OHIO UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DANCE

Prepared and submitted by Madeleine Scott, Director, June 22, 1998

NOTE: The contents of this report, in particular responses to questions 1, 2, & 3, reflect much of the material provided in our 1996-1997 assessment report. Updated modifications to questions 1, 2, & 3 appear as addenda. Other sections have been rewritten.

1. What are your unit’s goals for student learning? How were they developed and who was involved? Have they been modified based on last year's report?

a. The objective of our Bachelor of Fine Arts program in dance is to provide a challenging environment that encourages the realization of individual artistic potential through course work and standards that emphasize development and refinement of creative, intellectual and physical processes. Our goal is to prepare the individual for a career and/or post-graduate study in the field of dance and related professions.

The design and structure of the curriculum is predicated on the belief that creative, theoretical and physical work dovetail to support the total growth and aesthetic maturation of the dancer. Students must show promise either through a pronounced potential for development in at least one area (choreographic, performance or intellectual ability) or a balance of strengths in these three areas. The development of an individual's artistic voice is a lengthy process, not ordinarily attainable within a four year period, but progress toward the goal of developing a student's individual movement voice and a command of the tools necessary to refine artistic expression is desirable.

The aforementioned goals find further expression in the specific standards for accreditation for undergraduate studies in dance of the National Association of Schools of Dance. We provide, therefore, a curriculum, advisement and other opportunities in our sequentially based training program for dance majors designed to assist them to:

1) perform in public as dancers;

2) develop visual and aural perceptions;

3) become familiar with and develop competence in a number of dance techniques and develop proficiency in at least one;

4) become familiar with the historical and cultural dimensions of dance including the works of leading dancers and choreographers both past and present;

5) understand and evaluate contemporary thinking about dance and related arts;

6) make informed assessments of quality in dance.

We track student progress and achievement in these six competency areas toward the achievement of our goals.

NASD guidelines require that sixty-five percent of dance courses must be in studio work for the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. The primary emphasis of our technique training is modern dance and choreography. Ballet is required as a support technique. Jazz dance is available as a third technique area and additional courses in non western dance forms are offered.

Most dance programs in the country emphasize dance technique classes over choreography by requiring three to six quarters of choreography and twelve quarters of technique classes. Our goal to develop the individual's artistic voice is more effectively encouraged through equalizing the balance between studio courses in choreography and

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technique. OU dance majors are required to take eleven quarters of choreography and twelve of technique. As students focus on creative problem solving in movement for choreography classes they explore the expressive potential necessary for effective performance. This reduces reliance on the rote learning approach of most technique classes as the primary means of gaining command of one's instrument or body. Choreographic problem solving encourages immediate authorship of oneself in movement work, a key element necessary to defining the artistic voice.

b. The goals of our four year training program were first developed by the faculty as part of NASD accreditation processes in 1983 and 1988, and have been reexamined annually as part of faculty retreat considerations.

It is important to note that, in dance, student proficiency represents a resource of responsive and capable performers to all choreographing faculty, faculty for whom choreography is artistic research. Faculty are, therefore, deeply and personally invested in the ongoing process of helping students achieve an integration of knowledge and skills in dance.

c. In our recent assessment reviews, faculty discussions have identified certain implicit expectations of the dance major. These include the development of cooperative work skills; an appreciation for collaborative endeavors; a facility with the responsibilities and organizational elements in the management of projects, and the ability to give and receive constructive criticism. These skills may be viewed as value added quality of work in the major, but they are essential to effective work in the field.

Addendum: Goals for student learning have not been modified this past academic year.

Four stages of assessment are employed within our sequentially based major program. These address six areas of competency NASD requires and are noted in parenthetical numbers within this text.

An entrance essay allows the faculty to review writing skills and the level of aesthetic sophistication of the applicant (6). In keeping with our goals, standard test scores and grade point averages contribute to the profile of an applicant but talent is the determining factor in admission.

Anyone wishing to become a dance major, minor or honors tutorial

student in dance must audition for entrance into the program. Auditions consist of participation in a studio class to determine skill achievement in modern, ballet or jazz dance forms and an improvisational choreographic presentation (1, 3). The audition committee, comprised of seven faculty and two students each from second, third, and fourth year majors (2, 3, 6), reviews prospective students for demonstrated proficiencies and promise. Some areas of consideration include: rhythmic abilities, strength, flexibility, structural alignment and symmetry, accurate reproduction of movement materials, qualitative expressivity, movement invention, and coherence in phrasing movement materials.

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Audition evaluation forms are kept in student files as part of an initial record of entering proficiencies.

