Reflections

 

 

 1

 

 

 

A Sense of Accomplishment

Caila Feist

 

I have many takeaways from this course. I think the classroom environment was very positive and Professor Morejon did a great job conducting each class. I have very little experience with dance and the course was structured in a way that was fun to learn. We watched videos that were informative and helpful. It was nice to create our own solo pieces as well as work with other classmates in the course to have group ensembles. Also, the warm-ups at the beginning of class were a great way to get our bodies moving and ready for class.

 Overall, I had many great takeaways from this course. During my experience in this course, I felt very empowered. I think coming into the course I felt a little insecure that I didn’t have much experience with dance but overtime in the course I started to feel more confident. I felt motivated by Professor Morejon when creating my solo piece. I always felt a sense of accomplishment after each class because I pushed myself to a new element. Overall, dancing just made me feel good and added a positive feeling to my whole experience throughout the semester. 

I would apply what I learned in this course to my own field of studies by informing others around me about how dancing adds such an amazing element to our life. My major is psychology, and I could see myself telling people in my field that dancing can have many positive benefits to our mental health as well as our well-being. Professor Morejon taught us to use dance as a way to cope with our hard days. If I was having a bad school day, I always looked forward to knowing I had dance class. Overall, dance can be applied to really any field of study in some unique way. 

 

2

 

 Different Dynamics and Relationships

Naima Shotonwa

I learned how to dance freely in this course. I also learned more about interacting with other people. It taught me different dynamics. I learned as well about relationships in dance. It expanded my dance knowledge. 

I felt comfortable during the experience. I love being in the dance studio. It was nice to implement everything I learned.  I liked sharing it with the class and vice versa. 

I am in psychology.  Thus I be going on the human resources path. Working with others expanded my knowledge. It also expanded my empathy.  That is something that I will need to use in HR. 

 

3

 

https://www.city-academy.com/news/what-we-love-about-dance/

 

How Far I've Come

Lindsay Endicott

I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to participate in this dance class. I came into the class a little worried that I would look awkward dancing and that I would be preoccupied with the mirror, and throughout the semester I have been able to come into my body for what it feels like instead of watching and judging it as a spectator. I decided to enroll in modern dance because I thought it would help me find more confidence in myself in a social setting, which it absolutely has.

 Through my experience of getting started in the modeling industry, it quickly became very apparent to me that I needed to drastically build up confidence in myself overall.  Mostly, I needed to work on my ability to participate in a crowd socially and be fully present so I could truly experience and express, rather than worry about how I was being perceived by others. When I first began, I was so shy that I could not even imagine myself raising my voice to speak in a classroom, so needing to introduce myself to lots of different people and show my personality in castings, interviews, etc. used to terrify me. 

I began looking for opportunities to allow myself to get uncomfortable in that sense as especially in the beginning, it gave me huge boosts of confidence. Now, one year after my first modeling class, as I have begun entering the industry, I have grown into a much more confident person. Yet, my biggest challenge remains allowing myself to be creative and expressive while posing in front of the camera. So, I thought modern dance would be a great way to get out of my comfort zone as I have never taken a dance course and my past-self would have never even dared to try. I enrolled in this course because I knew it would make me uncomfortable, and I am so glad that I went for it. 

            One really special part about my experience from this course is the friendship I built with Naima. For context, I am a sophomore and my freshman year was completely taken over by an unhealthy long-distance relationship, which hindered my ability and freedom to connect with even very few people while it was going on. I was luckily able to find a wonderful group of friends whom I am much, much closer to today than I was as a freshman, but I always felt that the connection was not the same as it would have been if I were not in that relationship when I met all of them. Today though, seeing myself being able to completely on my own, make a genuine friendship makes me smile every time our class meets. I am really thankful for the social aspect that this course has allowed me to experience as it has definitely been a confidence booster and a way to show myself how far I've come. 

4

 

 

https://theladiescoach.com/spirituality-and-self-love/release-blocked-feminine-energy/

 

Developing My Feminine/Creative Energy

 

Amrutha Chethikattil

My major takeaway from this class, besides that daily stretching is very important, is that dance is a way to truly express yourself. Through this class, I learned how to move my body to express my story. My final piece was on an individual going through the motions of life and experiencing a mental breakdown, finding herself falling and immobilized. Finally, she picks herself back up and is able to dance with renewed vigor for life. I felt myself experiencing this in a small way this past semester as I realized I did not know what I was truly passionate about. This class helped me express that and find the light at the end of the piece— I should follow my intuition. I find I am more comfortable dancing in general, practice stretching daily, and am able to express my difficulties and passions through a new medium. 

