Bard and Bill

As this semester comes to a close, so does the first year of Bard College's four year partnership with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. Having the company in residence allowed students to interact with Jones and other company faculty, especially through three new classes taught by company member and education coordinator, Leah Cox. These courses focused on imparting the company's rigorous mental approach to dance. "Bill's emphasis is on creating work that is not necessarily art for art's sake, but is engaged with social awareness," explains Cox. "It's not just rote learning, but demands that students' minds and bodies are working together."

After such an exciting first year, Bard is looking ahead, and the school has big plans for the future of this relationship. To assure that no Bard dancer misses out, the company will double its course load in the fall so dancers of all levels can experience Jones' style. However, his approach will be incorporated into far more than just dance classes. Campus-wide events are scheduled to begin next semester, and, with any luck, a 5-year dual degree program is not far off. In just a few years, Bard's program may look completely different.

"We have a hope that we will be able to offer a conservatory model of training in addition to a BA," Cox explains. "Students would graduate with a dance major plus a second major, which would encourage the production of dance artists who will not just join other companies but forge forward, re-envision and lead in the field of dance as a whole."

For more info on Bard College's partnership with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, click here.

For more info on Bard College, click here.

Originally published in the DanceU101 E-Newsletter , April 2010