Transfer students also audition for entrance. In this instance the audition serves as a device to determine placement within major level technique classes. While this demonstrates the applicant's level of kinetic connectivity, it is not an accurate predictor of the placement level for choreography. This must be determined either by viewing previously choreographed work, often on videotape, or through mid first quarter review by the faculty during biweekly composition workshop presentations. Generally, previous course work in choreography can not be properly equated until the student has produced creative work by assignment in major courses. In instances where faculty are familiar with the program at a student's previous institution, placement level can be determined sooner.

Throughout the first year in the program, faculty closely monitor student development and growth, and identify students who are excelling in their work and those not progressing well. All students are observed carefully for their potential to perform well in future major level course work. Monitoring progress and achievement occurs daily in technique classes in order to effectively support student growth. Faculty meetings prior to preregistration are reserved for discussions of student performance in theoretical and studio course work (1 - 6). All faculty submit written evaluations on every first quarter freshman or transfer student. Typically, sixty to seventy percent of the faculty will be directly engaged in teaching responsibilities with the students in question in a given quarter. The remaining faculty attend student performances in workshop presentations or other classes for observation.

At the conclusion of the fall term, each first quarter major meets individually with the faculty as a whole in conference where observations regarding their work are discussed with them. In this way the student receives individualized feedback and learns more exactly what is expected of a dance major. The evaluations by the faculty are kept in student files and summarized in annual progress notes. Students who do not progress within expected norms of development may be a) advised to confine their course work to a minor in dance, b) maintained on probation for a limited time, c) advised out of the major program. Thirty to forty percent of the entering level one class enter as a declared minor. Some of these will declare majors and some majors will self select the minor. We expect an attrition rate of about fifty percent from an entering class throughout the four years as some majors shift to minor status either on advisement from the faculty or through self selection out of the program due to other interests, injury, financial pressures, etc. A great deal of our intensive evaluation processes are designed to facilitate decisions regarding major status early in a student's four year college career.

Stage III. Assessment throughout the program

The process described above provides the template for much of the evaluation of majors that continues throughout the four years. For example, it is used regularly to adjust placement by skill level in technique courses so that all students are sufficiently and appropriately challenged in their classes (1, 2, 3). More importantly, it reorients student goals away from the quantitative and simplistic notions of achievement in dance they hold dear when they enter the program, i.e. number of turns, height of leg extensions, toward an increasingly sophisticated appreciation for substantive and qualitative accomplishment in the field, eg. kinetic interest, sensitivity to phrasing and nuance, core connectivity to

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support expressivity (6). The information delivered in the feedback process throughout the

four years assumes a more complex character as students begin to integrate and synthesize skills and knowledge of the art form and as their artistic sensibilities mature.

Written Evaluations:

Evaluations written by the faculty address performance in classes, concerts, workshops, and production crews, and work in positions of responsibility such as service on departmental committees, eg. audition/scholarship, and student advisory committees. The audition committee determines acceptance into the major and the award of talent scholarships to entering students. Student committee members have an equal voice in all committee determinations and are expected to articulate reasons for awards and/or acceptance into the major (2, 6).

Videotape Evaluations:

Student creative and performance work is videotaped during workshop presentations and classes. Records of student work are on file and become part of a student's dance video portfolio.

Video has afforded the field a means to record performance and give visually referenced feedback to the performer (1, 2, 3, 6). It significantly enhances the individualized instruction of a student. Faculty regularly video classes and review the tapes for use during midterm evaluation conferences. Video guides the student to a closer connection between the kinesthetic sensation of the body in motion and the visual perception of it. It encourages development of objectivity about self necessary for continued growth and improvement. Likewise, it allows the student choreographer to review their work without fatiguing the performers with endless repetitions.

Course embedded measures:

Majors have an intensive history requirement in dance (4, 5). Three courses have a western dance perspective and two are non western. Choreography courses include historical style analysis with a research component and related creative assignment (4, 5, 6). Performances and presentations of these are reviewed by the entire faculty. Students are expected to give one another constructive feedback on performance and choreographic work in formal critique settings and within classes. Seniors are expected to discuss the historical influences evident in their senior choreography projects in Senior Critique which concludes their fall and spring quarter production requirements (4, 5, 6). Final papers and exams are additional course embedded measures of assessment.

Scheduling as many levels of classes back to back as space allows more fluid movement between levels according immediate review of student work (1,3). An increase in student enrollment this year has compounded the space constraints of our building and limited our ability to continue this practice.

More writing in dance technique courses for the explicit purpose of improving physical performance of the dancer and practicing written and verbal skills (1, 5) has been implemented. On average, students write a short paper per week. These weekly papers serve to focus student efforts on a goal specific to individual development and used to write a final paper on achievement and future goals.

