According to Angela M. Gallo, the Chair of Dance and Music and the Associate Professor of Dance at 
Coker College, their program is a modern/contemporary dance based program that offers a BFA in Dance, Performance and Choreography, BFA in Dance- Movement Therapies, BA in Dance Education and BA in Dance. The program allows for the student to tailor their degree to their interests in the dance field and because the program is smaller, the students have more opportunities to work closely with faculty to find their own artistic voice. In her opinion, the biggest difference between their program and other comparable is that they are the only college in South Carolina that offers a BFA degree in dance. Professor Gallo says her proudest moment teaching was seeing the artistic growth that takes place in the students through training the four years of college. In her opinion, the biggest mistake she sees dancers make is not using correct placement. It is also one of the hardest things to fix. She believes dancers need to put in the effort that it takes to re-program their bodies to use correct placement and muscle groups. Her goals for this year are to increase enrollment and provide as many opportunities for the students to expand their knowledge in dance as possible. She wants everyone to know that they offer many opportunities to perform and choreograph. They plan study abroad trips (past trips include to France, Italy, Switzerland, and the Netherlands) and their next trip will be to Poland and Germany this summer. Additionally, they attend local and regional dance conferences so that the students have opportunities to perform, take class and see dance from around the country. Professor Gallo is also the director of Sapphire Moon, a professional dance company. Although they do not have a school or a studio, Professor Gallo teaches one class a week which is really mostly for the dancers in the company as a warm up for rehearsals. The dancers are all professionals that have either a bachelors or masters degree in dance. If you would like more information about Coker College’s School of Dance, visit their call Angela Gallo at 843-383-8381 or email her at agallo@coker.edu. If you would like any information about Sapphire Moon Dance, check them out at their website www.sapphiremoondance.org. Please post a comment if you have had any experience with Angela M. Gallo of Coker College Department of Dance, Music and Theater-Dance Program. Written By Cyndi Marziani Owner BDancewear.com
