Wallace State Dance offering Dance for Home School program and on demand online classes this fall!

DanceDance

Do you love to dance and want to pursue a career in dance performance, choreography, or education? Would you like to develop professional level dance technique and uninhibited artistic expression while earning college credit?

If so, then the Dance Program at WSCC is a great place for you. Our program will help you develop professional practice skills, grow in your understanding and appreciation of dance as an art form, and pursue dance as a possible career choice. Essentially, we offer a conservatory approach to studying dance in a liberal arts setting, combined with professional-caliber performance opportunities. WSCC’s goal is to produce technically strong and artistically expressive dancers who are sought after for their professionalism and ability to easily adapt to the broad range of styles demanded of today’s dance professionals. This program develops skills needed to pursue industry career options or further education at a four-year college or university program.

The WSCC Dance program has opportunities available in the form of Associates Degrees and in Short-Term Certificates. The General Studies Associate Degree offers two dance focuses, one in Dance Performance and one in Dance Education.  Two Short-Term certificates are also available with concentrations, in Choreography and in Teaching Ballet. You may also audition for Allegro Dance Theater, the WSCC dance company, where you will have the opportunity to perform and choreograph for annual performances, and festivals, while observing other college dance students and professional companies perform, take master classes, service learning and outreach programs, and study abroad.

Participation in Allegro Dance Theatre at Wallace State
     Associates in Science Degree with a Concentration in
          Dance Performance and Dance Education*
          Short-Term Certificate in Choreography*
          Short-Term Certificate in Ballet Pedagogy*
*pending approval

Career Opportunities in Dance:

Performing Artist
Dance Instructor
Choreographer
Dance Studio Owner
Dance Therapist
Adjudicator of Performances
Somatic Movement Therapist
Dance Critic
Dance Administrator
Dance Researcher

Pride Line

Wallace State Pride Line

The Wallace State Pride Line is a Dance Team consisting of and ran by Wallace State students. The squad provides halftime entertainment for home basketball games, travels to competitions and participates in community events, fundraisers, holiday parades, etc. 

Pride Line Auditions
Saturday, Marh 19, 2022
10:00-11:00 a.m.
WSCC Dance Studios located in the Wellness Center

Register for Pride Line Auditions

 

 

Faculty Advisor

Brooke Desnoës / Dance Instructor at Wallace State Community College

Brooke DesnoesAn American transplanted in France, who has recently returned to Cullman Alabama, Brooke Desnoës is one of the most gifted and prolific teaching artists of her generation, with over twenty years of experience at the international level. Her pre-professional training program opened the doors to successful professional careers for numerous students. Mrs. Desnoës trains her students “from the inside out” and provides them with an educational experience of the highest caliber.

“Brooke is one of the few people I have ever known who sees such a ‘big picture’ and she immediately recognizes what is valuable and where someone’s possibilities could take them. She is not afraid to consider all possible connections and benefits, with a diversity that informs her teaching and choreography that makes for a more complete education in a dancer of today’s time.” – Violette Verdy

Brooke Desnoës received her early dance training in her native Alabama and went on to dance with ballet companies across the Southeast and in Europe. She has danced a varied repertoire including leading roles in many classic ballets such as “Sleeping Beauty,” “Cinderella,” “Paquita,” and “Romeo and Juliet,” as well as works by contemporary choreographers. After a period of teaching at The Washington School of Ballet in Washington D.C., under the direction of Mary Day, Brooke Desnoës founded L’Académie Américaine de Danse de Paris (AADP). Since its creation in 1997, AADP grew to become one of the largest and most reputable ballet schools in Europe.

Ms. Desnoës holds a BA in Ballet Pedagogy from Brenau University and is in the final stages of completing a MA in Education. She obtained the French state ballet-teaching certificate in 1993 and has been a member of the “Conseil International de la Danse”/ UNESCO since 2006. She works directly with the Royal Academy of Dance to coordinate events in Paris where she was granted the title of Mentor in 2009. In 2014, for its 25th anniversary, the Annenberg Foundation identified Brooke Desnoës as one of the 25 vision-driven leaders chosen to represent the 8500 grantees whose visions they supported since its creation.

