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Chaney students dancing for college credit
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
Chaney Visual and Performing Arts students Teresa Crum, Keshona Harris, Asia Jones and Angel Collins are among the first.
They’re earning college credit in the dance classes they’re taking while in high school.
This is the first year that’s been an option for Chaney dance students. It’s part of an expansion of Youngstown State University’s College in High School, which allows students to earn college credit at the same time they’re earning credit for the high-school class.
Tracy Schuler Vivo, Chaney VPA coordinator, said the five students are enrolled for college credit with the possibility of two more later this year.
“And we expect it to grow from here,” she said.
The school worked with Bryan
DePoy, dean of YSU’s College of Creative Arts and Communication, and dance faculty to ensure Chaney’s dance courses matched the freshman level at YSU.
“We’re thankful to YSU,” Vivo said.
Though the girls, all seniors and all 17, either don’t plan to major in dance or haven’t yet chosen a major, they say the credit they earned in those high-school classes will still benefit them.
“It still counts as an elective,” Teresa said.
She plans to major in criminal justice.
DePoy said the number of students enrolled at this early stage is a great start, and he credits Schuler Vivo.
“The more students get involved in the arts, the more successful they’ll be in a college or university setting,” he said.
Aligning the Chaney program with the YSU dance curriculum involves ensuring that the instruction is college level, DePoy said. What facilitates that with Chaney is that the dance faculty are YSU dance alumni.
DePoy said there are plans to expand the College in High School program at Chaney to include theater and communication.
“The Chaney VPA school really is a treasure of the community,” he said.
Angel is considering a dance management minor. She’s thinking about opening a dance studio after graduating from college.
The girls all performed — both together and in other ensembles — in the school’s recent production, “Dance for the Children.” The production paid tribute to the children’s hospitals in the region with each performance inspired by works of art, children or both.
Before coming to Chaney, the girls had some dance experience: performing hip-hop in talent shows, miming with their church groups. But what they’ve learned in school is a lot different.
The first year, they worked on modern and jazz.
“I really got into it,” Teresa said.
Their sophomore year, they moved on to ballet, and that was a big adjustment. At first it was difficult, but she said she grew to understand that ballet is to dance like English is to every other subject in school — it provides the structure.
That gave Teresa an appreciation for the dance style, and performing ballet makes her feel poised.
Still, modern is her favorite. “It makes me feel grounded,” Teresa said.
Asia never thought of herself as a very good dancer. Her classmates disagree, but Asia says her movements were too stiff, too cheerleader-like.
But she does consider herself an artist and she’s been able to hone her skills and sharpen her creativity through her classes.
“It helps me to express myself,” Asia said.