News & Events 2004-2005

Blair Dancers Enjoy Master Classes

Dance teacher Sean Hoskins reports that Blair’s main stage was alive with activity on April 9, when two Boston-based professional modern dancers taught a two-hour master class. The teachers – hailing from Boston and both graduates of the University of Massachusetts – Melissa Ham-Ellis and Arlene Steiner are accomplished performers, graduate students and co-directors of Tandem Dance, Inc. 

Fifteen Blair students were in attendance for the class, which moved at a quick pace and challenged the students’ memories while inviting them to contribute and improvise at the end of the phrases. Ms. Ham-Ellis gave advice on taking class outside a school setting. “You have to be ready,’ she commented. “No one is going to wait for you.” The focused and dedicated students jumped right in, learning their complex material, showing their talent and commitment, and having fun.
 
Blair hosted another dance group on Friday, April 15, when Kimberly Swaneveld, a dance student at Muhlenberg College and a native of Blairstown, N.J., brought the Muhlenberg Movement Ensemble to campus. Kimberly is a member of the improvisational group; their workshop, taught in lecture and demonstration format and requiring audience participation, was centered on improvisational movement and music.

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