New Minors In Pilates And Arts In Health To Debut In The Fall Semester

The Texas A&M College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts will offer two new minors in the fall semester: Pilates, which is part of the Dance Science program, and Arts in Health, an interdisciplinary minor. They join the 12 established minors offered in the college.

Pilates

Pilates is a method of controlled movement that builds strength and mobility. The 15-credit minor is taught within the Dance Science program, but is open to all students.

Christine Bergeron, Ph.D., academic undergraduate program director and clinical professor, said the minor is useful for a variety of students, including those who want to continue their education in physical therapy and students pursuing biology or kinesiology degrees.

Students will observe Pilates instruction outside of class, assist with teaching, practice exercises independently and lead portions of classes to apply their learning. They can then pursue certification through a national test.

“If a student wants to be certified, there will be additional hours to do on their own to meet the national requirement,” Bergeron said. “But they will have the necessary tools and access, as we help them set up opportunities to shadow, observe and assist in teaching at local Pilates studios.”

Diane Bedford, clinical associate professor, said the minor will expand the skillsets offered in the Dance program.

“The addition of the Pilates minor will also help provide more opportunities for dance students to dive deeper into cross-training exercises that complement their dance technique,” she said.

The two foundational courses are Fundamentals of Pilates, which illustrates techniques using only an exercise mat and addresses the history and philosophy of Pilates, and Functional Anatomy of Pilates, which teaches anatomy as it pertains to specific Pilates exercises and common misalignments in the body.

“Learning anatomy is really important in Pilates,” Bergeron said. “If somebody has a weak rotator cuff, the instructor needs to know the anatomy to properly design a program that supports and doesn’t hurt the injury.”

Students will learn how to use Pilates equipment and machines in three Pilates Apparatus courses, and how to instruct a class in the Teaching Pilates course.

“They will go through scenarios and learn how to manage a class that might have 10 people on different machines of various fitness levels and stages in their lives,” Bergeron said. “We teach them how to keep everyone safe on the machines and how to best design a course suitable for them.”

Pilates instructors include Sarah Imhoff-Jones, instructional associate professor; Vanessa Reiser, associate undergraduate program director; and Carisa Armstrong, associate professor.

Because the minor can lead to professional certification, Bergeron said it gives students a direct pathway into a Pilates career. It also expands opportunities for those interested in movement‑based fields such as dance, occupational therapy or physical therapy.

“Pilates also gives students more of an understanding on how to work with varied populations,” Bergeron said.

Students interested in minoring in Pilates can request an application by emailing the program’s advisor, Kelley Hartnett.

Arts in Health

Arts in Health is an 18-credit minor that explores how the arts can improve well-being in healthcare and community settings.

The minor is open to all students. Jinsil Hwaryoung Seo, Ph.D., academic program director for the minor and professor in the Visualization program, said it’s particularly suited for students who want to apply their artistic skills in real-world health contexts.

“We are guiding students on how to integrate their artistic interests into the public health,” Seo said. “For students who want to bring creative ideas into healthcare and wellness, this minor provides the knowledge and experience to do that.”

Students will learn how arts in health practices utilize hands-on skills to apply in community settings, and best practices for designing programming. Vanessa Reiser, M.F.A., associate undergraduate program director for the Dance Science program and lecturer, will teach the perspectives of care in the Introduction to Arts in Health course.

“I am beyond excited about this minor,” she said. “It’s truly a cutting-edge and interdisciplinary field that will expand students’ perspectives and career opportunities in a field that is in high demand.”

In the Designing Arts in Health Programs and Arts in Health Practicum courses, students will research and design programming for a targeted population. They will partner with wellness programs or community organizations to implement and observe their programming.

As an example, Seo described a scenario in which a student creates a simple 30-minute movement exercise program to facilitate once a week for older adults. The project could be informed by research and implemented at a local nursing home. Students would then collect data and write about their findings. 

“Hopefully, by having students create their own program, they learn from a real-world environment,” Seo said. “At the same time, they can really apply what they learned to that environment. So, by the time the graduate, they will have already worked within the community.”

Students can choose from the remaining courses as it applies to their interests, including Culture of Wellness, Creative Dance for Children, Movement in Performance Studies and Introduction to the Health Humanities. These classes are taught in the College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts and in other areas of the university, including Kinesiology, English and Public Health.

“Arts in health is different from arts therapy,” Seo said. “This program helps artists who want to contribute to healthcare and wellness. It introduces practical ways of using creative energy and creative practices in health.”

Seo said the minor was intentionally designed to serve students from a wide range of disciplines, including public health, communication, agriculture and other fields where creative approaches can support health and wellness.

“This is a great opportunity for students to consider integrating what they are majoring in with an artistic component,” she said. “I think this will provide a lot of interesting opportunities for those students.”

Interested students should email Seo at hwaryoung@tamu.edu.