Thursday, January 30, 1997
By Stephanie Sheh
Daily Bruin Contributor
ocated in a city where cultures from all over the world merge,
UCLA prides itself on its diversity. But students don’t have to
rely on sociology and political science classes to learn about
other cultures.
Most college dance departments focus on traditional jazz,
classical ballet and modern dance. But when UCLA renamed the
department World Arts and Cultures (WAC) several years ago in an
effort to broaden and diversify its scope, it opened up a new
future for dance and new possibilities for students. Today, the
changes are resonating throughout the halls of the dance building
and the campus as a whole.
"The UCLA dance department decided to change its course in
looking toward the future," reveals Ben Hernandez, who teaches
Dance of Mexico. "After you define all the cultures you then
integrate all the dance needs of the people of Los Angeles. Los
Angeles is a location that is multicultural. So all of the styles
of dance provide the opportunity for all these people to come
together. The department is looking forward by integrating the
society by means of an art form."
Liliana de Leon-Torsiellol, Flamenco and Dance of Spain
instructor, agrees with Hernandez and is glad to see these changes
at UCLA. "I think UCLA’s (dance department) offers more world
classes than any other program in the United States that I know
of," says de Leon-Torsiellol. "I have taught at Arizona State
University, Pomona College, Cypress College and here at UCLA. And
UCLA has the most variety of world dance teachers."
Movement toward world dance not only signals a changing view in
academic dance, but it reflects changing ideas about the world.
These different ways of seeing dance also reflect the United
States’ movement from a melting pot to what many now call a salad
bowl.
"The concept of the melting pot is no longer accessible,"
Hernandez says. "It’s not functional at this time, because although
we see that we live in one society, we still want to maintain our
own traditions. We come home and like to eat our own foods. And by
experiencing other people’s cultures we become more knowledgeable.
All this makes our society more healthy."
According to Hernandez, exploring world dance not only enhances
our understanding of other cultures, but it helps make better
dancers. A ballet-focused dancer may consider an Indian dance class
unnecessary, yet taking this type of ethnic dance class proves
beneficial in many ways.
"It may open them up to a different form of moving," explains de
Leon-Torsiellol, "a different vocabulary in their body that they
are not used to exploring. Plus in this day and age, when we’re
living in Los Angeles, in such a mixed, cultured city, it makes it
sometimes easier to understand a whole culture."
First-year M.F.A. choreography student Sen Hea Ha, an instructor
of the Dance of Korea class agrees. "It’s like learning the Korean
body language. If you go to a (different) country people just look
different. It is their body language. It’s the same thing as
learning a different culture, learning a vocabulary with body
rather than speaking."
The concept of learning a new language has intrigued many UCLA
dancers. Hernandez says that you’ll find many classical ballet and
jazz dancers in an African dance class because they are interested
in learning a form of expression that is both new and
universal.
Ha points out, "People in different areas express (themselves)
in different ways. In a way, you can see the connection between
ballet and Korean dance. There is a connection. There are different
outfits or different styles of clothing, but inside they have the
same bonds and feelings."
On the pragmatic side, Hernandez brings up the notion that
knowing world dance is viable to a dancer’s economic future. "How
many jobs can they get that specializes in jazz here in L.A. or in
California?" Hernandez says. "But if a person has information about
dances from Korea or dances from Mexico as well as classical ballet
and jazz, this person will have more opportunities to serve their
community."
For the non-dancer, these benefits may not mean much, but they
too can enjoy the classes in a broader cultural sense. The number
of non-dance majors in the world dance classes prove this.
"We do have a lot of students that are not dance majors,"
Hernandez admits. "This is wonderful because we can see these
people are open-minded and that they want to experience a cultural
expression by means of trying something that is unfamiliar to them
by doing something that is challenging.
"They have to learn a new language. In this case, it is the
language of movement. They are not familiar with it and these
people deserve a lot of credit, because they are going out of their
comfort zone."
For those who want a casual taste of foreign dance, there are
free recreation classes in African Dance and Flamenco, and there is
also the International Folk Dance Club. Most undergraduate world
dance classes in the WAC department are also accessible, although
some require an audition or instructor’s consent. However,
generally a strong dance background is not a prerequisite.
"I think most people that never had any dancing do well in class
if they work hard at it and they commit," de Leon-Torsiellol says.
"But if you’re the kind of person that’s really insecure or if you
get frustrated too quickly, I think dance classes might frustrate
you because you have to be willing to fail every day and just
eventually succeed at the end of the class. You don’t succeed every
step of the way, because you’re learning new steps that somebody’s
giving you."
Part of the secret to the WAC department’s success is the high
caliber of instructors teaching world dance. In supplement to the
regular instructors, every so often the department brings
accomplished dancers to teach a master class. For example, last
quarter world-renowned Flamenco dancer Maria Benitez taught a
master class.
Although the first-rate dance instructors definitely play a role
in the department’s success, de Leon-Torsiellol humbly suggests
that the students also have a positive impact on the department.
She says, "Since I’ve taught at different places, I always
appreciate my students everywhere I teach. But I’ve found a very
incredible level of students at UCLA."
"I feel that the students at UCLA are really hungry for good
teachers, I don’t mean hungry like they’ve been starved," de
Leon-Torsiellol reveals. "I really appreciate the students at UCLA
because their energy, their effort and their focus is really
admirable. And it makes me a better teacher for it. The department
has a wonderful atmosphere. For all of us teachers that are there,
it’s very welcoming.."
Students
participate in a World Arts and Cultures Korean dance class. The
UCLA dance department, which is one of the most comprehensive in
the nation,
encompasses diverse forms and styles of dance from a broad range
of cultures all over the world.
JAMIE SCANLON-JACOBS
Instructor Sen Hea Ha (l.) leads students in a Korean dance
class.