ANNALISE WOOD

Senior

As an interdisciplinary student, Annalise Wood (right) hopes to blend her ballet expertise with insights from her psychology minor. “Dance offers a fresh lens on diverse subjects, including what makes us human,” she notes. Watching many others in the ballet program complement their dance training with studies in other fields, Wood cherishes seeing her peers succeed—on and off stage. “This community is so special,” she adds. “It can be rare to find an environment that is so positive in the dance world.”

LESLIE JARA

Senior

Dancing helped Leslie Jara (left) heal as a child after her little brother passed. But, despite her love of the art, she couldn’t afford to formally participate in dance until high school. Jara dreamed of helping other people have more opportunities to dance. Last year she opened Allegiant Dance Crew, where 30 people receive dance training for $40 a month. “I feel like I can go back to my seven-year-old self and say, ‘We made it,’ ” she says.

School of Dance

The U’s School of Dance is built on excellence. It’s one of the oldest and largest programs in the country—and it was recently named one of the Top 10 College Dance Programs You Should Know by Backstage magazine. Its impact reverberates around the world as alumni go on to perform with and instruct at professional companies and troupes around the globe. But its biggest historical impact can be felt even closer to home.

The final concert of this academic year will celebrate the relationship with three local professional companies that have grown out of the U: Ballet West and Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, each commemorating 60 years, alongside Repertory Dance Theatre, marking its 58th anniversary. “We are so excited to celebrate these organizations that, along with the U’s School of Dance, make an undeniable impact on the arts and culture in Utah and beyond,” says Melonie B. Murray, director of the U’s School of Dance.

Both the modern dance and ballet programs have highly selective admissions. But the students who are accepted have ample opportunities for success. “Over half of dance majors double major in other subjects,” says Murray. “Many other professional dance training programs don’t have that option.” Each dancer’s journey is highly individualized with their interests, experiences, and goals. Instructors encourage each student to pursue meaningful studies to influence their art, as well as set themselves up for success after graduation, she adds. 

RYAN ROSS

MFA Candidate

Ryan Ross always envisioned the stories he wrote and the music he composed coming to life on screen. This dream and his love of photography steered him toward a graduate degree at the U. “For me, film is the medium that best engages with my sense of awe,” Ross says. “Awe is such an important emotion, because it makes you think about the larger context you are part of.”

Department of Film & Media Arts

In the 21st century, communicating with video and audio is a skill that anyone can use, not just filmmakers, says Andrew Patrick Nelson, chair of the U’s Department of Film & Media Arts. “It doesn’t surprise me that more students are gravitating to this area and that nonmajors are banging down the door and trying to get into our classes,” Nelson remarks.

In the 1970s, an English professor taught the U’s first film course. Five decades later, the Film & Media Arts department is the largest unit in the College of Fine Arts, with more graduates than any other academic unit.

“One of the most exciting things in our department is the number of working professionals teaching here who are succeeding at the highest levels of their disciplines,” Nelson notes. “Having a professor who has done what you aspire to do professionally is crucial to a contemporary art form.”

Many of the department’s faculty members are either from the Mountain West originally or have adopted it as their home. Nelson says this sets a powerful example for students of what is possible for their own career. “Our faculty, day in and day out, demonstrate that local or regional stories have national and international interest,” he adds.

DIEGO ALBERTO TORRES

Senior

Pursuing an art degree has infused Diego Alberto Torres’s creations with intention. “Every piece I craft now carries a message,” Torres explains. “I constantly question, ‘What does this convey through its execution?’ ” Torres says art is where he feels most comfortable expressing himself. He aspires to use it as a channel for voicing his views on community and other topics close to his heart.

Department of Art & Art History

The U holds the distinction of being a Tier 1 research university. But here, the brushstroke is as revered as the test tube, and art infuses life into our academic rigor, says V. Kim Martinez BFA’98, chair of the Department of Art & Art History. “For example, students who want to make art featuring the human figure can take anatomy classes,” she says. “That typically does not happen in a traditional art school.”

Drawing classes have been taught at the U for more than a century and a half. It was from these courses that the school’s first art department grew. “Art isn’t just a subject for a class or a major—it’s a transformative force,” muses Martinez. Students leave equipped to lead revolutions in the visual arts, digital media, design, art teaching, and more. “Our graduates are able to conceptualize public art that communities rally around and to pioneer innovations in design that change how we interact with our environment.”

What’s more, as the university continues to grow with an emphasis on becoming a 24/7 campus where students study, live, and play, Martinez says the arts serve an important role in shaping that energy. “Spaces like our new gallery provide an opportunity for students to delve into contemplations that transcend their daily academic grind—fostering a culture of reflection and intellectual adventure.”