KaleyJohnson

Ed Austin
D-459 Senior Seminar
4 April 2015

TheCreativeWorldofDance
AlbertEinsteinoncedeclared,Wedanceforlaughter,wedancefortears,wedancefor
madness,wedanceforfears,wedanceforhopes,wedanceforscreams,wearethedancers,we
createthedreams(Einstein).RichardKraus,authoroftheHistoryofDanceinArtand
Education,definesdanceasanartperformedbyindividualsorgroupofhumanbeings,existing
intime,space,forceandflow,inwhichthehumanbodyistheinstrumentandthemusicisthe
medium(Kraus).Manhasdancedsincethebeginningoftimelinkingpastwiththepresent.
Anotherphilosopherofdanceopined,thesoulsearchesforoutletstoputitsdeepestthoughts
andfeelingsintomediumsthatwilldothehumanspiritjustice(Marshall).Thesearefeelings
thatcannotbeexpressedordescribedbythemediumofwordsorsound.Danceisavitalpartof
ourmortalexperience,movingustoadeeperhumanneedtocreateorder,beauty,andmeaning
deepfromwithinourmind,heartandsoul.
Danceisofferedinmostuniversitysettingsasaformaleducationalprogram.Many
woulddoawaywithdancemajor,ortheartsingeneral.Advocatesofthebasicacademicstudies
claimtheartsasfrillstobesacrificedtothefinancialshortfalls,ortoincreasingdemandsfor
computerandtechnologicaltraining(Hallet).Theartssuchasdanceareoftenreferredtoas
nicetiesorextravagances,perhapswithnoenduringsignificancesuggestingthatwedirect
ourtimeandenergytowardmoretraditionalacademicpursuits.Whiledanceisoftenconsidered

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atrivialpursuit,whatplacedoesdancedepartmenthaveinauniversitysetting?Indeed,whatare
thepurposesandconsequencesinchoosingtopursueaformaluniversitydanceeducation?
Ameaningfuluniversityeducationfuelsthehumanhungerforimaginationandcreativity.
MichelleRootBernstein,anawardwinningnovelistandprofessor,inherbookSparksofa
Genius,advocatesforgingapioneeringeducationtoproducetheimaginativegeneralistswho
cantakeusintotheunchartedfuture(RootBernstein).Nomatterourbackground,education,
talents,orperceivedabilities,eachpersonhaswithinthemaninherentwishandinnatecapacity
tocreatesomethingofmeaningandbeauty.PresidentUchtdorf,amemberoftheQuorumofthe
TwelveApostlesoftheLDSChurchstates,Thedesiretocreateisoneofthedeepestyearnings
ofthehumansoul(Uchtdorf).Wecreatetoinspire,makeusbetterthanwewouldhavebeen,
andbringtolifevisionswemightnototherwisesee.WilliamA.Wilson,inhisnovelThe
MarrowofHumanExistence,notesthatwehaveallbeenbornwithayearningafterartistic
expressionandappreciation,whichdistinguishesusfromtheanimalworld.Humancreativity
bringusclosetothedivinitywithinus,thereforeweshouldcultivateourartisticexpressionin
ourownlives,applauditinthelivesofothersandseekandhonoritwhereverwefindit
(Wilson).
RichardFlorida,theHirstProfessorofPublicPolicyatGeorgeMasonUniversityasserts
thathumancreativityistheultimateeconomicresource.Creativitybringstolifenewideasand
waysofdoingthings,whichultimatelyincreasesproductivityandraisesourstandardofliving
(Florida).Likelibertyorsecurity,wemustthinkofcreativityasabasicaspectofhumanity.The
IBMCorporationrecentlyconductedastudyincludingpersonalinterviewswithover1,500
corporateandpublicCEOsacross60nationsand33industriesinsearchforthemostimportant

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leadershipqualityforbusinesssuccess(Tomasco).Creativitycameinatnumberone.ThisIBM
studysupportsthepositionthattheartswhichinspirecreativity,shouldbeviewedasequaltothe
sciences.
Auniversityeducationfilledwithcreativityandartisticexpressionwillinspirealifetime
oflearning.WilliamButlerYeats,aforefrontof20thcenturyliterature,observedthataneducated
personiscontinuallylearning.Hestated,Whatisworthknowingishowtorecognizethegood,
thetrue,andthebeautiful.Atrulyeducatedpersonispreparedforaneverendingencounterwith
awiderangeofartisticexpressions(Yeats).Danceisaprimeexampleofanongoingpursuit
thatpowersthisartisticexpression.AsIamfinishingmysenioryearintheDancemajoratBYU
andampreparingtobeginmyGraduatestudiesattheUniversityofArizona,Ilookforwardto
learningmorefullyhowtoexpressmyfeelingsthroughthiscreativediscipline.Mydance
professionwillforeverprovideopportunityfornewlearningandexperience.
Dance,whilearigorouslyphysicalandcreativelyengagingactivity,isalsoanacademic
fieldwithagreatbodyofknowledge.Recordsdatingbacktocavemanpaintingsduringthestone
agesillustratethathumanbeingshavelongintegrateddanceandcreativity.Withscholarly
developmentsinthemid20thcentury,dancewasseparatedfromtheacademicfieldsandnowhas
establisheditsplaceamonguniversitydisciplines.Thereismuchtolearnaboutthecreative
processinthisuniversitysetting.
JudithB.Alter,anauthorandprofessorintheDanceDepartmentattheUniversityof
California,explainsthecreativeprocessesofdanceinherchapterfoundintheEncyclopediaof
Creativity.Thecreativeworkisdonebythechoreographers,whosemediumismovement.
Makingdancestoexpresstheirartisticdreams,theirworkisconstantlyevolvingincontextofthe

