Summer Arts Clinic

This class emphasizes the study and practice of the Contemporary dance technique and exploration of the body as a creative and expressive instrument capable of gaining new understanding through the art of dance. Students must be registered for Modern Technique to be registered for Contemporary Choreography Lab.

Modern technique is the study of various practices that work with balance, direction and momentum, release of the joints, and individual expression. This class is designed to prepare the dancer to move fully through space, to use personal expression, and to develop an awareness of self.

Through visits to museums and collections on campus this course introduces the interdisciplinary field of Material Culture Studies. Open to everyone interested in thinking about the stuff around them, we will consider how people create meaning in everyday life. Visits will complement and inspire the creative work done in other courses.

In this hands-on experience, students will learn how to use flowers and other plants to create natural dyes, and will custom dye and alter their own clothing! Students will explore multiple processes using both fresh and dried plant material and will create a variety of colorful effects on cloth. In addition, they will gain awareness of the environmental impact of the fashion industry and be introduced to more eco-friendly alternatives. No prior sewing or dying experience is required.

In this week-long course, students will take inspiration from a musical artist or song in order to design and construct fashion-forward streetwear garments. In addition to learning the basics of fashion design including moodboarding, illustrating and sewing, students will practice mending, dying, altering and other skills needed in order to turn second-hand textiles into wearable pieces that reflect their personal style. At the end of the week, students will showcase their work in a fashion show featuring their musical inspiration. No prior sewing or dyeing experience is required. Skills that students will learn: – How to create croquis and sketch designs. – How to create a mood board. – How to make basic garment alterations such as flaring pants, mending holes, adding patches and making simple size alterations. – How to use cyanotyping dying and print on a tote bag.

This course explores how we tell stories through acting. Through creative play, group exercises, and skill-based rehearsals gain valuable training in voice and diction, characterization, focus, staging, and more.

This course explores foundational elements of theatrical design and developing the skills to translate text into visual and/or aural content. Involves an introduction to script analysis; visual, aural, and dramaturgical research; problem solving skills; creative exploration and visual communication. Relevant to designers, directors, actors, stage managers, technicians, and informed audience members.

Participants will engage in interactive exercises and reflective conversations that explore the fundamental principles of improvisational theatre and how they apply to performance and to our everyday lives. These improv modes—listening actively, failing cheerfully, making others feel safe and look good—can facilitate creative thinking, foster collaboration, and add to our daily interactions a sense of play, delight, humor, and humility.

Throughout this workshop at the Summer Arts Clinic, the students will be introduced to the art of glass mosaics. The students will be given the guidance and instruction to create their own 12” x 12” mosaic. They will learn how to use the provided tools to cut down the glass into desired shapes, adhere them to the board, and grout the mosaic for a finished look and permanence in design. No previous experience is required.

Explore the variety of techniques in the screen printing process from burning images into photo emulsion to creating custom stencils. Set yourself up for printing a variety of materials and learn screen coating with emulsion, photograms, applying pen/crayon/paint lines for different effects and other image-forming techniques. Includes basics of printing on paper, cloth, wood and non-traditional substrates.