Sara Deutscher

The dance minor is back this semester with a variety of courses for everyone interested in movement.

Technique classes include tap, ballet, modern and jazz, while other classes include Dance Fundamentals, Choreography and Composition, Dance for the Musical Theatre, Multicultural Dance and Creative Movement for Kids.

Melissa Hauschild-Mork, the sole instructor of classes for the minor, explains that the program is connected with dance primarily as a performance art. She wants her students to gain an “understanding of dance as an art form and its relationship to the other arts.”

This philosophy will become a reality with the Harvey Dunn Project, a collaboration of visual art, poetry, music, theatre and dance. Mork approaches the project as a “focus on the content, style, and textures of Harvey Dunn’s Feminine Images with the inclusion of interpretation of his work through poetry” by Darla Bielfeldt. This fusion of the arts to create a live performance is an exceptional opportunity for South Dakota audiences and will debut at the 2006 South Dakota Theatre Festival at SDSU.

This isn’t the first time dancers have had the opportunity for artistic collaboration. In September, Mork performed with a group of students at the South Dakota Art Museum. Unannounced, the dancers took inspiration from the artwork of Signe Stewart and began performing by improvisation. Those attending the gallery exhibit were surprised and delighted to watch such artistic expression happening right before them.

SDSU is the only university in the state that has a dance minor, and Mork has created a program that fosters fresh artistic perspectives as well as providing an opportunity for physical fitness.

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