{"id":16151,"date":"2019-10-31T10:59:51","date_gmt":"2019-10-31T10:59:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/?p=16151"},"modified":"2023-06-08T18:27:23","modified_gmt":"2023-06-08T18:27:23","slug":"introduction-to-dance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2019\/10\/31\/introduction-to-dance","title":{"rendered":"Class highlight: Beyond a dance routine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Motion<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\nBy Sean Park
\nPhotos by Mark Stone
\nCuriosity is more than just a value at the University of Washington Bothell. It is a part of the curriculum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students have \u201celective\u201d requirements \u2014 in addition to courses in their declared majors and minors \u2014 that encourage them to explore other interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One such course is BIS 134: Introduction to Dance, in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences<\/a>. Taught by lecturer Diana Garcia Snyder, the class is offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays in two separate sections and is a favorite for many students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIntroduction to Dance is meant to relieve stress and help students feel closer to their bodies,\u201d said Snyder. \u201cIt\u2019s a great way to remind students that our bodies are our instruments. It\u2019s not something we should take for granted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Different cultures, different dances<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For the first half of the quarter, students in the class explore ballet, contemporary dance and, Snyder\u2019s favorite, butoh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Dancers<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Originated in Japan, butoh is a powerful dance that focuses on the transformation of energy, emotion and limits of the body. Snyder came across butoh during her dance career when she was researching how movement is good for health. As a lecturer at the university and a professional dancer, she continues this research in addition to teaching at her own dance studio in Seattle \u2013 Motion33.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the second half of the class each quarter, Snyder selects a type of dance to teach that reflects the background of the students in that section. Every culture traditionally has its own type of dances, and she likes to tailor her course to help students become more familiar with their heritage or that of their classmates. For example, if there are many Latin American students, she will teach salsa to the entire class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students aren\u2019t the only ones receiving a history lesson through dance. Snyder is fascinated and just as much engaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have a very diverse population at UW Bothell, so I like to mix it up,\u201d said Snyder. \u201cA lot of times, I will study with students about their culture and get to learn new movements with them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breathe \u2013 it\u2019s good for you<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\nAt the start of every session, students break up into groups based on how they are feeling. They are asked to pay attention to their emotional state, such as identifying feeling energetic, stressed, angry, lethargic or anything in between. Depending on their emotional state, the students follow a particular sequence of inhales and exhales that helps them unwind and focus for the class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Some<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Snyder introduced these techniques after teaching for a few years and realizing many of her students were coming to class feeling anxious from their studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey weren\u2019t getting the full experience if they couldn\u2019t relax inside the studio,\u201d said Snyder. \u201cSo, I adjusted my class to teach them how to relax. Plus, it\u2019s a skill they can carry over to other parts of their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nThe addition of breathing exercises quickly became a cornerstone for her dance classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pair<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of my favorite aspects of the class is the warm-up at the beginning,\u201d said Elisa Sagisa, a sophomore majoring in Law, Economics and Public Policy. \u201cA lot of us get caught up in our academics and life outside of school, and the breathing exercises help us leave all our problems at the door.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sagisa had previously attended dance classes as a child but was \u201cinspired to dance again\u201d after taking Snyder\u2019s class. \u201cDiana is really passionate about dancing, and it makes everything more interesting,\u201d she said. \u201cShe really pushes the importance of having a creative outlet and the message that we can express how we feel in life through movement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snyder received her master\u2019s in Dance Education, Choreography and Research from the University of Washington, and says she loves teaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We put a lot of focus on our cognitive abilities,\u201d she said, \u201cbut we should never forget the importance of our body and our overall health.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the elective course, Introduction to Dance, lecturer Dianna Garcia Snyder gives students an outlet to relieve stress, promote overall health, share cultural traditions and creatively express how they feel through movement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_is_archived":false,"_archived_contact_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[202],"tags":[363],"school":[],"class_list":["post-16151","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-campus-news","tag-dance"],"acf":{"related_links":{"toggle_visibility":false,"link_1":null,"link_2":null,"link_3":null,"link_4":null,"link_5":null},"highlight_box":{"toggle_visibility":false,"title":"","content":"","button":null,"button_style":"angled-purple-button","button_screen_reader_text":""},"contact_type_1":{"toggle_visibility":true,"contact_title":"","email":"","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"contact_type_2":{"toggle_visibility":false,"contact_title":"","email":"","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"social_media":{"toggle_visibility":false,"facebook_url":"","instagram_url":"","linkedin_url":"","twitter_url":"","youtube_url":""},"blog_archive_sidebar_visibility":false},"yoast_head":"\nClass highlight: Beyond a dance routine - 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