I have interviewed Dawn KettermanBenner.She tells us how she got started being a dancer, and how she started Moravian Dance Company. She is the dance founder and director of the Moravian Dance Team. She has been working at Moravian since 1971 and started the dance company in 1975.
Dawn was eight years old when she started dancing. Her parents enrolled her in dance classes at a local dance school where she lived and she loved taking lessons and doing recitals.
KettermanBenner danced in highschool where she even got to choreograph the high school plays. In college, she did not continue with dance because she was involved in four other sports. When she was hired at Moravian she decided to resume her dance training.
She decided to start the company because of Moravian's strong emphasis on the arts. She thought that dance was a "must" at Moravian College. Also that year she was the founder of the Lehigh Valley Dance Forum and LVAIC Dance Consortium. The forum no longer exists, but the Consortium is still alive and running.
Dawn was the director/ choreographer of the company from 1975-2000. After that she decided to hire Artistic Directors to run the company. She continues to choreograph concerts and special dance events, and she is presently the faculty advisor of the company for 37 years.
The normal practices consist of the requirement of a minimum of two technique classes per week and the attendance of performances and master classes. During the spring semester the dancers are required to continue with their technique and practice for their recital in March, Dawn says.
Dawn says that being faculty advisor does not require that much work. Right now she is responsible for the guest artists who perform at the concerts.
KettermanBenner says that her favorite part about being the founder/director of the company is that she loves the creative process and being involved with the student dancers and current directors. She also loves being involved with the alumni dancers who created the Dawn KettermanBenner Dance Fund which suppors present and future dance activities for the dancers at Moravian.
"My most favorite part about the performances is the sheer joy I see on the dancers' faces when they perform, and the improvement in their technique. I also really enjoy the creative student choreography." says Kettermen Benner.
At the present time, Dawn is in charge of:
Dawn believes that the Moravian Dance Company is one of Moravian's crown jewels. The dancers work extremely hard and they are very good. Memebers from the audience often comment and think that the dancers are dance majors. Before Dawn retires she hope that dance will be apart of the fine arts major or minor.
Dawn was eight years old when she started dancing. Her parents enrolled her in dance classes at a local dance school where she lived and she loved taking lessons and doing recitals.
KettermanBenner danced in highschool where she even got to choreograph the high school plays. In college, she did not continue with dance because she was involved in four other sports. When she was hired at Moravian she decided to resume her dance training.
She decided to start the company because of Moravian's strong emphasis on the arts. She thought that dance was a "must" at Moravian College. Also that year she was the founder of the Lehigh Valley Dance Forum and LVAIC Dance Consortium. The forum no longer exists, but the Consortium is still alive and running.
Dawn was the director/ choreographer of the company from 1975-2000. After that she decided to hire Artistic Directors to run the company. She continues to choreograph concerts and special dance events, and she is presently the faculty advisor of the company for 37 years.
The normal practices consist of the requirement of a minimum of two technique classes per week and the attendance of performances and master classes. During the spring semester the dancers are required to continue with their technique and practice for their recital in March, Dawn says.
Dawn says that being faculty advisor does not require that much work. Right now she is responsible for the guest artists who perform at the concerts.
KettermanBenner says that her favorite part about being the founder/director of the company is that she loves the creative process and being involved with the student dancers and current directors. She also loves being involved with the alumni dancers who created the Dawn KettermanBenner Dance Fund which suppors present and future dance activities for the dancers at Moravian.
"My most favorite part about the performances is the sheer joy I see on the dancers' faces when they perform, and the improvement in their technique. I also really enjoy the creative student choreography." says Kettermen Benner.
At the present time, Dawn is in charge of:
- homecoming performance
- performances with the music department
- annual spring recital
- Associate Athletic Director
- Senior Women's Administrator of Athletics
- Chairperson of physical education Department
- Women's tennis coach
- Full time Professor
Dawn believes that the Moravian Dance Company is one of Moravian's crown jewels. The dancers work extremely hard and they are very good. Memebers from the audience often comment and think that the dancers are dance majors. Before Dawn retires she hope that dance will be apart of the fine arts major or minor.
Does Dawn continue to perform?
ReplyDeleteno... she has stopped and just continues to work with the Moravian College Dance Company
ReplyDelete