Carolina Dance Initiative group gathers force

When senior Leslie Gordon eyed the nation’s liberal arts universities, she assumed she would be able to find a dance program anywhere.

She was wrong.

“I made the assumption that UNC would have a dance program because other liberal arts universities had programs,” Gordon said.

But instead of looking to transfer, she, along with other students, joined the Carolina Dance Initiative.

The group, which formed in 2010, works to unite all the dance groups at the University, said Tiffany Dysart, publicist for Carolina Dance Initiative.

“Our incentive is to show that there is a force on campus,” she said.

The possibility of a dance program came to the attention of Bruce Carney, executive vice chancellor and provost, two years ago, when he was the interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

He said he composed a committee of students and faculty members to discuss a program at that time.

“We are still trying to find a home for a dance minor,” he said. “It’s difficult now with budget cuts.”

Lauren Petersburg, president of the Carolina Dance Initiative, said she realizes the difficulties in starting a dance program at UNC.

“We’ve gone so long without a dance program that it would take a while to get one up and running,” she said.

Petersburg said she thinks the lack of a program is a detriment to University recruitment.

“The University loses a decent enough number of students that it should be noticed,” she said.

Dancers sometimes use the marley floor in the bottom of the Student Union to practice, but the floor is not an adequate space, Petersburg and Dysart said.

“What we do have of it is great, but it’s only so big,” Dysart said.

University officials recognize the interest in a dance program but face the issue of funding it, said Bill Andrews, associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences.

“The question is, how much will it cost?” Andrews said. “Can we afford it?”

Other issues include hiring dance professors and acquiring a sufficient space, Carney said.

“If I had to bet, if we could find space for a good floor, we could make it happen with enough student interest,” he said.

Reed Colver, UNC’s director of campus and community engagement, said the University has arranged for dance companies to come to campus and hold classes for students in previous years.

The Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet company held a master class for students Thursday, and others are slated to come later this year.

Last year was the first year classes were open to the public.

“With minimal advertising, we filled every class to capacity,” Colver said.

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.