Hello Everyone!
My name is Annie Mushrush and I am a junior Dance Pedagogy major at Butler University from St. Charles, IL, a western suburb of Chicago. I am also the Secretary for Sigma Rho Delta.
I want to second what Taylor, Robyn and Erica had to say about Butler Ballet and add my own unique perspective as well. If you haven’t read their posts please scroll down and read those too!
I feel fortunate to be a dance major at Butler. Not only is the university a wonderful place to grow as a student, the dance department is a wonderful place to grow as an artist. I knew from the moment that I first stepped on campus for my audition that Butler was the place for me. Unfortunately, I was not accepted into the dance department upon my audition during my senior year of high school. I knew Butler was the place for me and I strived to fulfill my dream of dancing at Butler, no matter what it took.
I went to another university for my freshman year of college, knowing that I would audition again in the fall in the hopes of transferring to Butler for my sophomore year. I auditioned again in October and was admitted. I spent my freshman year working hard on my technique and artistry as well as scheduling my courses in alignment with the Dance Pedagogy curriculum to ensure as smooth of a transfer as possible.
Although there are only a handful of transfer students in the dance department, my transition could not have been smoother. Despite my careful planning, I was still behind and had to take some freshman year level courses my sophomore year to catch up. These courses were ones that were unique to Butler’s dance department, including Masterworks of Dance, Professional Practices and Body Placement. In the beginning, I was in more classes with the incoming freshman class than I was with my own sophomore class, including technique classes (ballet, modern and jazz). This provided me with some wonderful friendships with dancers I might have not had otherwise!
Currently I am still playing catch up with in some sophomore level courses, but I am on track to graduate with my class in 2015. My schedule is very unique because of my situation, and therefore it would not be to prospective student’s benefit to see mine listed out as other blog posts have.
I really want to make the point that it is possible to be a transfer dance major at Butler. If you feel like Butler is really the place for you and you were not admitted, know that transfer is an option, not an stress-free option, but it is possible. Careful planning and hard work made my transfer possible.
Having experienced another dance department at another university I know from personal experience how special the dance department at Butler truly is. I am so grateful for the opportunities we are afforded in Butler Ballet. The faculty is full of insightful information to help us develop as dancers. The performance opportunities we have as members of Butler Ballet is unparalleled.
Outside of dance I am also in the University Honors Program and am in the process of writing my senior thesis. My thesis is focused on the assessment and addressing of hyperextended knees in early dance education and its benefits. I am working closely with our faculty during my research. I am also a member of the Dawg Pound, the student cheering section for all Butler Athletics. I especially love going to the Men’s Basketball games! I try to go to as many games as I can (provided that I do not have rehearsal at the same time!) The games are so much fun in the Dawg Pound and we have special ‘choreography’ for each situation in the game and our fight song! I also work as a Desk Assistant at Apartment Village and University Terrace on the weekends where I sort mail, give out packages, rent out an extensive collection of DVDs etc. Although a dance major’s schedule may seem dauntingly busy, most of us find the time to be involved in other things and/or employed.
I encourage you to comment if you have any questions and happy dancing!
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