to the College of Fine Arts via her leadership of Youth Theatre at the U has inspired thousands of young people and families via the unique and robust educational programming and performance opportunities she directs year-round. Mrs. Caywood’s positive energy, genuine approach to teaching and directing K-16 as well as her ability to adapt theatre teaching core content to meet the needs of diverse learners and students is truly remarkable. Her ability to sustain and create new community engaged partnerships across the college, campus, and state is impressive. She is an amazing asset to the college for providing high quality arts experiences for young people, which in turn creates a direct recruiting pipeline for the college and university as a whole."
- Nominator 

University of Utah Distinguished Teaching Award 

Beth Krensky 
Department of Art & Art History 

"Dr. Krensky has shown deep, enduring commitment to the development and implementation of cutting edge arts education curricula that pushes our arts teaching students to think inclusively and globally in an effort to forward the field of arts education. Presently, the community-based arts education research she is conducting is providing opportunities for select undergraduate and graduate students to experience the simultaneous ability to empower communities through art-making collaboration and partnership. These student researchers, through Dr. Krensky’s mentorship, are making important contributions to the field as they investigate global issues via art education, art-making, and community engagement. Dr. Krensky’s classes empower our arts teaching students to work authentically alongside young people and to utilize the community’s experiences as the inspiration for the creative work."
- Nominator 

Make sure you check out all our other Convocation 2020 virtual content:
 
Videos from our student convocation speakers, Jae Weit and Sydney May here
 CFA's Outstanding Seniors and Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher
 Don't miss out on an opportunity to share your memories, photos, and thank you's at our online message board!
We'll be cheering for you. Stay connected at @uofucfaalumni! 
 

Normally, the presence of our graduating seniors would be personified by one student on the stage of Kingsbury Hall, with wisdom, memories and gratitude echoing through the iconic theatre and into our collective consciousness. 

But this year is anything but normal. 

So instead, to accommodate the changes in our world, we’re bringing you the voices of two students speakers, each who have powerful, compelling, gracious, thoughtful remarks about their time here studying in the University of Utah College of Fine Arts and their hopes for the future.  

Without further ado, it is our pleasure to welcome to the main digital stage: graduates Sydney May from the School of Dance, and Jae Weit from the Department of Theatre.

Sydney May
School of Dance, Class of 2020

Jae Weit
Department of Theatre, Class of 2020

*Check back tomorrow for an official address from Dean John W. Scheib!*

The College of Fine Arts is delighted to present the 2020 Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher award to Alicia Ross from the School of Dance.

In 2015, The Office of Undergraduate Research established the Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award to recognize an outstanding undergraduate researcher from each college. Faculty mentors are invited to nominate students, and awardees are selected by committee. The criteria for the Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award include: a record of sustained commitment to developing research skills and knowledge under the supervision of a faculty mentor, evidence of independent and critical thinking, active participation in research-related activities on campus, and positive contributions to the research culture of the department, college, and university.

Alicia's impressive accomplishments as an undergraduate researcher and student leader in the College of Fine Arts center around her commitment to her work as a movement researcher and performer.  In the last three years, Alicia has engaged in 14 research related activities, as a performer, collaborator, choreographer or participant.  These include her being selected to participate in work by internationally recognized artists Doug Varone and Anouk van Dijk.

“Alicia is the first undergraduate artist-scholar that I can remember who has made such a compelling case for movement research as a valid form of critical inquiry. Her proposal for the Outstanding Researcher Award articulated the multifaceted modalities that artists draw on at all times when creating and dancing in movement—physics, musicality, psychology, design, spatial-awareness, history, physicality, kinesiology— all at the neuromuscular level. Her work in the department has exemplied this multiplicity, as she has shone as a performer, maker of dances, and writer/scholar. It was a joy to see her synthesize all of this vast body-mind knowledge at receive this deserved award.”
-Satu Hummasti 
Associate Director for Undergraduate Programs and Associate Professor, School of Dance

In Her Own Words 

Name: Alicia Ross
Major: Modern Dance
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
Three words that describe you: imaginative, passionate, intuitive 
Favorite CFA class or teacher: My favorite College of Fine Arts class is improvisation because I get to explore all kinds of movement and the infinite possibilities of the body.   
Most memorable moment at CFA: My most memorable moment here was performing "CLEANSLATE" by Satu Hummasti. It was a significant work that encouraged kindness and equality in today's world. 
One thing you learned at CFA: The most important thing I've learned at the College of Fine Arts is that I can make a difference as an artist. I have a powerful voice as a dancer and choreographer that can be used to enact change in society.  
What inspires you: I'm inspired by all of the courageous and graceful women in my life.
Summary of major accomplishments both on and off campus: On campus I have performed in works by Stephen Koester, Anouk van Dijk, Satu Hummasti, Eric Handman, and more. I have also choreographed and performed a solo entitled Introspection, and showcased two of my dance films in our Modern Student Concert. Off campus I have participated and performed in programs such as the Ririe Woodbury Summer Intensive and the Doug Varone Summer Workshop. Lastly, I look forward to continuing my off campus performance career after graduation in a local show at Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center.    
One sentence that describes your work: My work aims to convey the beauty, complexity, and intensity of the human experience through movement and emotion.

“Throughout my four years here I have been able to explore the potential of the body for creating art that is meaningful and alive. Studying the creative process with my professors has allowed me to make discoveries and figure out what it means to be a movement researcher and performer. Each professor has taught me a new way to study dance and produce material that conveys a message to the audience… Being able to physically create and feel movement that portrays intellectual thoughts and ideas is complex yet fulfilling. Through my corporeal research I have found a deep understanding and appreciation for the creative process and the expression of the dancing body within my discipline. The guidance I have received from my professors and mentors to develop that will definitely impact my future projects and long-term artistic career.”
-Alicia Ross, Class of 2020