Scripps students who study dance prepare themselves for a world of exciting post-graduate opportunities. Dance students often continue to perform or choreograph. Others pursue careers or graduate study in arts administration, criticism, education, dance history, film, social work, dance therapy, or medicine.
However, Scripps dance majors and recreational non- majors are in need of more culturally and technically diverse courses and a state of the art space in which they can rehearse, study, choreograph, and perform. They need a new dance facility.
Discussions for a new building have been in the works for over 30 years, but none of the many scenarios
have materialized, leaving both students and faculty disappointed. Faculty and students nonetheless stay engaged in the creation of dance and the study of dance as art and culture.
The current facility consists of one studio space with a capacity for up to 20 students and an adjacent portable trailer that houses a small dressing room with two toilets.
According to a 2015 independent external review, the following issues result from having an inadequate dance facility:
- Lack of class space and inadequate scheduling.
With just one dance studio, booking studio dance courses is a challenge. Presently, studio space is maxed out, with 75 hours of scheduled usage per week for classes, faculty preparation, rehearsals, clubs, and workshops. There is insufficient space to offer the number of courses (major and non- major) in time slots that work for the students. - Recruitment roadblocks.
When prospective students come to tour campus, they are either not shown the dance facility at all, or if they find it, they are discouraged at its size and lack of amenities. For some students, this can rule out applying to Scripps altogether. - Lack of rehearsal space.
Rehearsal is critical not only for dances that will be shown in concert format, but also for class choreography assignments and for studio dance technique practice.
Alumna Loralyn Cropper ’84 – an ardent supporter of dance at Scripps – agrees that a new space is needed. Her $50,000 gift will assist with facility construction upon identification of a lead project donor. Says Loralyn, “A new center for dance will spotlight Scripps’ reputation in the performing arts. Enriched course offerings and a well-appointed space will elevate our program to the next level.”
The total projected building cost for a new dance center is approximately $8 million. The college seeks a naming gift of $4 million.
To learn more about how to help support a new dance facility at Scripps, please contact your personal advancement officer or call 909.621.8638.