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The department of theatre and dance at The University of Alabama wants to grow the arts in Alabama while preparing future theatre and dance majors to pursue their dreams.

To that end, hundreds of Alabamians take part in free programs and workshops hosted by the department each year.

“We try to make theatre and dance more accessible. We always ask how we can bring the arts to more people,” said Asterilla Monteiro, instructor of arts management and business operations coordinator. “UA is a knowledge hub with resources to approach schools in pockets of the state with not as much access to the arts.”

Cerebral Palsy Engagement Workshop

One of theatre and dance’s newer programs, which is uniquely impactful, provides dance classes for adults with cerebral palsy.

The workshop is conducted by 12 student volunteers who are both dance and non-dance majors. They work with United Cerebral Palsy of West Alabama clients for one hour each Friday through the fall and spring semesters.

“We focus on coordination, body movement and whatever the student needs to work on. We just do it through dance,” said the workshop’s director Katie Crews, a junior double major in communicative disorders and dance. “Each class is a different style, including jazz, hip-hop, improv, contemporary and ballet.”

CP is a neurological disorder that affects movement and posture. Research shows participating in dance exercises can help improve balance, gait, walking and cardiorespiratory fitness for individuals with CP.

But program director for UCPWA Heather Jones said the participants get more from the partnership than the physical benefits and learning about dance.

“The students have expressed that they love that regardless of their limitations, they are included in the class and dance as a group,” she said. “Our staff love seeing our folks’ faces light up when participating in the class.”

That feeling is mutual for the UA student volunteers.

“The pluses for us are that we’re building friendships and relationships with them and getting to track their progress with them, too,” Crews said.

High School Theatre and Dance Festival

While the cerebral palsy workshops have been going on for four years, the department has been promoting a love of the performing arts among K-12 students for over a decade.

The High School Theatre and Dance Festival is a favorite event among teens across the state, drawing up to 80 student participants each year.

The day-long event led by faculty and graduate students explores the many avenues within the performing arts, including those beyond acting and dancing.

“With the festival, we try to have diverse options so students can also explore technical areas like sound, lighting, design and costumes,” Monteiro said.

Students participating in the festival also have the chance to watch performances by current theatre and dance students, explore UA’s campus and meet representatives from various student organizations.  

Vocal Coaching and Mentoring

The theatre side of outreach efforts includes engaging vocal coaching and mentoring with Dr. Bill Martin, the department’s director of vocal instruction, and Dr. Luvada Harrison, associate professor of musical theatre.

Martin and Harrison offer a masterclass for auditioning for high school and middle school students around Alabama. They’ve worked with schools around Mobile and Montgomery. They’ve also worked with Tuscaloosa Academy, Hillcrest High School and Hueytown High School. Depending on the school, Martin and Harrison coach anywhere from 10 to 30 students each workshop.

 “The majority of students we work with want to be musical theatre majors but maybe they don’t know the fundamentals just yet,” Martin said.

This program created by Martin is centered on helping students who may not have the resources and access to this professional training.

“Bill has come to work with my students several times over the last five to six years,” said Brent Jones, Hillcrest High School’s theatre instructor. “The students often comment on the fact that Bill reveals tips and tricks for specific improvements they can make vocally and with character performance within the songs they are singing for theatre competitions.”

Jones added that as their teacher he enjoys seeing what the students take away from the masterclass. “I like the fact that Bill has the ability to diagnose specific issues and helps them understand techniques that improve their singing.”

Dance Alabama Student Film Festival

The Dance Alabama Student Film Festival started in 2017 and is held each spring. It’s a collaboration between UA’s department of theatre and dance and a middle or high school within Alabama.

“Who we collaborate with can often change and last year we worked with the Tuscaloosa Magnet Middle School,” said Liz Pack, DAFF’s director and an undergraduate student in the department of theatre and dance. The department previously worked with Montevallo Elementary School.

Some may wonder what a film festival has to do with theatre and dance. Pack explains just what that could mean for participating students.

“We create what is called a ‘screen dance,’ which is a film that is centered around the art of dance,” she said. “Last February, we met every Friday with the students and worked with them to create their films and had awards at the end.”

Pack feels that everyone involved has an important takeaway from the workshops.

“It’s certainly a résumé builder for UA students and our faculty advisors are a huge influence on us and the program,” she said. “But it’s also a great learning experience for first-time filmmakers.”

Learn more about their outreach programs and all things theatre and dance by visiting theatredance.ua.edu.