I feel that our class really bonded under your instruction and I feel much closer to my fellow students, even though we are all across different fields of studies. I also learned new ways of stretching that I shared with my friends. Overall, the class was a great mental health replenisher; it engaged me in developing my feminine/creative energy, and I learned a lot about different techniques of dance. I didn't properly understand the different types of modern dance techniques (body movements, free vs bound flow, playing with levels) until this class. I am able to more creatively dance and think of routines now.

Through learning about techniques of dance, I learned more about ways of connecting dance to music. While my career is towards law school, I am really interested in music and hope to explore songwriting and music production more seriously after graduation. Learning more about dance has helped me connect to music in a different way and helped me understand how music can impact whether or not people want to get up and dance. This has been really fun to explore in conjunction with different beats and tempo. Ultimately, I want to incorporate dance as a way for me to stress-relief throughout my life! 

 

5

 

 Make My Own Dance

Mel Lanza

When I first signed up for this course I will be honest I had no idea what to expect, but I am definitely happy I took it to say the least. I not only learned many things about dance but I learned things about myself that I never really knew. I was able to express emotions in a new way which was amazing. Another takeaway I received during this course was the fascination of learning how other people interpreted each lesson that was taught. I was amazed to see how even though everyone learned about the same thing each piece was extremely and entirely different. The solo and group dances would all turn out to be different and unique with different takes from different lesson

My experience was amazing because the class was unique to each individual student. I was able to interpret each lesson and make it my own which I have never been able to do in any of my other classes I have taken. I was able to bond and make connections with many different people all with different backgrounds and interpretations of these lessons. I loved my experience because not only could I see the progression in myself but in others as well. Seeing the start of everyone's solos and group dances to what was created and presented at the end was incredible. At first I had no idea what I would create when it came to my solo but by the end I could not be more proud of what I created. Expressing emotions through dance can be extremely powerful, therapeutic, and helpful and I am so pleased I was able to do that.

I will be a lawyer in a few years and never thought that a class like ours would ever be used nor helpful in my field, however, I was wrong. As previously mentioned, dance is a way to relax and release some built up emotions that people can not get out any other way. Techniques such as stretching will be used for me later down the road when I become stiff from sitting all day reading and writing. When things become difficult not only in the work setting but from life in general I now have a new way of expressing how I feel.

6

 

Moving Naturally in the Space

Paris James

When I enrolled in DAN 111, I was really excited about dancing again since it had been a  year since I’d danced. I was really eager and also really hopeful that the class would be a way for me to de-stress and realign myself. As an Architecture major, I am always working whether it  is staring at a computer screen for 12+ hours or using my hands to draw or build. So I wanted to  take this class to get away from the chaos of my life. But before school started, my grandfather  passed away and I started to feel a bit disconnected from everything. During this time I’m really  appreciative for being enrolled in Modern, because even though it was really hard for me, this class helped me to feel as if I escaped from my troubles and I enjoyed everyone’s positive energy. 

With each class, I learned new skills or new ways of being aware of my body while simultaneously letting go and allowing it to move naturally in the space.This experience made me feel more confident and helped to relieve a lot of stress. It also brought me a bit of anxiety the first few times because I was anxious about others seeing me dance. However, everyone’s  spirits were really friendly so it helped to make the class enjoyable and less anxious. I felt really  proud of everyone for stepping out of their comfort zones and having fun moving. 

Majoring in Architecture you are prone to not being aware of your own body, so when working late at night in the studio I think it would be healthy of me to start taking at least 10  minutes or so to just move and even try a few of the warm up exercises we did. It would also be  fun to introduce my friends to the concepts we learned in Modern because I also talk about this  class to them and how they could benefit from it. Overall, I am really grateful to have taken this  class and would love to take more in the future.   

 

7

 

https://www.wikihow.com/Dance-to-Relieve-Stress

 

 A Stress Reliever

Natalie Cole

 

This past semester, I have learned so much in Dance 111. I went from having little to no experience dancing, to learning what free and bound movements are and how to use my body parts to create movements. I gained so many dancing skills that I will use for the rest of my life. I am so grateful that I was able to learn so much about movements and how you can make a dance out of any set of movements. I felt so accomplished when I created my own dance in my solo and group dances for the final. I had never done anything like that before and I was proud of myself and my group members. 

Throughout the whole class, I felt comfortable to try new things because of the positivity of my peers and professor. It takes a lot for me to try something out of my comfort zone, but in this class I knew that no one would judge me or make fun of me. Before performing my final solo dance, I was so nervous. I thought I was going to mess up or dance poorly, but after I finished and everyone clapped and cheered for me, it was the best feeling. 

