OU Think You Can Dance
The School of Dance makes room for exploration.
Story by Kate Hayes
Photos by Claira Kimble | Design by Ally Parker
Ohio University's School of Dance is not one size fits all. The program, founded around 50 years ago in 1969, creates a well-rounded individual who overcomes the stigma of “just being a dancer.” Through the program, students can earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in performance and choreography, a Bachelor of Arts in dance, and an option of a dance minor. Professors are able to work closely with students due to the small faculty-to-student ratio, creating a community of support and safe critics that improve students’ work daily.
Christine Camper Moore is a professor in the School of Dance. “[The school] really feels like an incredibly supportive environment that produces really exceptional work,” she says. Professors work to redefine dance across their classes and create strong relationships with students even after they leave OU. Within the curriculum of the School of Dance, students learn the skills of composition-learning, how to create dance, and exploration of movement and choreography.
According to the Ohio University's School of Dance website, “Our modern dance approach prepares students for bold creative professional careers through a comprehensive foundation in choreography and performance with an understanding of the theory and history of dance.”
The School of Dance is not heavily funded and smaller programs seem to get lost among bigger schools in the university. Moore says this program may be “small, but it is mighty,” with strong relationships among students, alumni and faculty. The entirety of School of Dance meets every Friday to give each other feedback, advice, and to work together as a community.
There are two clubs hosted by the School of Dance that people may be able to join: The Movement and the Athens Black Contemporary Dance. However, all university students can take dance classes..
Milo Bathory-Peeler, a junior in the School of Dance, is from Massachusetts and said he grew up in an artistic household with their mom as a dancer and their dad as a musician. Starting out with Irish dancing, Bathory-Peeler moved on to different types of dances in seventh grade. While having opportunities to dance in Barcelona, Spain, and London, Bathory-Peeler still has a great love for OU’s School of Dance. However, there are other factors that led Bathory-Peeler to OU.
“I ended up choosing OU because of the Honors Tutorial College and the independence that it offers me … the other thing that really drew me to OU was the compositional focus in the dance program,” Bathory-Peeler says. OU’s Honors Tutorial College (HTC) gives students the ability to have control over their learning experiences and also helped Bathory-Peeler find a study abroad program that gave them just what they were looking for.
During the fall semester of 2023, Bathory-Peeler studied abroad in London at The London Contemporary Dance School, which is a part of a bigger school called The Place. While in London, Bathory-Peeler created a solo work called Every Truth We Hold Sacred, which involved a poem written and spoken during the performance. During their sophomore year, Bathory-Peeler worked on a project with fellow dance and HTC student, Maralee Joyner. Their project was called Hone. Hone was completely created and performed by Joyner and Bathory-Peeler, and they also worked with Johanna Amaya, a percussionist and student at OU. Bathory-Peeler’s current project is a “junior project” where they cast and create a performance that will be showcased in April. Bathory-Peeler plans to be a freelance artist after graduation. They want to have control over their own work, schedule, and the companies they work with.
Emma Markins is a freshman at OU from Hurricane, West Virginia, with a double major in Dance and Hearing, Speech, and Language Sciences. Markins has danced for 15 years and plans to go to audiology school while teaching dance after she graduates. She aspires to continue her career in rural communities like Appalachia. Markins didn't know if she wanted to pursue dance or audiology in college, but she knew she couldn't see a life without dance. OU has given her the opportunity to pursue both.
“As soon as I met with the staff of the School of Dance and took class to audition, the choice was clear to me that dancing in college was the right step,” Markins says. Markins came to OU because she felt right at home in the School of Dance. Staff and upperclassmen have made her feel like she is seen and are always willing to talk to her and answer any questions she may have.
“All students in the School of Dance do some sort of work in the production aspect of our shows throughout their time in the School of Dance, which I think is very valuable to not only apply to their dance career in the future, but also to set OU students apart from other schools’ students who do not get production experience in their time as an undergraduate,” Markins says.
Markins will be performing in a first-year piece by Shaleigh Comerford and in a staff piece by Professor Katherine Moore for the Winter Dance Concert. Along with her involvement in the School of Dance, Markins is also the Assistant Vice President of Membership in Delta Zeta sorority, the President of the Boyd-Treudley Hall Council, a choreographer and morale captain for Bobcathon, and an 1804 Scholar.
The School of Dance continuously impacts students from all walks of life, as it encourages students to express themselves in various forms of art. Its values extend beyond OU’s campus by supporting students’ post-graduation and encouraging current students to embrace the morals and lessons they obtain while attending the School of Dance.