 

 

WSCC Dance Audition/Scholarship 

An Audition is required for participation in the following programs; Allegro Dance Theatre at Wallace State, Associates in Science Degree with a Concentration in Dance Performance and Dance Education, Short-Term Certificate in Choreography, and Short-Term Certificate in Ballet Pedagogy.

Dance scholarships are available and require an application and audition. Scholarship recipients are required to maintain a 2.5 GPA, be enrolled in a minimum of two WSCC dance classes per semester and fulfill all WSCC dance performance requirements.

Auditions are held on the WSCC campus three times a year. Students should audition a minimum of one semester prior to the excepted date of entrance into the dance program.  Site-specific auditions may also be held throughout the year at other locations.

Submit a Dance Audition Application

Contact brooke.desnoes@wallacestate.edu for details about times, dates, and site specific locations.
Auditions are not required for those students taking dance classes as an elective.
Video Auditions are accepted for those students who may not be able to attend a live audition. Click here for Video Audition Package.

WSCC Campus Audition Guidelines

  1. Ballet Technique Class - 45 to 60-minute classical ballet class, 20-minute pointe class will follow for those students who have prior experience dancing on pointe.
  2. Information Session - Twenty-minute program presentation followed by Questions and Answer Session. Parents and/or guardians are welcome to attend this part of the audition.
  3. Solo/Variation Presentation - 1 to 2 ½-minute solo or classical variation. Students should prepare a solo or variation that highlights the style of dance that they feel most comfortable performing. Music should be in form of Cd or on a device, which is cable ready. No costumes.

Audition Dates:        February 9, 2024, March 1, 2024

Audition Attire

Female:         Black leotard, pink tights, ballet shoes, pointe shoes if applicable. Hair must be securely placed in ballet bun.

Male:             Black tights or dance pants, white tee shirt, black or white ballet shoes.

Pre- Registration for Audition is MANDATORY, mail the following to WSCC;

Audition Form
Transcripts
Headshot or photo
Photo of Tendu a la Seconde
Photo of First Arabesque
Photo of Develop a la Seconde

One Page Personal Statement regarding why you are the best candidate for acceptance into the WSCC dance program and/or scholarship candidate. Explain what attributes you will bring to the program

Enrollment in all WSCC Dance Programs is by audition. Prospective students may also apply for a scholarship during the audition process. Please contact the WSCC Fine and Performing Arts Department for audition dates or further questions.

Community Programs

NutcrackerDanceKids
DanceKids is a community outreach program open to students in 3rd – 8th grades. Classes are typically held in six-week sessions, theme based, and take place in the fall and spring of the academic year. Performance or demonstration opportunities follow the end of each session. WSCC faculty assisted by WSCC dance pedagogy students instruct dancers in ballet, jazz, modern, or creative dance techniques.

Fine Arts Academy - Dance
The Fine Arts Academy’s Dance students must be enrolled in one of WSCC partner high schools. The classes consist of a distinctive and comprehensive program designed to produce students who are capable of integrating pre-professional programs or pursing their dance education at the college and university level. Exceptional training and dedicated attention to each student provides a strong technical foundation in classical ballet and encourages artistic expression in all disciplines of dance. Students thrive in an environment that includes numerous performance opportunities throughout the year, workshops, and master classes as well as participation in festivals and dance competitions.

Fall Session: September - December
Spring Session: January - May

Summer Program

Pre-Professional Program (12 – 19 year olds)
Held annually, this 4-day intensive program gives serious students the opportunity to cap off their summer studies and prepare for the season ahead. WSCC faculty assisted by WSCC dance pedagogy students instruct dancers in ballet technique, pointe, variations, and jazz or modern classes.  

The Pre-Professional Dance program is to educate and train students in the art of classical ballet and contemporary dance while inspiring an appreciation for music and movement. An artistic asset of the Cullman community, we emphasize developmentally correct dance technque, strength-building body conditioning, a diverse repertory, and artistic expression.

DATES TBA
 

Tentative Schedule

10:00-10:15 am        Body Conditioning Warm-up
10:15-11:30 am        Ballet Technique Class
11:30-12:00 pm        Lunch Time (Bring from home)
12:00-12:45 pm        Repertory/Pointe
1:00-2:00 pm            Jazz Dance/Modern Dance