Radford University

[Happy_in_Md]

They have a dance program with a deep faculty including a couple with heavy Vaganova background, but the dept chair seems to be contemporary/modern.

 

They offer ballet thru advanced levels, but they only seem to offer classes on Mon-Tue-Thur & Fri.

 

They have dance scholarships available. And a newly refurbished venue. And they offer a BS (teaching) a BA (the "creative process?"), and a BFA (performance.)

 

And they keep sending DD "we want you" emails. LOL so I finally checked out the website. Seems worth a day trip visit - but before I get all the schedule in a tizzy just wondering if anyone here has any first hand info?

 

Obviously the merits of their moderm program are neither here nor there for us, but their ballet LOOKs like it might have promise? Comments?

 

Thanks.

 

Oh yes, the link: http://dance.asp.radford.edu/academicprogr...micprograms.htm

[Tiffany]

I don't have much helpful information--that is your warning before you read further. However, I have a friend from MS who liked Radford's theatre program so much that she went to college there. She got to do an internship in London, UK as part of her degree, working in technical theatre. She was very happy there. However, she did not tell me anything about their dance program, so I have no idea what that is like.

[Taradriver]

This is not specific to Radford, but it isn't unusual to see ballet tech listed as 4 days a week on the college level. Pointe class is usually listed as a couple of times a week. The reality is that center work in tech class is often done en pointe for more advanced dancers and that BFA students dance more like 6 days a week.

 

In my humble opinion, as mom of a BFA Ballet student at a different school, worth checking out.

[tab9496]

Does anyone have more current information on this program?

Thanks

[pasdechatchat]

Does anyone know about facilities of the Dance Department in RU?

 

How many studios are there for dance classes, and How is the theater for performances...?

 

I couldn't find so many photos about facilities in HP of RU, but

they look like a little bit old and small.

 

And does anyone know how many students are there in the Dance major?

[Reebs511]

I graduated from RU in 2000 and right after I left, the building where the dance program is housed was completely rennovated. I believe there are 3 large studios, a locker room, a lounge, and meeting rooms. From what I remember the last time I went back to visit, the studios have high ceilings, windows, and ample space. The area re-opened about 7 years ago, so everything is pretty new.

 

The theatre where most performances are held is quite large and has capabilities for staging full-length ballets.

 

I'd suggest getting in touch with the department chair, Margaret Devaney, for more specifics. (540) 831-5162 or mdevaney@radford.edu.

[pasdechatchat]

Thank you Reebs511 for your comments about RU dance facilities.

 

I am glad to hear the facilities was renovated recently.

 

May I ask you further questions about RU Dance?

 

How many students in the Dance majoir, and How is the ballet classs there?

[Reebs511]

Hi pas,

 

I don't know exactly how many students are in the program. When I was there, I believe there were about 60, but that was 10 years ago.

 

There were daily ballet classes during my time (at least 1.5 hours each) and pointe 2-3 days per week. Most of the year we were rehearsing for something, so there were also rehearsals 3-4 days per week.

 

Hope that helps!

[tutu2you]

What were the aspirations of the students in the dance department? Did they desire performing careers upon graduation, teaching positions, etc.? Does anyone know what the recent graduates have done for their careers?

[TeaTime]

I graduated from their program with a BFA back in '06. They did not have the BA when I was there, so I don't know what that's all about. Most of my classmates have gone on to be successful in the dance world in one way or another. Several have been offered contracts in companies, both ballet and modern, and more have completed the BS program and been offered positions in schools. Like anything else, it is what you make of it. I'll comb through my Facebook and see if I can come up with some notable achievements of my classmates. I believe there were about 80 students in the department when I was there.

 

I'm not 100% positive on this, but I think the reason the classes meet four days a week and not five is due to university scheduling requirements. But when I was there, the faculty were quite happy to allow students to drop in and take classes they weren't enrolled in, so I often dropped in on the Intermediate level ballet classes, especially on the day Advanced didn't meet. Pointe is a separate class. I think Pointe met twice a week for an hour and 15 minutes following Advanced ballet. Then, of course, there are the modern classes (yes, you have to take modern. No, it's not going to kill you) and rehearsals to contend with (casting in productions is by audition only), so there really wasn't much of a concern about not dancing enough. The department has four major performances each year, with one in December being all ballet. When I was there, they alternated Nutcracker every other year with a mixed classical repertory.

 

The studios are very nice. They're huge with very high ceilings. One is primarily for ballet and it has marley over a sprung wood floor and the other is primarily for modern and converts into a studio theater. There is also a Pilates room with Reformers in the main department and another small studio in the basement of one of the dorms, also newly renovated. The stage is of an ample size, and they put down marley on it for dance performances.

 

If you live in Virginia and are looking for an in-state school, Radford is your best bet for ballet. There is ballet at Shenandoah and VCU, but I haven't been terribly impressed by the dancers I've seen come out of those two schools, at least not as far as ballet is concerned. Yes, the department head is a modern dancer, but I really don't see what that has to do with the validation of their ballet. The ballet faculty has full control over their curriculum and instruction.

 

The only thing I didn't like about the program overall is that it is not tied to the theater program in any way. I transferred to Radford from East Carolina, where the dance department began as an offshoot of theater and the two have remained close over the years. The dance major program there had a theater minor built into it, and I thought that that was a really valuable relationship. I missed that at Radford. But even so, I think that I had a good experience there. I came away with valuable and useful information that i still draw on.

[pasdechatchat]

Thank you again Reebs511!

 

I am happy to hear they have ballet class every day.

 

And also, I appreciate Teatime giving much information about Radford.

 

Additionally, Could you tell me what kind of classical ballet repertoires do they have

at Radford?

 

Looking at HP, they probablly perform La Bayadère... Anything else?

[TeaTime]

We did La Bayadere and Sleeping Beauty when I was there, and La Sylphide the year after I left. And I don't know what beyond that, as I have not kept in touch.

[Georgia]

Hi TeaTime, I had a question about East Carolina. How is the quality of their dance program? Is the focus ballet or modern? Also, how did you like East Carolina overall as a school? Thanks

[pasdechatchat]

Thank you Teatime for your answer !

 

Now I believe Radford to have many wonderful classical bellet repertories.

[TeaTime]

Georgia, I will send you a private message so this thread does not go too far off topic.