Butler University in Indianapolis

[Guest dancing.silhouette.]

I'm going to be a senior in high school this fall and I'm starting to look into colleges for next year. So Butler Uni. sent me something in the mail, I looked into their website and I'm very interested. I was wondering if anyone on this site is involved with this dance department or could tell me more about it? Pretty please?

 

I hope I put this in the right place. I'm still relatively new to this forum.

[Victoria Leigh]

Butler has a good reputation for it's dance department, dancing.silouette. I believe there is also an active performing group there. One of my students just visited there and loved it! She will be doing the audition for their ballet department in October or November. One of our chaperones from this summer graduated from there and I believe she was quite happy there too.

[Banana Feet]

I'm a student at Jordan College Academy of Dance, which is connected to Butler University. The University program is really good and I've enjoyed working with them when I've had the opportunity to. I know that they have at least 3 performing opportunities during the year (Nutcracker, Midwinter Dance Festival, and a spring ballet) and seniors choreograph their own piece and appear in front of artistic directors who are invited in to watch them take a class and stay that night for the performance of Midwinter.

The dancers that come out of Butler are excellent. A few of the recent/few years back company placements that I know of: a few at Louisville Ballet, Ballet Magnificant, Dance Kaleidescope (modern company in Indianapolis), Ballet Internationale, Nashville Ballet, and many others.

The teachers there are excellent. I really enjoyed working with Michelle Jarvis, who is now the head of the dance department.

I hope I helped a little bit. If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me!

[Guest dancing.silhouette.]

I'm happy to hear that. Thank you Ms. Leigh and Banana Feet!

[Guest nln87]

The co-artistic director of our professional company where I live said in her opinion Butler is the best college dance program out there. I'm a junior in high school and live in california and also am interested in a dance program when I graduate but i dont know if I could afford private out of state tuition. I'm thinking about UC Irvine. Its in southern calif. and is the best ballet program in calif.

[ballet-a-holic]

Does anyone know what percent of butler's graduates go on to dance professionally and what percent chose other endeavors? And also how many they accept into the program? Thanks

Edited August 18, 2004 by ballet-a-holic

[Swanilda]

Out of our graduating class of 20+, 5 (three girls and two boys) have contracts for next season. One other girl is attending an SI with hopes of a traineeship. One other girl was in discussion with a touring musical theatre production-- she didn't have a contract yet, but things were looking good. As for the rest, some are moving to NYC or Chicago to try their luck there, and I know of one who has given up dance entirely. I'm happy to answer further questions on Butler, but would prefer to do it in a PM, if you don't mind . The training IS excellent, but the environment is not for the faint-hearted.

[Guest dancing.silhouette.]

I'm so glad to hear such wonderful things about this program!

 

Swanilda- I would pm you, but I can't figure out how to do it on this site. What exactly do you mean 'not for the faint hearted'? I'm sure its a hard program to get into. I'm planning on minoring in dance and majoring in psychology (Combining my two loves-- I want to be a dance therapist actually). Forgive me- its a bit off-topic, but does anyone know anything about the psych. department?

[ballet-a-holic]

Thank you very much!

[Victoria Leigh]

dancing.siloutte, you are still a new member, so you don't have Private Message privileges yet. When you reach 30 posts and two weeks here, you will automatically become a full member, and at that time you can do Private Messaging to anyone else who is a member of Ballet Talk

[Guest dancing.silhouette.]

Ah, I get it now. ;) Thank you Ms. Leigh.

[kiki]

I have also heard very good things about the ballet program at Butler. I also know a few people who are very very happy at Indiana University!! Just out of curiosity

Swanilda, would you be able to tell us which companies hired the Butler dancers? You can PM me if you want! Thanks, and good luck dancing.silhouette!!!

[qtpiedanzer01]

swanilda i am interested in what companies also took the butler dancers. were you offered a contract anywhere?

[Swanilda]

I don't want to post what companies accepted people from our class on a public forum because of privacy issues. Yes, I was offered 3 apprentice positions and a full contract, which I have accepted. Generally, the companies we look at and are accepted to are small to mid- sized regional companies, either classical or modern.