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Now & Next Dance Mentoring Project Offers College and Middle School Dancers Opportunity to Lead and Learn

By Mariel Gambino

June 20, 2013. College dancers are given the opportunity to mentor middle school girls aged 10 to 14 through the Now & Next Dance Mentoring Project. The program will run June 24 to June 28 in the Varsity Gym on ASU’s campus.

n&nNow & Next was created to introduce college women to an experience in dance not just about developing their bodies for technique. This program instructs young adults about professional options in a dancing world outside of college, including the fulfilling option of teaching.

Overseeing the college-aged dancers will be a faculty that includes featured dancer Adriana Durant, a dance artist and educator based in Chicago and instructor Laurie Atkins, Assistant Professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance at Appalachian State University. 

“We are there to mentor, observe and give them feedback on their teaching,” said Atkins.

Since this is a small program for college dancers that is normally limited to 15 female students, Atkins stressed how dancers have the opportunity to work closely with the visiting artists they would normally not have exposure to. Young women are encouraged to present their questions and concerns about dance in the professional world.

College women are required to attend an evening meeting on the first night. Class begins the next morning at 8:30 a.m. through Friday. Each day, dancers attend classes until 12:30 p.m. After a break for lunch, middle school girls arrive.

Tuition for college dancers is $250. For a college dancer application, click here.

Middle School Movers helps encourage young girls to have a positive relationship with their bodies by being active and using the art form of dance to express emotion, physical ideas and how to relate to others. In addition to the full dance classes taught by the college dancers, Movers have the opportunity to engage in trust and self-confidence building activities.

86The middle school girls will attend class Tuesday through Friday from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tuition is on a sliding scale of $50 to $100. Here is the link for a Middle School Movers application.

If parents or students are interested in the program, they are welcome to watch and observe this year’s camp or speak with Laurie Atkins personally. Atkins can be reached by phone at 828-773-6320 or atkinsle@appstate.edu

Click to http://nownextdance.org/ for more information about Now & Next Dance Mentoring project.