Most of the new students in the dance program at Minnesota State University knew it was where they wanted to be. But as with any new situation, they wondered how they would fit in.
For three of the first-year students involved in this weekend’s Fall Dance Concert, they have found a welcoming environment that encourages them to get better. Of the 37 dancers involved, several are members of the largest cohort of incoming dance majors in several years.
“I don’t exactly know what I expected, but I have loved my experience so far here in the dance program,” said Addie Putman, a dance major from Lakeville.
As with many dance majors, Putman started dancing early, at age 3. She attended a studio that is ballet-based but took classes in other styles as she explored how she wanted to focus her love of dance.
“I chose MSU because when I visited prior to becoming a student here, I liked the feel of the dance department and enjoyed the shows that I attended,” she said. Her first semester has been filled with new experiences, dance styles and opportunities.
She will perform in “Quintessence of Dust,” choreographed by Dance Chair Daniel Stark, and “b(80)dyARTS,” by Twin Cities-based Andreas Guest Artist Darrius Strong.
Ella Potocnik, who grew up in Mankato, is pursuing a BFA in dance and marketing double major. Not only is she in her hometown, but she was greatly influenced, she said, by her dance teacher, Mikayla Sherping, a recent MSU dance graduate.
“This art form has brought me so much joy and clarity in life. I want to be able to pass that onto generations to come,” she said about dance. That feeling was enhanced through the welcoming atmosphere in her “new home,” especially from choreographers and professors.
She also will perform in Stark’s “Quintessence of Dust” as well as “Boots of Lead,” choreographed by Stephanie Gilder.
Like Putman, Rosemarie Anderson has been dancing since she was 3, but with a focus on contemporary dance. The dance major from Broomfield, Colorado, also was influenced by an MSU alumnus who was a teacher/mentor for her.
Anderson felt welcomed right away, in part because of the large incoming class, she said.
“Being a part of a larger incoming class aided in this because so many of us were in a new and unfamiliar environment,” Anderson said. “Of course, many of us also auditioned for as much as we could, which brought in a competitive nature, but I can proudly say that I could walk up to any of the freshmen and start up a conversation without any awkwardness.”
She also is in “Boots of Lead,” as well as “Missed Calls” and “unSeen — rhythms in the dark,” choreographed by faculty member Yukina Sato and MFA student Parisha Rajbhandari.
While some college majors, and dance programs at other schools, don’t allow for early engagement in activities, MSU’s dance major has so many opportunities that involvement from the start is almost required. And that allows added learning.
“Previously, I was in dances where the choreographer would already have formations, movement and counts ready to teach the dancers,” Putman said. “This semester I learned what it’s like to put together a dance and go through that creative process.”
Potocnik gained inspiration from above.
“One of my favorite, and most surprising, parts of the rehearsal process is the lighting process that comes with dance,” she said. “Both pieces that I perform have dramatic and captivating lighting scenes.”
In Strong’s piece, Anderson has been introduced to house dance, a freestyle street dance that originated from the house music scene in Chicago and New York. She has enjoyed the unique style that includes a DJ and MC.
“During the first rehearsal, most of us knew very little about house dance. So, going from just learning the basics to creating a piece where each of the dancers put a little bit of themselves into the choreography was super interesting and fun,” she said.
All dancers will perform three times in the Fall Dance Concert, with additional opportunities in the Student Dance Showcase, which is choreographed, designed, produced and performed by students, the following day.