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Faculty evaluations and student surveys:

Faculty evaluations address cooperative work skills. All students are expected to demonstrate an appreciation and facility for working together in fluidly assigned leadership and support roles. Artistic enterprise demands an ability to work effectively alone and in groups. The success of all concert production relies on solo and communal efforts to bring it about. With four mainstage productions, three off campus touring performances and nine workshop presentations per year, cooperative effort is key. A student survey was developed and administered to measure awareness of this aspect of training. This survey also addressed the student satisfaction with advising and their perceptions regarding the education they receive in the School.

Addendum: The student survey has been expanded and modified to include a wider variety of response areas from majors and minors in an attempt to track student perceptions of the program.

Several assessment measures are in place for fourth year students. Senior Project, a choreographic/performance project requiring a command of group and solo choreographic forms and the demonstration of performance achievement, is evaluated and graded by the each faculty member (1, 3, 5). Some grading areas include: movement invention, structural coherence and development of thematic materials, musicality and phrasing, interpretation and direction, kinetic interest, and design element choices. Grading also includes effective work in group enterprises, project management and organization. Seniors audition, rehearse, choreograph, design and oversee production of their work in concert and on tour. They write a senior paper on the project that is retained in their files. (6, 5, 4) They also participate in a Senior Critique with the faculty, where they discuss with one another, and the faculty, the strengths and weaknesses of their own and each others' work (6, 5, 4). We conduct Senior Exit Interviews.

Addendum: Senior Project (Dance 480) was included as a course in the Writing Pilot Project as a writing intensive course this year. The instructor for the course participated in training sessions to identify possible refinements in written assignments and feedback to students. Students responded well to the increased written work. Faculty thought that students were more able to discuss their creative process and product in their Senior Critique as a result. Faculty were pleased and encouraged by the result of participation in this project.

Diversity and accomplishments of graduates in post BFA study is marked. The majority of our grads have pursued advanced degrees in dance performance and choreography and dance related fields such as: dance therapy, art education, and somatic study. Others have pursued and achieved in medicine, psychiatry, library studies, music composition and performance, occupational therapy, creative writing and photography. In surveys they have identified new areas of interest as directly emerging from undergraduate dance degree study.

Changes in the assessment process since last year include amplification and refinement of previous processes such as: implementing evaluation forms on learning climate, advising, senior experience, and other selected areas in curriculum; increased external reviews of concerts; tracking student writing skills more closely; increased and more integrated use of video as a learning tool.

Evaluation of majors is done through measures that are public and frequent such as performances and presentations of work for feedback during the choreographic process, group discussions and conferences, video reviews of classes, post production critiques, and team taught courses.

The faculty meets biweekly. Several of these meetings are reserved expressly for the purpose of discussing competencies of majors. Faculty review evaluations, student surveys, visiting artist feedback, alumni questionnaires, to target areas requiring further discussion and consideration at retreats. Faculty retreats examine exit interview information, surveys and external reviews in relation to the curricular progression and faculty perception of student achievement.

Weaknesses (see addendum below)

Previous discussions identified areas of concern in the program: 1) quality of writing skills of the majors, 2) lack of perceived value of movement notation course to graduates, 3) advising on the freshmen level may need additional attention, 4) development of new areas in the major curriculum may necessitate a general review of requirements for the BFA in dance. As we increase our course offerings we may need to modify, reconfigure or drop others. This last point continues to receive consideration in our reaccreditation discussions.

Addendum: 1) Participation in the Writing Pilot Program seems to address some of the issues related to the writing skills of the dance major. Because the Senior Project course is a two quarter sequence it lends itself to an evaluation of progress over time. The faculty will continue to review student performance in written work over the coming year in other courses. Writing skills at the senior level will give us a benchmark goal to help shape our future plans with respect to improving this aspect of student outcomes. 2) A new form of notation course was offered this winter. Assessing its perceived value will not be possible for some time. 3) Faculty have been encouraged to be more attentive to advising at the freshman level. 4) A general review of the curriculum will be undertaken as part of the reaccreditation process with NASD.

Faculty and other external reviewers have noted an increase in the technical skill accomplishments of dance majors. Some attribution for this may be due to the presence of somatic training in Bartenieff Fundamentals and Pilates in the curriculum which supplement physical training for dancers and have been prescribed for dance majors and minors who are not performing well in technique classes. Future assessment efforts should monitor the relationship of somatic training to the technical proficiencies of the dance major.

Addendum: The expanded student survey identified somatic study and asked students what value they place on it in relation to the development of technical proficiency. Initial reviews of responses seems to identify it as a positive contributor to their training.

The strong visiting artist program supported by the college provides an opportunity for students to test their achievement levels in the wide variety of standards and aesthetics these guests present. Guest artists may visit the school for teaching and performing residencies for anywhere from two days to eight weeks in lecture, studio and production courses. They contribute to our assessment efforts by writing their perceptions of student achievement levels for our files. Some are on campus long enough to contribute to the grading of students with whom they work.