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space,performanceandperformers.Evidenceinvariousbiographiesandautobiographiesshow
thatbeyondthekinesthetic,musical,andvisualintelligences,choreographersdemonstratehigh
levelsofverbal,intrapersonalintelligencesthatarekeyincommunicatingwithcompany
members,businessagentsandpatronsofthearts.Logicalandevenmathematicalintelligences
areusedwhendiscovering,clarifyingandbuildingconceptsonwhichcomposerbasetheir
choreography,andorganizeandarrangemovementsequences.Inturn,thedancersusetheir
creativeabilityinrecreatingthedancesatlevelofinterpretiveexcellenceknownasartistry.
Alongsideothercreativeindividuals,psychologicalstudieshavefoundthatdancestudentsare
aboveaverageintellectuallyintheircreativecapacities.Withawidevarietyofinterestsand
competencyinoneormoreofthearts,dancestudentsaresignificantlymorepositive,flexible,
achieving,anddominatingthantheaveragecollegestudents(Alter).Theoutstandingdancers
applyallintelligencesintheirperformanceandwithchoreographers,areoftenwidelyrecognized
fortheircreativecontributions.
Insupportofthisvitalcreativeprocess,themissionstatementfortheDepartmentof
DanceatBrighamYoungUniversityistopreparereflectiveandarticulatedanceartists,
performers,teachersandscholarsthroughtherefinementandintegrationofbody,mindand
spirit(BYU).Theprocessoftraining,choreographingandperformingdanceisaculminationof
theuniversityprogramexperience.Whenthisdynamiccombinationisachieved,dance
innovationsrangefromtechnicaldevelopmentstomajorchoreographicbreakthroughsintraining
andperformance.
Itiswithintheseuniversitysettingsthatthislearning,growingandinnovatingare
fostered.Lastyear,BYUhadtheuniqueopportunityofhostingAlexandreMunz,ahighly

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esteemedchoreographerandteacher,fromFrance.Alexandreisacreativegeniusbyallscalesof
intelligence.Afteranintense10yeardancingcareerbeginningatage18withtheBerlinOpera
Ballet,Alexandredevelopedauniquesomaticpracticeinresponsetohispersonalchronic
pathologies.AfterreceivingagrantfromtheFrenchMinistryofCulturetoimplementamajor
R&Dprojectinpartnershipwithnationalinstitutes,Alexandrehasenrichedthelivesofhealth
expertsaswellaseliteleveldancersandathletes.Alexanderwasabletoteachhissomatic
practiceatBYUforthefirsttimeonU.S.soilandalsochoreographanoriginalworkentitled,
VirtuesOddity,fortheBYUTheatreBalletCompany.Theexperiencewasinvaluable
demonstrationanddevelopmentofthecreativeprocess;andIwascaptivatedbyhisartistic
visionandcaptivatingmovement.IwasabletopersonallywitnessthetruthofDavidHenry
Feldmansconclusion:TheEnduringbeliefthatgreatcreativityisdevelopedlargelyalone,
withoutassistancefromteachers,mentors,peers,andintimategroupsislargelyamyth
(Feldman).Inmymostrecentexperienceofchoreographing,teachingandrehearsingmyown
seniorpiecethispastsemester,Iwasabletoexperiencethisjoyofcreativityfromanew
perspectiveasthechoreographer.IrealizedthetruthofAlexandresphilosophyofthedancers
playingafundamentalpartinthecreativeprocess.WhileasthechoreographerIwouldcome
withideasandaskeleton,itwastheincredibledancersthatbroughtthepiecetolifebeyondwhat
Ievercouldhaveimagined.SirKenRobinson,aninternationallyrecognizedleaderinthe
developmentofcreativity,exploreshowcreativityprospersbestunderparticularconditions,
especiallywherethereisaflowofideasbetweenpeoplewhohavevaryingkindsofexpertise.In
bothAlexandmyownrehearsalsettings,therewasawidevarietyofstrengthsanddiversity
withintheartiststhatgreatlyenhancedtheproductandenrichedoverallprocess.Inaddition,he

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arguesthatcreativityrequiresanatmospherewhererisktakingandexperimentationare
encouragedratherthanstifled(Robinson).Again,inbothsettings,itwasaconstantcollaboration
betweenthechoreographerandthedancer.Theopennessandeagernesstocreateonbothends
gavewaytoincredibleinspirationfortheartistsandaudiencesinvolved.Alexandresinnovative
pedagogyandworkaswellasmyopportunitytoconductmyseniorprojectareevidencesof
choreographicgenius,dancerartistry,andthebeautyofcreativity,whicharesowhollyableto
thriveinthisuniversitysetting.
Basedontheaboveevidence,itiseasytosaythatdanceinauniversitysettingisa
valuableeducationalpursuitthatcultivatesandnourishesourinnatedesiretocreate.George
BernardShaw,inhisplay,BacktoMethuselah,summeduphisapproachtolife:Otherpeople,
hesaid"seethingsand...say'Why?'...ButIdreamthingsthatneverwereandIsay:'Why
not?'(Reed).Theskepticsofsociety,whosehorizonsarelimitedbytheobviousrealities,
cannotpossiblysolvetheproblemsoftheworld.Ratherthanlettingcreativityfalltothe
wayside,thearts,includingdanceareimperativestoourhumanexistence,pursuitswemust
followinordertobefullyhuman(Yeats).Dancemustbefosteredintheuniversitysettingso
thatwemightproducemenandwomenwithcreativitywhocandreamofthingsthatneverwere,
andaskwhynot.Inthesedreamswewillfindthelimitlesspotentialforourunchartedfutures.

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Marshall,Marcie."PhilosophyofDanceMarcieMarshall."MarcieMarshall.I
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