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Dance, B.A. | Class of
Lizzie Chapman
Master Teaching Artist (Dance and Musical Theatre)
Employer: Spindrift School Of Performing Arts
Job description: As Master Teaching Artist at Spindrift School, I help build curriculum in the Dance and Musical Theatre departments of my school while also teaching a full schedule of various classes. Currently, I am teaching Kindergarten-5th Grade drama at the local elementary school through an artist-in-residence program while also teaching an array of dance and musical theatre classes for students aged 18 months to adult. We currently hold two dance recitals a year and I typically direct/choreograph up to 10 musical theatre performances per year, most of which I create the scripts for.
About Lizzie
Why did you choose this program?
Dance has always been a therapeutic passion of mine. Dancing at HSU allowed me to tell stories through my art that I wasn’t always necessarily willing to tell through any other channel. While I started my dance journey at HSU in pursuit of a Dance minor, I truly found a home in my dance classes that inspired me to make the change to make dance my major and ultimately my life.
How did this program prepare you for your job?
The HSU Dance program gave me the skills in and out of the classroom that I believe make me a strong and capable dance educator today. The Dance Education concentration gave me the tools to command my own classroom with confidence while being very flexible to all student needs. I also really valued my time in the dance production class which gave me the perfect opportunity to train as a production manager, which is a skill I not only use regularly for my classes, but beyond my work experience and in the Bay Area Theatre Community.
What did you enjoy most about the program?
I loved the variety of classes! The HSU program included technique classes, dance history classes, dance science (one of my favorites!) and choreography and production classes! I truly felt like the program (especially integrated with the theatre arts program) was so well-rounded that I felt like I graduated as a jack of all trades!
What would you say to prospective students who are thinking about applying to this program?
When I came into my first dance class as a freshman, I was so intimidated. I came to HSU with only about 5 years of dance experience, mostly in Fosse-style jazz, salsa and African dance. I prepared to feel completely out of place in that first ballet class, but that was not the case. I thank all the dance staff at HSU for creating space and opportunity to grow, no matter what your “starting line” looks like. Humboldt State Dance was and is incredibly inclusive to dancers of all passions and skill levels and can be incredibly transformative not just in terms of technique, but also in terms of community, artistry, and self.