In my future career, I am hopefully going to become a doctor. I am currently a freshman so I have a lot of school ahead of me, but I am excited to continue to dance in college when I go out to clubs or parties. I also want to incorporate dance into my future career by using it as a stress reliever. When I dance, I have fun, I laugh and I become more focused on my steps and the atmosphere around me instead of what is going on in my life. 

By continuing to dance through med school and in my profession as a doctor, it will ease my anxiety, and relieve my stress. Dance will help me laugh and smile even if I am upset or having a bad day at work. I wish to incorporate it at my office in my profession, as a stress reliever for all my co-workers. Maybe I’ll be able to show them a few moves I learned this semester!

8

https://4dancers.org/2013/03/5-steps-to-building-confidence-for-audition-success/

 

I Will Keep This Confidence

Xiaorun Xue  

 

Before this class, I didn’t know much about dance. Taking this class, I know the elements of dance, and also different flows. Professor makes the relax and positive atmosphere of the class by different ways to present content, which makes learning knowledge not boring. I found that many actions or postures can be used as a movement. Even I could create a solo by myself.

 At the beginning, I was wondering if I would be embarrassed in class, because I had never learned to dance before. I don't feel confident about showing my dancing. However, I found each person's dance piece to be unique and worth appreciating. Nobody will judge me, instead, I always received applause after my performance. My happiest part is finishing the assemble with my group. I looked forward to meeting them every week and having a good time. I think I had the best group

 This class gave me a lot of confidence, and I will keep this confidence in my future study.

 9

 

https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photography-dance-emotion-dancing-woman-full-length-studio-shot-white-image40672102

 

Releasing Emotions Through My Body

Ziying Tang

 

It is incredibly fortunate for me to have been a part of this class during my last semester at UM, and to enjoy an unforgettable semester with the most lovely professor and classmates.  Originally, I enrolled this class with the intention of just relaxing my muscles, a way to get fit like any other normal exercise. However, when I started to formally approach the offline class, everything subverted my imagination.

In a previous graphic design class, the professor saw the magazine I designed and asked me about my major. After hearing that my answer was Business Analytics in Business School, he exclaimed that he couldn't believe it. He praised me for my talent in the art field and encouraged me to maybe consider having some development in it in the future. Although I was pleased, I laughed it off. I had always loved art, but wasn't confident in expressing myself through it. And this modern dance class made me realize for the first time that the body can convey emotions, feelings and even stories. It is a language.

The professor, Jorge, never restricted our movements nor asked us to follow set steps, but the amazing thing was that everyone, especially most of us who had no basic skills or experience in dance, was able to complete a fluent, beautiful, and emotional set of movements. Under the pressure of living with an epidemic and various academic workloads, everyone probably has emotions that are difficult to tell the public. Dance has become a  powerful way to communicate and release them. Many emotions  I can feel in the movements of some people: loneliness, anger, sadness, happiness, excitement, satisfaction, anticipation, and so on. These emotions intertwined and converged into an unforgettable memory point.  I also began to convey my emotions through my body, and the enthusiastic feedback from each person encouraged me as well as released the pressure in my deep heart.

No matter what background everyone had, there was warmth and caring shown in this class. When I sprained my arm, the professor would instantly come to greet me and express his appreciation to my classmates who took me to the hospital; when someone forgot a dance move and apologized, everyone continued to give applause with smile; when we held hands in a circle for the last time, everyone looked at each other and passed on their sincere wishes. At that moment, my eyes were running over with tears.

 

 

10

 

 

 A full and Amazing Storyline

Die Hu

This semester, Spring 2022, is my first semester on campus. For the previous year, I had been taking courses online at home. Thus, it was my great pleasure to take DAN111 in person, interacting with my classmates and professor Jorge. 

My story with dancing started when I was a young girl. I learned Latin dance for 6 years from kindergarten. At that time, I just felt that dancing was interesting and I did not need to sit in the classroom. However, I did not understand the essence of dancing, instead, I just followed the teacher and imitated her movements. At the first few classes of DAN111, professor Jorge told us the difference between “outside-in” dancers and “inside-out” dancers. At that moment, I realized that I was dancing “outside-in”, which means the emotion I expressed depended on the style of music. 

Throughout the semester, I learned how to be an “inside-out” dancer. Professor Jorge taught me many professional skills, like fundamental elements of dance, the beat of music, and the movement in dance. With the professional knowledge, I created my solo piece. This time, instead of dancing with the music, I created my own dance first, and then found a piece of music to adapt to the dance. This was a whole new experience for me and I really enjoyed the process of expressing myself through dancing. 

Another thing I created this semester was the group dance. I learned how to cooperate and communicate with my partners. At first, each of us is required to choose one movement from our solo piece for the group dance. We taught each other and that made us get closer and we four girls chatted more. By the end of the semester, we created a dance with a full and amazing story-line. I also make friends with my partners. 

