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BY YINGJIA WANG

In print | Published January 31, 2008

The tussle for rehearsal space between the college’s extra-curricular dance groups and its dance students approaches a potential solution this semester. The dance department is implementing a new space reservation system that will give priority to students of the department.

Citing a significant increase in the number of dance majors and minors this semester, Director of the Dance Program Sharon Friedler explains that the dance studios in the Lang Performing Arts Center are for curricular, rather than extra-curricular, activities “first and foremost.”

As a result, dance groups on campus such as Rhythm-n-Motion and Terpsichore will no longer have easy access to rehearsal spaces in LPAC.

“In the past, there were sign up sheets outside the studios, anyone could just sign up. The problem occurred when there was an increasing number of majors and minors who were blocked out of rehearsal space by people who may have a really strong extra-curricular interest, but who, however, are not being graded on the work they do in the studios,” Friedler said.

Starting this semester, non-curricular students wishing to reserve space may do so on a weekly basis through the dance department’s administrative assistant, who has the master schedule for the department’s spaces.

Rhythm-n-Motion co-Director Carmella Ollero ‘09, who has also participated extensively in Terpsichore but is not a member of that group’s leadership, explained Rhythm-n-Motion’s reaction to the change.

“I think, as a group, we were definitely surprised. I guess we’ve taken for granted that we’ve been offered a space on an informal level, so the whole thing was kind of a shock. But I think the whole group understands why this has happened,” Ollero said.

Both extra-curricular dance groups on campus and the dance department have met with members of the college administration to find possible solutions to the space problem. According to Ollero, members of the Rhythm-n-Motion executive board spoke with deans Myrt Westphal, Darryl Smaw and Raphael Zapata.

“We talked to the deans at the end of last semester to see the precedent for this decision and to get ideas on what to do for this semester,” Ollero said.

“The deans were very receptive. One benefit of going to them is that they’re very much on our side to get [new] space, so when [the topic of finding new rehearsal space] comes up in meetings they’ll be supportive of us,” she said. Recognizing that no easy solution is on the horizon, Rhythm-n-Motion is already discussing moving rehearsals off of the Swarthmore campus. According to Ollero, the group may capitalize on its Tri-Co status by holding some practices on the Haverford and Bryn Mawr College campuses.

Friedler has also met with President Al Bloom, Provost Constance Hungerford and Vice President for Facilities and Services Stu Hain to discuss alternative practice spaces for extra-curricular dance groups. One popular idea is Upper Tarble.

“We’ve been asked to look for spaces that won’t interfere with academic or athletic programs, and Upper Tarble’s one of those spaces,” Hain said.

According to both Friedler and Hain, Upper Tarble is a viable option because it has a sprung wooden floor that is safe and appropriate for dancing. Unfortunately, Upper Tarble does not have mirrors, but that problem may be resolved by purchasing portable mirrors for use in the space. In addition, Upper Tarble is already a popular space for extra-curricular groups and as a performance venue, so scheduling for the space will become even tighter with the addition of dance groups.

Hain mentioned another possible solution as renovating some of the other spaces on campus, such as an old wrestling room in Tarble Pavilion that is currently used by martial arts groups.

Hain also emphasized the need to identify both long term and short term solutions.

“The next couple of semesters might be a struggle, but we’ll keep working at the solution. As long as people work together and stay flexible, we’ll solve most of the problems,” Hain said.

“We won’t solve all of them, however, because space will continue to be less available,” Hain said.

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