CAS CONNECT 2016

to enjoy the movement of dance and real- ize that it is also a wonderful form of recreational exercise and expression.” Bergman, who retired from the stage in May 2013 after performing and teaching all over the world, was born in Sweden and spent most of her early years on Long Island, N.Y. There, she attended Seiskaya Ballet Academy, where she trained under the great Valia Seiskaya. Bergman then joined the Huntington (N.Y.) Ballet as a continuation of her education, before kicking off her profes- sional career with Tulsa Ballet. There, she served as an apprentice and rose through the ranks to principal. She performed lead roles in countless classi- cal and contemporary works by prom- inent choreographers, including Val Caniparoli’s Lambarena , Ma Cong’s Carmina Burana , Nacho Duato’s Arenal and Rassemblement , Balanchine’s Theme and Variations , and others. While she serves as an adjunct dance instructor at OSU, she continues to teach for Tulsa Ballet. The dance minor is composed of a minimum of 16 credit hours — five cred- its in theory, four credits in required technique courses and seven credits of technique electives. Some examples of classes are Introduction to Dance, Dance Improvisation, Ballet I and II, Modern I and II, Jazz, Tap, Dance Ensemble Practicum, Musical Theatre Dance and Choreography. “I hope the dance minor program will allow students with prior dance expe- rience the opportunity to continue that training at OSU,” Bergman says. “It is hard for many students who have danced through out their childhood to give up that portion of their well-being once they go to college. The dance minor is also a wonderful complement to the Theatre Department.” “President Hargis has been investing so much energy in enhancing the land- scape of the Arts at OSU, and we are trying our best to complement his vision,” Kimbrough adds. “The dance minor is our first step toward a more comprehen- sive vision for performing arts programs, especially in musical theatre and opera. “We’ve still got some big obsta- cles to overcome,” he continues. “OSU Stillwater does not have a dance studio available for classroom instruction, and the budget situation challenges our ability to bring in full-time instructors. But we’re working to address these issues.” For more information about the dance minor program, visit theatre.okstate.edu/ minor-in-dance .