This New Virtual Festival Centers BIPOC and LGBTQ+ Artists

BlackLight Summit, a new initiative convening BIPOC and LGBTQ+ dance artists around themes of legacy, citizenship and scholarship, culminates in a virtual festival March 4–6. Hosted by the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland, the festival plans to offer classes, workshops and performances led by emerging contemporary dance artists. In developing […]

6 Things Dance Majors Should Do As They Prepare to Graduate

As graduation day looms, college seniors might find themselves reeling with both excitement and dread. “They have to navigate this tender moment where they’re opening their wings and about to jump out of the dance department and wondering if the ground is going to catch them,” says Courtney Harris, interim chair of the dance and […]

Are Dancers' Brains Wired Differently?

Dancers are masters of multi-tasking. Performing a series of steps on stage while portraying a character and making a split-second change from a single to a double pirouette is no problem, but no coincidence either. Dancers’ brains appear to be programmed differently from non-dancers’ brains. Studies at the University of Maryland in partnership with the […]