The decision to pursue post-secondary training or education in Dance can often be met with challenges and biases surrounding this decision to pursue the Arts as a post-secondary degree. Some of those biases may include the lack of career opportunities, the lack of stability and the overall value of an education dance in supporting a competitive candidate in the job market. Despite these challenges, many dancers decide to pursue a post-secondary dance degree/diploma program, but often when they begin they soon realize it is not what they expected. I can certainly speak from my own experience with regards to the challenges I faced transitioning from a commercial studio to a post-secondary dance education institute. Why is the transition into post-secondary dance education so challenging for dancers, what roadblocks or misconceptions are there and how can dance educators better prepare their dancers for post-secondary dance studies? We will answer all of those questions and more, today, with the help of Ms. Jenfer Davies.

GUEST: Jenefer Davies is a Professor of Dance at Washington and Lee University and is the Artistic Director of the W&L Repertory Dance Company. She received an MFA in Choreography and Performance from The George Washington University and a MALS in Dance from Hollins University. Davies founded the contemporary modern dance company, Davies & Dancers and created one of the first academic programs in aerial dance in the country. Davies has been published in the International Planetarian Magazine, World Congress on Dance, the Nu Delta Alpha Journal and the Athens Institute for Research in the Arts Consortium, among others. She serves on the Editorial and Reviewer’s Board of the Athens Journal of Humanities and Arts and has reviewed dance proposals for Oxford University Press. Her book Aerial Dance: A Guide to Dance with Rope and Harness was published by Routledge Press in 2018 and she is currently writing a book on dance composition.

INSTA/TWIT: @jdayvvv

LINKEDIN: Jenefer Davies

Disclaimer: Any and all ideas and information presented in the following podcast are those of the presenter. The presenter is not an employee or representative of Dance Education Canada (DEC), and is participating in this podcast on a voluntary basis. The ideas and information they express do not necessarily represent the views of the DEC or its partners, employees or affiliates. The ideas and information expressed herein are for general educational purposes only. They should not necessarily be applied to specific individual situations. DEC recommends consulting an expert or professional regarding specific medical, legal or business concerns. DEC makes no representations about the accuracy or suitability of this content. Please note that Canada's National Academy of Dance Education is now operating as Dance Education Canada.