If you ask Rodney Veal, Sinclair Adjunct Faculty Member, about informing students on the dance department, he would say it’s all about discovering movement.
“We strive to provide a
very professional and safe environment for the exploration of movement at Sinclair.” Veal said. “All are welcome.”
Veal, graduate of The Ohio State University, choreographs for several dance companies in the Miami Valley. He describes his life as “eclectically rich.” His ultimate goal is to make the dance program “one of the strongest two-year dance programs in the region.”
Although, Sinclair has no connection to other companies, Veal believes it’s important to engage with the community.
“We always try to help each other out,” Veal said.
Another faculty member, Erin Robbins, agrees with Veal. Her biggest hope is for more students to become informed about the dance classes Sinclair has to offer.
“Unfortunately, many students don’t know the program exists.
I believe when they announced years ago that Sinclair was no longer offering degrees in dance, people assumed that meant we were no longer offering dance classes either. That’s not at all
the case. We still have ballet, modern, jazz, Middle Eastern dance and, occasionally, tap. We also offer two general education lecture classes: dance history and dance appreciation,” Robbins said.
Veal believes Sinclair is an excellent place for every level. There are no pre-requisites; it’s open enrollment.
“If you have a desire to move, we have a class for you,” Veal said.
Jenny Hunley, liberal arts major, has been involved with the dance program for two years. She hopes to make a career out of dance.
“I have been taking ballet classes since I was thirteen. Dance is my passion and I seek to have a career in the future, and when I realized how wonderful the dance faculty is, I couldn’t not be a part of it,” Hunley said.
Robbins focuses her classes around educating the next generation in dance. It’s not about perfecting the art; it’s simply about exposing people to the history and movement of dance. She hopes to see the department grow.
“I would love to see Sinclair’s program go back to offering certificates, as well as degrees in dance.” Robbins said. “We’ve made major progress this past season by holding a dance concert, which hadn’t been done in five plus years.”
Cassandra Ortiz, American Sign Language and Deaf studies major, wishes she’d have free time to train.
“I wish that Sinclair would allow open studio time for dance students. Practice is important, play is important, and the ability to drill and have a great space to do it in would only help students succeed,” Ortiz said.
The dance department is all about opportunities for students. Veal believes it’s about providing classes on campus for people that don’t normally have access to take classes.
Hunley says the faculty is so welcoming and embrace all students no matter what.
“I know a lot of people are scared of taking dance because they are either scared of not being good enough, being judged, or because they simply think they’re not a good dancer, but the classes here at Sinclair are truly something special,” Hunley said. “As long as you want to dance, you are wanted in the dance classes here.”
Robbins said there’s something special about teaching dance and talking about the history of something she loves.
“I get a particular thrill when someone comes to me after class and says ‘You know, I didn’t think I even liked ballet at all, but after watching it, I really love it!’,” Robbins said. “I feel like I’m doing my part to educate the next generation of audience members for my art form.”
Veal and Robbins have similar views on teaching dance. It’s about the elements of each style. They both want to educate students as much as they can to give back to the community.
“We believe in teaching the elements of dance from alignment, to
spatial awareness, to musicality.” Veal said. “And now we can provide opportunities for the students to put into practice what has been learned through concerts and in-studio performances.”
Sinclair is about diversity, and the dance classes reflect that. Take this opportunity to explore movement. Veal recommends coming to watch the Theater and Dance Production this season. He believes this is the best way to get a chance to engage with the department.
“You never know, you might be inspired to take a class or audition,” Veal said.