Pre-Professional Dancers Emerge

The spring brings many opportunities for dance of all standards and styles all over the city. Just as the Dogwood Flowers bloom in Piedmont Park, so are young do dancers. Pre professional dancers all over atlanta and its adjoining suburbs are preparing for last recitals and senior solos as a way of saying goodbye to those dance schools, mentors, family and friends that have help to nurture and direct their talent. High Schools like Pebble-Brook, North Atlanta, Tri Cities and   Dekalb School of the Arts  are sure to have 1 or 2 future dancers going for broke fueled by the overwhelming emotions as they dance with peers for the last time. What is the future of these artist?  Are there any colleges here in the Atlanta metroplex that cultivate such rich talent and create great artist who can add to the budding Atlanta dance scene.

There are sure to be exceptional dancers that are about to leave High Schools and colleges all over the metroplex. Why should they stay in Atlanta and not travel off to other more lucrative markets like LA or New York. Colleges in and around the metroplex have dance departments that are starting to look more appealing to young dancers seeking further training and education but they still lack a lot when it comes to training and choreography. Some institutions do not offer scholarships for dance nor is it a major so the quality of dance and dancers they produce tend to be poor. However, there are some colleges and universes in the Metroplex that seams to have taken up the gauntlet of responsibility in an effort to promote dance and bring it to the forefront if the arts scene here in the city of Atlanta. 

I have watched Kennesaw State University and Spellman College dance departments for a few years now.  Yearly the quality seams to have risen.   With a greater quality of dance professionals coming into the local market it leaves me wondering What are we as the current community going to do to help these young eager hungry artist have a place of there own to work. Are we going to give them quality work with seasoned choreographers that have the ability to inspire and cultivate their talent. Can we offer them theaters, a market and an audience educated for dance.  If the current dance community can only offer one thing at a time to the new artist coming into the Atlanta dance industry can we at least aim to pay our artist.