Dancers work to raise awareness

Published: Friday, November 21, 2008

USU’s Dance Company, Full Circle, performed along with the hip-hop group Vilociti, the Big Band Swing Club, the Ballroom Team and many other USU dance clubs Thursday night at the Unity Through Diversity dance show, held at the TSC in the Evan N. Stevenson Ballroom.

The event was one of many awareness efforts made by Krissy Smith, junior majoring in social studies composite secondary education, and several other dancers who are all working to get a dance program here at USU.

“Tonight was a great way to raise awareness, not just with my teams, but with ballroom, with ballet, with all of these other groups that do so much. They all need their chance to shine and to let us know they are here,” Smith said.

Melissa Howes, junior majoring in family, consumer, and human development, who also choreographed the evenings contemporary piece, ‘“Stand by Me” said, “I would love to see a dance program here. I think we are such a big university that I don’t understand why we don’t have one. If we want to compete with other schools to get students up here, we need to have bigger and better programs.”

Smith said she has been working closely with HASS Dean Yolanda Flores Niemann to get a dance program.

“We approached the new dean at the beginning of the year and we have been working with her, sending out petitions to all the high schools, the USU extensions and some of the other junior colleges to find out if they would support or be interested in a dance program, so that is kind of where we are going. We are also working right now with ASUSU in trying to get a petition down at the ASUSU information desk and we are hoping that will take affect next week,” Smith said.

The petition form states, “By signing this petition, you are saying that you would support and be interested in a dance program at USU. Your signing does not mean that you are required to major or minor in dance or attend USU. It only expresses interest and support.”

Smith said she was pleased with the event, and the awareness it raised of USU dance talent.

“It went so well,” Smith said. “We had a really diverse group, and we felt very overwhelmed with the amount of people who showed up and we are grateful for that support.”