 

11

 

 

A Creative Journey

 

Summer Xia

 

            My biggest takeaway from this class is the willingness to take risks and step out of my comfort zone. Before taking this class, I never thought I would be able to create a dance solo piece as I did not have any dance experience. I was afraid to dance in public or be a dancer because I thought I did not have the fit body shape as a good dancer should have. I was worried about myself looking ugly during the dance. I was also afraid of looking in the mirror when I was dancing. However, the professor just pushed us to dance in the way we felt from day one and asked us not to look in the mirror. So, I started to get used to dancing in my atmosphere while others were dancing and started to see that my movements began to look like a dance. In the end, I am not only surprised by my ability to create the solo piece but also by everyone’s fantastic solo pieces. 

 

           The entire creating process is exciting and inspiring. The professor did not tell us that those random movements we created during the zoom session would become part of a one-minute solo piece; the professor did not tell us that those dancing aspects we learned would be applied to our pieces automatically, and the professor did not tell us that everyone can be a wonderful modern dancer. However, as those things came together, it’s really surprising to see how far we went. 

 

           Therefore, this creative process inspires me to follow my heart and take risks while doing journalistic and theater works. After going through this process, I think I will be more willing to challenge myself and step out of my comfort zone. For example, I will start to audition for the plays or musicals that I want to act in; I will start to do my journalism project on topics I want to do instead of the topics that are easier to do; and I will start to keep exploring my potentials in all the fields I am interested in. In conclusion, I am so grateful for this opportunity of creating dance pieces and explore myself.

 

12

 

 

Become Confident

Siqi Liu

 

I really learned a lot from this course. I didn't have enough dance experience. So it was a little tough from the very beginning when I approached the course. I really couldn't believe it when I choreographed my own dance moves, because I didn't know how to express my movements and body. With the demonstration of Professor and the cooperation of my classmates, I slowly received a lot of new knowledge.

I became confident in expressing my dance. I slowly stepped out of my comfort zone to work more with different partners. Although the moves were few and far between. I didn't even know what to dance. The enthusiastic classes really opened me up.

Thanks to the encouragement of my classmates and Professor, I was able to express my choreography at the end of the performance without any mistakes or nervousness.

 

 

13

 

 

https://www.miamiartzine.com/Features.php?op=Article_%26%238220%3BFrom+the+Dirt%26%238221%3B+Explores+Americas+Culture

 

A Dancer was Awaken

Hector Montoto

      Before taking this class, I believed that trained dancers had specific techniques that they used in order to create a dance and that was it. Some do, but technique is not the only thing that’s needed in order to create, sometimes all you need is your imagination. When you let your imagination guide your movements, the possibilities are infinite. Our professor gave us the opportunity to be as creative as we wanted to be. Our environment was like a dojo, and he like our sensei. From day one, I felt comfortable and excited about what I was going to be taught and as time passed, I started to realize that I was slowly creating my own dance; a dance that I truly felt spoke about who I am, as an individual. It was a beautiful process that I enjoyed a lot and it really reignited my creativity. 

     I felt happy and  I enjoyed coming to class every day. I felt like a kid amongst a large group of strangers. The term "strangers" slowly became a thing of the past. Our sensei would bring us together by doing dancing exercises that would help us connect more with each other. Boundaries were broken and barriers were gone. I truly felt the sense that we were all enjoying working with each other and felt great because we all started to create something together, whether it was a group dance or your own individual dance. If you walked around the room and observed us, you would see everyone working with such concentration and dedication. That energy was contagious. It truly inspired me and kept me working hard on my dance. We were all there to learn and not just get tested on our knowledge of dance.

     After this class, I consider acting and dancing to be two best friends. They come from the family of performing and I feel I can implement a lot of what I learned from this class to my field of study, as an actor. Many actors tend to become stiff on stage because they are focusing more on their lines, which affects their movements. The dancing techniques that were taught in this class helped me keep my body less tense and in a free-flowing state. It also taught me to play around with my movements, just like an actor does when they play around with different actions. As an actor, I was able to make more discoveries by using this process, which will help me throughout my career. This entire class was an amazing experience that awoke my inner dancer. I can’t wait to see what I will learn next, in upcoming dance classes.

 

14

 

 

 Communicating with Our Bodies is Universal

 Amanda Carballo

 

When I originally enrolled in modern dance level 1, my expectations for the course were very different from what I experienced this semester. Upon enrollment, I was under the impression that this course would be more in the realm of (what I now know as) “outside-in dancing.” Based on the dance classes I took at studios growing up, I thought I would be learning positions and choreographies. Instead, I was taught to look inward and find movements within myself. While we as a class covered the fundamentals of modern dance (such as balance, weight, free vs. bound flow), it was interesting to see how each student internalized these concepts and came up with unique and personal variations.

