Kitty Daniels is the Dance Department Chair of the Dance Department at the Cornish College of the 
Arts in Seattle, Washington. They offer a B.F.A. in Dance providing broad professional preparation in a challenging but nurturing conservatory setting. The program emphasizes a healthy approach to dancing and an entrepreneurial approach to the dance profession. Daily technique classes in both ballet and modern dance and a three-year sequence of choreography and improvisation courses form the core of the dance curriculum, which is supplemented by general education courses. Performance and choreographic opportunities include student choreography concerts and the department’s performing ensemble, Cornish Dance Theater, which performs works by faculty and guest choreographers as well as restagings of classics. Visiting choreographers have included Crystal Pite, Ohad Naharin, Robert Battle, Camille A. Brown, Donald McKayle, and Olivier Wevers. Collaborative projects with other Cornish departments and visiting artist residencies by cross disciplinary artists provide additional creative opportunities.
Students at Cornish Turning Pointe Academy of Dance can complete a Pilates Matwork teaching certificate during their Cornish education. Most graduates of the program pursue careers as performers, choreographers and teachers. Alumni have danced with such companies as Mark Morris Dance Group, Trisha Brown Dance Company, Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, Shen Wei Dance Arts and Rubberband Dance.
In Kitty’s opinion their dance program is unique in many ways. Some of the factors that make their program unique are:
● A holistic, student-centered educational environment that values personal as well as professional development;
● Dance Wellness Program: The Cornish Dance Department emphasizes training healthy dancers who have both the self-confidence to enter a challenging field and the physical understanding that leads to professional longevity. Strength and flexibility exercises are incorporated into all technique classes to prevent injuries. A physical therapist serves as a consultant to the department, advising faculty and students on injury-related concerns and providing treatment on campus. The physical therapist conducts a performance enhancement screening for all new students that leads to an individualized corrective exercise program designed to enhance technical proficiency and reduce the risk of injury during the student’s time at Cornish and in their subsequent professional career.
● Breadth of professional preparation: Cornish prepares its graduates for a broad array of professional directions: performance, choreography, teaching, arts administration, dance production, Pilates training, and more. They expect their graduates to develop an individualized career path informed by an understanding of the contemporary dance world and personal interests;
● Equal emphasis on physical mastery and creative voice: students are encouraged to pursue both technical proficiency and choreographic experimentation;
● Access to the professional resources of Seattle, a regional dance hub: At Cornish, education isn’t 
limited to the classroom. Many of Seattle’s leading dance professionals are on their faculty and students are encouraged to use the professional dance community as an extension of the classroom: attending performances, performing works by leading choreographers, presenting their choreography on professional showcases, and interning with companies. International companies ranging from classical ballet to cutting edge performance art tour regularly to Seattle. Through their partnerships with presenting organizations, students will attend rehearsals and participate in master classes with these prestigious companies.
Kitty will be retiring from the Cornish Dance Chair position in May. During her 29 years as dance Department Chair, she has taken particular pride in:
● their Dance Wellness Program, providing students with a healthy learning environment as well as tools for self-care and professional longevity;
● their innovative curriculum, providing broad professional preparation and an entrepreneurial approach to career development;
● their student-centered approach to dance education that supports personal as well as artistic growth.
The accomplishments of their alumni also fill her with pride, as she has watched generations of their graduates contribute to the dance field. She has been particularly pleased to observe the variety of professional paths pursued by alumni, each following their individual passions.
One thing that her senior students tend to know about dance that the freshmen still have to learn is that a dancer’s career resembles a patchwork quilt composed of a variety of dance activities that reflect a range of personal interests and skills. That self-knowledge and self-direction are vital tools for a career.
As far as the Dance Program at Cornish College of the Arts, Kitty’s goals for this year are to continue to develop a strong, innovative curriculum that will in the future add dance forms of the African diaspora (African, Hip Hop, Jazz, etc) to ballet and modern as required technique forms.
She believes that are two things we should know about their program. One, Cornish has a 3-year Accelerated Degree program that allows select students to complete their BFA in 3 years with some summer study. They also have study abroad options. Second, students and faculty form intimate mentoring relationships, creating a community of artists who share their passion for dance. Students
also form a supportive community of learners, encouraging one another to fulfill their potential.
With an equal emphasis on performance and choreography, they provide a challenging curriculum and supportive faculty mentoring to help their students discover their own artistic path. The program performs new works by professional choreographers as well as renowned masterpieces, while developing their choreographic voice.
If you would like more information about the Dance Program at Cornish College of the Arts, visit their website at http://www.cornish.edu, call Kitty Daniels at 206-726-5080 or email them at dance@cornish.edu. You can also like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter and connect with them on Instagram.
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Written By Cyndi Marziani
Owner
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