Sandra Parks danced her way from Taiwan into the University’s Department of Theatre and the head of dance position, inspiring expansion in the current dance minor program along the way.
Parks has performed her choreography internationally and said she wants to build the current dance program to one day take students to compete overseas again.
One of her primary goals for the program is adding more classes and sections to distinguish individual training of the students, Parks said. She has already begun to reach out to the local community to establish partnerships that could help expand the program.
Parks said she plans to send 13 students to the American College Dance Festival to represent the University for the first time in this national competition.
She also said she plans to have two concerts a year instead of one, which she hopes will begin in 2014. Parks determined these plans after talking to her new students, she said.
Parks said she is excited to work with the dance program and expand it within the community. The most exciting part of coming to the University is having the opportunity to direct a program of her own, she said. Upon arriving to the University, Parks said she talked to her students to get their perspective about their hopes for the program’s future, she said.
The biggest feedback she got was that they want to be seen and recognized from their performing, Parks said, as there is currently no major solely for dance; students who minor want to see expansion.
“The most important thing for me is the student experience,” Parks said.
Parks recently presented an original production called “Rebuild” in the 2013 Taiwan Dance Choreography Competition. The competition was hosted by the National Dance Association of the Republic of China, and only 30 pieces were chosen out of the 120 applicants.
Prior to coming to the University, Parks taught at Kennesaw State University in Georgia as an assistant professor, where she took students to Taipei, Taiwan for a study abroad program with the National Taiwan University of Arts. Parks learned of the competition while in Taipei and submitted a recording to enter the competition.
Her enthusiasm for the growing program has been met with support from the Department of Theatre, Parks said. Interim Chair of the Theatre Department John Fletcher said Parks has already proven herself to be an energetic and dedicated advocate for dance in the program.
“The most important thing for me is the student experience.”