Addendum: A School portfolio that compiles visiting artist assessments of student proficiencies has been developed. A review of the materials collected over time from external reviewers may afford us a different perspective of our program and provide information that would be helpful.

Performance by OU dancers at the 1998 American College Dance Festival in the work of two senior level choreographers was commended for distinction by adjudicators. One of these was selected for inclusion in a gala concert. Since 1976 Choreography from Ohio University has been included in twenty Gala Concert Productions in recognition of outstanding and distinctive creative and performance work.

Professor Emerita Vickie Blaine, Ohio State University, reviewed the Winterdance Concert '98 performance. She noted the high percentage of dance majors cast in the concert (50%) and the very high level of artistry and skill they demonstrated. Commenting on the performance of a visiting artist’s work she said,"Elkins made absolute kinesthetic sense, especially to the young gifted dancers, the effective translators of this highly charged work...What a special opportunity for the OU dancers to be challenged by a work of this noted visiting artist. They brought it alive and are to be congratulated for realizing its spirit and form."

Other comments from guest artists to the school consistently note the receptivity of Ohio dancers and the level of preparation they present. These guests have included faculty from: other universities, dance companies and disciplines: Jackie Villamil - ballet, (NYU); Tere O’Connor - modern, (NYU); Roger Copeland - dance historian/critic, (Oberlin); Stephen Brown - modern, (Utah); Linda Sohl Donnell - modern/tap/arts administration, (Los Angeles); Tom Evert - modern, (Cleveland); Doug Elkins - choreography, (NYC).

Achievement of current dance students

In 1998 two of our dance majors received internships and scholarships to the prestigious American Dance Festival at Duke University. Previous performance of Ohio University in positions of responsibility contributed to the internship awards which are

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highly competitive. An honors student received an internship to Dance Theater Workshop in NYC. A junior has received an internship to perform with a summer theater company in Indiana. A sophomore will go on leave to perform and tour internationally with a well respected Irish dance company in the fall of 1998. A dance/biology major has completed certification in Pilates Training Method, in part through her work in the School of Dance.

Dance majors continue to perform in companies during break periods. Winter break affords them the opportunity to work in regional productions of The Nutcracker Ballet, a big money maker for many regional dance companies. Several have been able to do internships in arts administrative positions during this peak production time for dance companies.

Writing skills for additional information, see #3 above.

Faculty continue to implement more writing in classes, work to clarify the writing assignments given in studio and lecture classes, and refine the kinds of feedback given on papers. Student papers are collected and kept on file so that we will have samples of written work to review for this essential skill development at future retreats. As a byproduct of these efforts we note that students are getting the message that writing is a valued skill in the dance major.

Technology

A course in videography for dancers was offered in conjunction with Telecommunications this spring. A showing of work produced through the class was highly successful, and we hope to offer it annually.

We have moved forward in our efforts to implement the use of Lifeforms, a movement software program for body animation through the purchase of the platform and a very modest computer lab set up.

The utilization of technology as a component of education in the major is a heated topic of debate among the faculty. The general feeling is that technology is a tool, not a core component of curricula but students clearly need experience with computer technology. Faculty continue to wrestle with its appropriate use in our program.

a. Technology will continue to impact our program. It must not shift the focus of the major program away from the production of art through the use

and comprehension of the body as instrument. Its appropriate exploration and incorporation into the curriculum will need more investigation and deliberation.

As we begin to develop courses which incorporate technology and new directions in the field, such as the previously mentioned somatic training courses, pressures of increased credit hour and work loads are felt. This

necessitates a future examination and reconfiguration of curricular requirements in the major.

Discussions will continue regarding fine tuning the mission statement of the School specifically in relation to the implicit goals of the program. Faculty fellowship leaves will reduce significantly the presence of Group I faculty in the academic year 1998-1999. We have therefore, postponed our accreditation review by National Association of Schools of Dance until 1999-2000. Reexamination of our mission statement and goals, objectives and methods can not be conducted until that time.

b. A new comprehensive dance major and minor survey (96 questions) was administered for the first time June 1, 1998. It addressed the perceived value of curricular areas, advising, visiting artists, preparation for work in the field, quality of classes, and facility issues.

38 of the 51 surveys distributed were returned. Students were very forthcoming in these surveys and in a surprising number of instances wrote extensive answers elaborating their views. All written answers will be transcribed before faculty review the results. The faculty will review the results of the complete survey prior to writing the school self study for reaccreditation.

The survey quoted the mission statement of the school and included questions regarding student perception of the extent to which they think the School accomplishes its stated objectives. Although numerical responses have not yet been fully tabulated, a quick review of the responses to this question revealed all but four respondents ranked the "extent to which you think the dance program has fulfilled the mission statement" as four or five on a five point scale. One respondent gave the program a two and the three remaining ranked the program three out of five.

Plans are to administer the survey in successive spring terms.