Welcome to Gustavus Adolphus College’s Student Stories Series!
American College Dance Association Conference Attendee
Major: English and Spanish
What was your career opportunity/experience (i.e. internship, shadowing experience, research)?
I went to ACDA Conference in Stevens Point, WI, which stands for American College Dance Association. The event included master classes from all genres of dance, as well as the opportunity to watch choreographed dances from collegiate students and faculty.
How did you get the opportunity/experience? What steps did you take to achieve this?
This opportunity was presented to me because I am a member of the Gustavus Dance Collective. All dancers that were a part of the Collective were asked if they would be interested in attending ACDA, and I expressed my interest. From there, I was put on the attendance list and given a spot in the conference.
Tell us more about your accomplishment.
The ACDA experience was very enriching for me, and everyone involved, because it allowed me to try forms of dance that I had never even heard of before. I took an afro-dance master class, which was something completely new for me. We learned about different afro-dance styles from Nigeria, Ghana, and other South African countries. I was also able to take an advanced ballet course that challenged the way I perceived my core and the way my core muscles work. Furthermore, I was able to gain a lot more insight on choreographing and ideas for how to play with music for projects I have in the future.
Who were some of the people who helped you most at Gustavus to get this opportunity? What did you learn from them?
Some of the people at Gustavus that helped me obtain this opportunity were the dance faculty, including Jill Patterson, Melissa Rolnick, Sarah Hauss, and Kristi Borowy. All of these women played a vital role in organizing and orchestrating ACDA, and it taught me that each moving part of a project is important. It helped me see that even if your job is “small” in the grand scheme of things, it still counts to do that job well because ultimately it will play into the overall success of the event.
How did the Engaged Learning Funds help you be able to complete this experience?
To be able to attend a conference like this, as well as fuel my body with the foods that I need to dance, costs quite a bit of money. As a college student, money is an easy stressor. However, with the help of the Engaged Learning Fund, I was able to channel my energy into gaining the most out of this experience rather than worrying about how I would be able to pay for it, or if I would have been able to pay for it at all.
How have you applied things you’ve learned here at Gustavus to this opportunity? (i.e., Career & Self Development, Communication, Critical Thinking, Equity & Inclusion, Leadership, Professionalism, Teamwork, Technology)
Something that Gustavus has really opened my eyes to is the power of listening and understanding different perspectives and ways of life. In the dance world, it’s also so important to understand different ideologies when it comes to HOW to move your body. When you translate a movement into terms that your body can understand, it expands the range of movement you can do astronomically. You can become a better dancer, choreographer, and collaborator. While at ACDA, I was very purposeful about listening and understanding different ways to go about translating movements into my body and I believe that this helped me take away more from the experience.
