{"id":19562,"date":"2024-02-22T17:14:51","date_gmt":"2024-02-22T23:14:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pvfa.tamu.edu\/?p=19562"},"modified":"2024-02-22T17:32:05","modified_gmt":"2024-02-22T23:32:05","slug":"prospective-students-experience-variety-of-academic-presentations-and-performances-during-aggieland-saturday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pvfa.tamu.edu\/news\/2024\/02\/22\/prospective-students-experience-variety-of-academic-presentations-and-performances-during-aggieland-saturday\/","title":{"rendered":"Prospective Students Experience Variety Of Academic Presentations And Performances During Aggieland Saturday"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Hopeful future Aggies explored the Texas A&M School of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts<\/a> with their friends and families during Aggieland Saturday on Feb. 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hundreds of families braved a driving rain and were guided through the Liberal Arts and Arts and Humanities Building for a tour of the Performance Studies<\/a> and Dance Science<\/a> programs, and across Langford Architecture Center for the Visualization<\/a> program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interim Dean Tim McLaughlin<\/a> gave opening remarks in Geren Auditorium to welcome the students and families. He said the school was brought together for a common goal: create a space for the arts in a significant way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere is this mixing of performance, technology and visual art \u2014 and importantly, an understanding of the reasoning and the history of why we do these things,\u201d McLaughlin said. \u201cNo other school that I am aware of in the country is putting that all together the way this school is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n McLaughlin, who earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in Environmental Design and a master\u2019s degree in Visualization Sciences from Texas A&M, described how the school teaches across disciplines, so students can adapt to changes and overcome challenges in their industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat I learned here at Texas A&M is how to approach critical thinking,\u201d he said. \u201cHow to approach that in a fearless way \u2014 what technology does and how to blend it with art. Whether that art is performance or visual, the idea is to think about the next idea that comes along \u2014 and not shut it out, but embrace it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Carisa Armstrong<\/a>, program director and associate professor, held a presentation about the Dance Science program, which offers training in ballet, modern, jazz, hip-hop and improvisation. Students are required to audition to be in the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Armstrong said they are looking at expanding what can be offered through technology, as they investigate where dance will be in the next 20 years. Five new faculty members have been hired during this school year, which provides new learning opportunities for students, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWith new faculty, we can offer more courses for our students, which is amazing, because versatility is basically what dance is now,\u201d she said. \u201cThis diversity strengthens our program and the students\u2019 education.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n To showcase some of the work produced in the program, guests were able to view a duet performed by students and choreographed by Jessica Boone<\/a>, visiting lecturer, in the Black Box Theater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Professors in the Performance Studies program visited with interested students and shared their insight on the program. Dr. Kim Kattari<\/a>, undergraduate program director, emphasized the smaller class size, which allows students opportunities to pursue focused interests, along with the course variety \u2014 from music to theatre and \u201ceverything in between.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Introductions were also given by Dr. Angenette Spalink<\/a>, assistant professor; Dr. Francesca Marini<\/a>, associate professor; Dr. Will Connor<\/a>, lecturer; Dr. Matthew Campbell<\/a>, assistant program director; and Dr. Patrick Sullivan<\/a>, instructional assistant professor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Robert Rutherford, senior Performance Studies major, said he was encouraged to expand his horizon by embracing all program opportunities to learn something new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you play guitar, by the time you finish Performance Studies, you aren\u2019t just a guitarist,\u201d Rutherford said. \u201cOr if you sing, you aren\u2019t just going to be a vocalist. You\u2019re going to be a performer, an artist, a researcher, a scholar. You are essentially an academic at that point, while also having a creative outlet. That is what I truly love about Performance Studies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Three additional students in the Performance Studies program also spoke: Kamren Lang, R\u00f3is\u00edn Alexis and Colton Neuville. Guests visited student organization booths and viewed performances by student band Maroon Steel<\/a>. Members of Alpha Psi Omega<\/a> performed an excerpt from \u201cPride and Prejudice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jill Honeycutt<\/a>, instructional associate professor and associate undergraduate program director, and Hadeel Ramadan<\/a>, instructional associate professor and undergraduate program director, led a discussion about opportunities for students in Visualization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Honeycutt described the program as exploring the \u201cart and science of visual communication through traditional and digital media, by merging all of these art forms into one beautiful thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Students will be exposed to a studio-based culture, a design-learning approach and interdisciplinary efforts, she said. With a 92.5% retention rate, the program offers a balance of creativity, problem-solving and stability for each student, Honeycutt said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe want to make sure when you walk out the door, you can solve a problem creatively,\u201d she said. \u201cWe promote a breadth of knowledge with emphasis on the principles of technique.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nDance Science<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nPerformance Studies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nVisualization<\/h2>\n\n\n\n