In the beginning of the course, I remember feeling a bit intimidated. I didn’t realize how tight my body had gotten over the past few years until our very first stretching session. It was interesting to look back to my first journal reflection from January 19th where I specifically mentioned noticing I was nowhere near as flexible as I used to be. It made me feel a bit uncomfortable in my own body to realize how out of touch I was with myself. In that reflection, I also wrote about how we discussed emotions that can be represented by different movements. Specifically, how smaller movements show timidity and larger movements represent confidence/boldness. 

With my solo, I experienced this first hand. The first few routines I came up with where timid and safe. But I decided to keep them anyways, especially the very first routine I came up with, because it reminded me of where I started and how much progress I made emotionally during the semester. If I would have had to perform a solo on day one, there would have been absolutely no way I would have been able to do that. When it came time to perform my solo, I actually really enjoyed it. I felt myself “Let go” and trust my body.

I also really enjoyed the concept of dancing in your own kinesphere and not looking at the mirror. In my dance classes growing up, we always danced in front of a mirror and there was an importance placed on how well you performed any given dance. But what this class taught me is that it doesn’t matter how you look when you express yourself but rather how you feel. I truly feel this class helped me get in tune with myself over the course of the semester. 

Having modern dance in the afternoon allowed me the opportunity to move my body after sitting at desks all day. I really enjoyed that and it is something I plan to prioritize for the rest of my life. I also will incorporate stretching routinely because of the differences I noticed between the beginning of the semester and the end. But more importantly, the two lessons I learned that I think apply to my own field of study and to everyday life are to listen inward and to learn from others. Through modern dance, I was able to practice listening to myself, and even my own heartbeat, and to turn to that for guidance. I was also able to watch others do that for themselves and learn from how they expressed that. This was apparent to me every class and even more so during the event when the Ukrainian dancers came to dance with us. 

I realized how each of our lives and backgrounds really impact our perspectives and the way we express ourselves. However, what left a bigger impression on me was the fact that the way we communicate with our bodies is universal and can be shared between people who might otherwise not be able to understand each other. These are lessons that I think apply to all elements of life. I have become more aware of these notions this semester. I am so grateful for the experience I had in this course. My expectations for the class were exceeded and I learned things I never thought I would from a modern dance course. 

 

15

 

 

Less Stiff and More Flexible

Moyu Chen

 

My name is Moyu Chen and I come from China. This semester, you could see me in every class on Zoom. I am very grateful to Professor for his help this semester. The Spring of 2022 is a very special spring for me. It is my first semester at the University of Miami and my first formal dance study. Although it is a pity that I did not officially attend our courses on campus of The University of Miami, I still benefited a lot from this semester.  

I am a student without any dance or art experience and I am a complete vacuum in the arts. I was very worried before class that I would drive the professor crazy. The warm-up of the first class taught me a lesson that the warm-up movements made my neck and back shake. However, after a semester of study and practice, my body became less stiff and more flexible. Each of Professor's classes were very interesting with different topics and exercises. In particular, this semester introduced Chinese martial arts and Laozi's philosophy. And that makes the class so fascinating that sometimes you don't even know what the class is.  

In this class, I learned basic music theory and basic dance movements and I also learned some philosophy. In the past, I thought of the dancer as merely a showman of dance. Dancers are divided into inside-out dancers and outside-in dancers. Dancers are more like writers who use their bodies to write classics. On the other hand, Professor was very responsible and patient and he was always worried that I wouldn't be able to hear the lecture he taught me the main points of each lecture individually. In addition, Professor and my classmates also inspired me greatly in the course of modern dance. I knew very well that my dance moves were boring and poor but everyone gave me a round of applause every time I showed them. 

 

16

 

An Inside Out Dancer

Julianna Mullinax

I am so glad I took this class! This has been my favorite class this semester. I started taking dance classes when i was three, but haven't taken a class in a couple years, so I was so excited to dance again. I had so much fun in class every time. I feel like I've grown as a dancer throughout this course. 

Coming into this class I feel like I was definitely an outside-in dancer. I was used to my dance teachers and choreographers telling me what to do. I just followed their instruction. Improv actually used to make me quite uncomfortable. Throughout this course I feel like I've become a lot more confident in myself and my own movement. I've never choreographed for myself before and I really enjoyed being able to do that this semester. I feel like an inside out dancer now.

I loved coming to this class. It was such a nice break from my other hard classes. I love to dance so much. It felt so good to be able to come to dance and just move without judgement. Also to move without worrying about doing it "correctly" or technique. I liked being able to do just what felt good to me. Although, at the beginning of the semester I was a lot more judgemental of myself. I wasn't the most confident and I would get nervous. I would feel a little out of my comfort zone. By the end, I was criticizing myself a lot less. I'm very happy with the pieces I choreographed, especially my solo, and I'm very proud of myself.

I'm thinking about minoring in dance, so the confidence in my movement that I feel like I've gained through this class will help me in any other dance classes I take. In general, the confidence will help me in all aspects of my life. I'm majoring in marine science and biology. I find my other classes stressful. The warm ups we did in class and moving and dancing in general will help me de-stress, as well as loosen up my body which will make me feel good.

 

17

 

 

https://www.dance-connection-uk.com/dance-movement-year-journey

 

 Connecting to Others Through Movement

Madison Yan

 

This course has exceeded my expectations in many ways. I had expected the class to be much like any other dance class -- with a teacher in front of everyone, and the students imitating the teacher in a premade choreography. However, it was so refreshing to be offered a different perspective. I loved how the emphasis was not on how "correct" your technique was, or how "good" you looked while dancing. Instead, the course focused on personal expression and expressing a message to the outside world through movement. The judgment-free atmosphere let us experience something very powerful and creative. Everyone is a dancer. 

These concepts inspired me a lot and reignited my passion for dance. I never took official lessons, but from a young age I loved to move to music and improvise my own dances to music. I never considered this "real dancing" until I took this course and realized that "real dancing" doesn't really exist, and any sort of personal expression through movement can be considered dance. 

Another great thing I took from this class was to connect more with other people. We were encouraged to make eye contact and move with our partners. There is a lot of intimate communication that happened this way that I would never have had experienced through my every day interactions. I realized the power of eye contact and connecting to others through movement. 

As a music major, a lot of the technical concepts we covered overlapped with music -- for example, rhythm/beat/pulse, different forms (Rondo, Sonata, etc), and concepts like inside-out vs outside-in expression also applies to music. I reflected a lot about the concept of inside-out vs outside-in, and I want to strive to become more of an inside-out musician. 

 

18

 

https://yellow.place/en/sead-salzburg-austria

 

  Experimenting and Creating

Natalia Gonzalez

Since I took modern throughout middle and high school I was nervous this class would be the same as those years. I was scared that the Improvisation class from last semester would be entirely different from this class and would be all about technique and counts. But, this class was nothing like I imagined, it was so much better! This class deepened my love for dance even more and expanded my improvisation skills as well. Through this class I was able to work on focusing movement on specific body parts like isolations and leading with the elbow or the tailbone just like dance pioneers taught. 

There were so many days where I would come in drained and ready to crawl back into bed. But I found that at the end of each class and even during it I wanted to keep experimenting and creating. The exercises we did each day kept my brain active and thinking about the next move I wanted to try. Not only was the class beneficial as a dancer, but it was also beneficial as a freshman going through college. I met and became comfortable with so many dancers through this class and connected with people that I can see after class and ask "hey let's dance together sometime", greet eachother when walking to class, or even go to their performances and see what creative things they do outside of modern. I am so grateful and thankful to be able to meet wonderful people, see others express themselves through dance, and gain new techniques through Professor's class.

With nursing I want to be able to utilize dance in whatever unit I may find myself in the future. Dance has a way of breaking down walls and opening up to one another which is useful in a field where a lot of people don't trust you or the hospital. I hope that one day I can use dance to comfort patients and their families in such a scary and uncomfortable time.

 

19

 

 Cooperation

 Guanhui Xiao

I haven't had a class in which the teacher and every student in the class are tremendously enthusiastic. I was originally a relatively cold  person, but the enthusiasm of my classmates infected me. By learning how to use sticks and scarfs to dance, I am able to express my body in a more flexible way. 

Besides the solo part, team cooperation is the most significant thing that I have learned in this class. Under the circumstance in which each team member has a different weight, hight, and personality, it's not easy to come up with a group dance in which each one of us satisfy the work. 

It was unbelievable to see every team doing a great job in the final performance with a fluid connection between the music and the movements. In general, this modern dance class has been an amazing and exciting enperience for me!

 

 

20

 

 

 Dance Portrays Who We Are

  Riny Falic

This course was by far the most enjoyable and fun course I have ever had. It was so exciting just entering the class and feeling the great energy and excitement that everyone had to start the class. Besides having fun and laughing a lot, I really feel like I learned so much about my body and dancing. The most impactful takeaways were: dance is not always robotic and does not require exact movements. There is no right or wrong, going with whatever your body feels is what this class was all about.

I feel like the professor made us feel so much more confident in our movements and ourselves by the end of the course. At the beginning I was very shy and was afraid to be judged by how I danced since I have never been a great dancer, but professor taught us that everyone has their own unique movements and that’s what makes our dance so special since it portrays who we are. By copying others we are hiding who we truly are and it will never show as much inspiration as doing your own thing. By the end of the class, I even surprised myself by how I felt so comfortable and relaxed with my movements.

I can apply the confidence I learned to the rest of my field of studies. Sometimes while doing a test or some assignment I feel the need to write what people want to hear, but I now feel like being me will be the best way to get inspired and the outcome will definitely be much better than just doing what others do.

 

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 Using Open Creativity

 Lily Bravo

 I have yet to take a class with Professor that doesn't inspire and motivate me to be creative. I learned a lot about the different types of aspects involved in dance and how those work together to create a dance. I only have 4 years of high school modern dance experience and social family dancing, but when it comes to any college level dancing its quite limited. The reason I believe I was able to grow was due to the fact that you create a positive and constructive environment. 

The videos and blogs served as great resource to look back on when needing a refresher. Every class was so exciting because the time and energy put into the dance warm ups really set the positive tone for the rest of class. I was definitely nervous when I found out that we would not only be presenting an ensemble piece, but also a solo piece. Eventually, I did get over these nerves and was able to use open creativity, but I was concerned that it wasn't on par with everyone else's work.

I felt extremely motivated and supported to dance, and to embody being a dancer. I was inspired to want to do more and try more, as well as push my creativity to see where I could go. It was NEVER a gloomy day with Professor! I could be having the worst day, but my day would come to an end with this dance class and I felt rejuvenated.

Although I am not working in a field that uses expressive creativity, I do believe that people can still use the arts!! By literally involving it in their work space or including it in their de-stressing routine. I believe moving your body is crucial to love ones body and being in constant connection with yourself, as well as with others! Dance has many benefits that can positively affect the way you start and end your day.

 

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Each Dancer is Unique

Duncan Jui

Prior to taking this course, I had never taken a formal dance class before. I've always been interested in dance, as I love music and during social events I enjoy having a good time and dancing with my fellow peers. A lot of my dance abilities had been self taught, looking up tutorials online or simply replicating my favorite dancers in music videos. Professor's class really taught me the fundamentals of dance, and the difference between external vs. internal dancing. External dancing is the most popular, in which we hear a song and move our body in a way to compliment the song that is currently playing. Professor introduced to me internal dancing, otherwise known as inside-out dancing. This is a combination of movements not made to compliment external stimuli, rather than a combination of movements that speaks to our internal feelings, emotions, and problems that we feel passionate about or want to express.

I loved the experience as a whole. Not only is the class a great way to be active and get on your feet after being in the classroom all day, but you truly learn to bond, interact, and work with fellow classmates. Professor has his students engage in a variety of activities with different partners, an opportunity we haven't had much of since the pandemic. These activities not only allow us to learn more about one another, but to also observe other individual's movements, how they express themselves, and you truly learn that each dancer is unique in his or her own way.
 

Professor also emphasized the value of stretching, and how important it is to maintain active, mobile, and flexible as we begin to age. Being in my low 20s, I now know the importance of physical, mental, and spiritual health. Many tend to emphasize the physical aspect, "Eat Healthy!", "Go Exercise!". Meanwhile our mental and spiritual health are just as important as our physical health and deserve the same amount of recognition. 

One practice I have been engaging in often is meditation, an activity that Professor also engages in. This class has taught me to not overlook mobility and flexibility within my physical health, and to incorporate it into my daily routine in order to promote durability in the future. In my own field of studies, I have learned the value to always express myself in an authentic way, despite the status quo. I believe in the business world, individuals feel compelled to put on a persona, what is socially or professionally acceptable in a business setting. As I graduate and enter the workforce myself, I never want to let go of the creative aspect in my life and to constantly be authentic to myself and those around me. Overall, I loved this course and recommend any current/upcoming students to explore dance with Professor.

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https://www.dancecompreview.com/six-benefits-of-solo-dance-practice-you-havent-thought-of/

Unforgettable Dancing Memory

 

Miaoye Liu

 

When I enrolled in DAN111, I was very excited about taking this class. It is my first time enrolled in a dance class. I didn’t have lots of dance experience before. My only experience maybe is when I was in middle school and danced choreographed exercises to radio music. 

 

I choose this class because I wanted to learn some dance movements and it is good for my body's health. When I stay at home, I always want to stay in bed. I don’t do lots of exercises, so I thought that taking a dance class could help me with motion.

 

At the beginning of this class, I felt a little bit nervous. I saw all my classmates dance very well. When we did the warm-up, there were lots of movements I could not follow. But after a few classes, when I tried to follow the professor’s rhythm, I found I could follow the class rhythm. 

 

Group dance is a very interesting and unforgettable memory for me. We created the movement all together step by step. We used the knowledge learned from class, and used it to create our dance. It was very interesting.

 

Therefore, after class, I will use the warm-up to physically train myself. My solo taught me a lot. In my free time, I will dance to it. The music is from one of my favorite teams. I designed my dance based on their music. The process of making the solo is very memorable. During this class, I met lots of friends. All of them are very friendly and interesting. We shared our daily life and hobbies. Dan111 is one most the best classes I took.

 

 

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https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/352953

 

 

Everyone Can Dance

 

Clay Johnson

 

 

At the start of this course, I didn’t know what to expect. I was awkward and afraid to share my inner flow. Professor helped us not only connect as a class, but connect with our inner soul to be confident in our movements and take risks. 

 

Thanks for helping us not only learn to loosen up and have fun but also proved that everyone of us can dance. This course taught me to use different techniques from bound flow, shapes, unbound flow and body parts.

 

This course taught me to work with others to create a story. That story helped me share my inner passion and be confident in my dancing. Thank you for a great semester.

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http://www.soulplayground.com/soulplayground/2013/11/20/the-dance-of-relationship-on-the-path/

 

 Amazing Relationships

Giancarlo Ramirez

 

I have very little to say when it comes to any negative aspects about the course. But I can go on for days about the benefits and how enjoyable modern dance was throughout the semester. I was a bit on edge the first couple days of classes. I had very little knowledge about dance and when I noticed that the class was mostly girls, I was a bit uncomfortable thinking that I might embarrass myself in front of everyone. 

 

But as much as possible, the class started to become more of a fun activity that I looked forward to every week instead of a class that I had to take tests and study for. I realized that it is very important to take care of your body and actually listen to what it is telling you because as you get older, it will only get harder to do the things you could have done if you continuously trained your body.  

I also enjoyed the fact that I could be myself in class and not worry about what others might think. The atmosphere that was built inside the classroom and how comfortable everyone felt with each other towards the end of the semester goes to show how empowering the class was and the amazing relationships that I will probably have for many years to come. 

I can now say I am somewhat of an experienced dancer and I can actually break out into my routine if I wanted to show others what I learned. All in all, this class was probably one of my favorite classes at the U and I will make sure to let all my friends know that I highly recommend this class both to learn more about an art that many guys seem to push aside and to better yourself physically even if you didn’t think you needed it.

 

 

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L7ClCnBF0Y

 

My Own Imagination

Sitong Chen 

 At the beginning, I chose this class purely because I wanted to learn dance and thought it was very interesting. 

When I really finished the class, I found that this class not only taught me how to choreograph and create movements with my own imagination, but also made me know a lot of friends, and we created our own dances together. 

I think this class is really meaningful, and I hope I can continue to learn dance if I have the opportunity later!

 

 

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The Beauty of Both Dance and Oceanography

Emily Cotton 

This course was such a blessing to me in my personal life. I struggled really heavily with my mental health this semester, and this class was always such a light for me. Although I grew up dancing my entire life, I haven’t danced in a few years, and I learned so much from this course on a subject that I thought I knew a lot about. It was nice to be back on the dance-floor, and it reminded me of how much of a release dance can be for me. I took away so much from this course, but specifically how something does not have to be perfect to be beautiful or make an impact. I have always struggled a lot with trying to be a perfectionist, but with this course I found a part of myself that could just let loose, and I learned how to make a story from quite literally anything. Any way I could think to move my body, I could form a novel from individual phrases.

 Within this course, I felt a strong sense of release within strength. Using my own body to make something beautiful while also melting my worries away. I learned how to collaborate with others, which is something my control-freak-self struggles with, to create a story that makes an impact and has deeper meaning than just movement. I had so much fun with this course and the sense of community it gave me. I met so many different people, of different ages, backgrounds, and majors, and I thoroughly enjoyed every single minute I spent in this class. I also loved learning about mindfulness and how to listen to my body – a skill I know I will benefit so much from for the rest of my life. This class made me feel at home and safe – I don’t think I will ever stop recommending this class to everyone I know.

 Although it may seem that oceanography has nothing to do with dance, they’re so similar. Movement of the body can tell a story to an audience, just like the movement of organisms, sediments, and the oceans can tell us so much about our earth. The beauty of both dance and oceanography are both so obvious, but they both offer something so much deeper – a place of belonging. This class has done so much for me, including allowing me to realize why I love oceanography so much. It has allowed me to see movement from different perspectives, and I know that my change in perception will take me far within my career, and in life.