The Performing Arts department, like many others on campus, have had to adapt to online classes to insure safety for their students. For the Performing Arts, they are still offering many face to face classes though.
“We’re doing many face to face, with a Zoom-in option, so in terms of our curriculum, we’ve just made some pretty significant adaptations to what we normally would do. And as awkward as it is, sometimes we’re also finding that, you know, we’re learning a lot that might be useful for us as we go forward.” said department head Margret Wilson.
Wilson has overseen the department’s transition to cope with COVID-19.
“We’re actually working with 10 foot diameter (student spacing) rather than just the six feet. So we have all of our spaces tapped out that allow us to keep really clear boundaries.” said Wilson.
This has allowed them to keep most of their classes in person this semester without having to deal with the online learning that most of campus still has to endure. Even with the students who were still unable to attend in person, they found a way to have them perform.
“They’re in separate locations, but we’re recording and filming.” said Wilson.
Wilson said currently they are working on a production of ‘Asking a Stranger the Meaning of Life.’ This is probably the most difficult for them to do as this play is very much based around close quarters acting and a lot of physical contact between actors. Meaning that they had to get quite creative with this production.
“There’s an enormous amount of investment in consideration…that the designers are creating an at home environment from one student to the next student, to the next student that mimics the looks of each place so there’s a cohesiveness to it,” said Marsha Knight, professor of Ballet, Composition and Historical Dance.
Knight has taught at UW for several years. This semester has been quite a success for her and her students, even if some decided not to attend this year.
“I felt like our entering class was slightly smaller, I think that there are some freshmen that determined that the potential for an online performing arts was not what they really wanted for their freshman year. So, some of them actually delayed some or rethought what they might do with their freshman year.” said Knight.
COVID-19 was something that was unexpected for the larger campus population. So, the decline in students is something that the university and staff have seen in general all over campus. But that hasn’t stopped them from educating the next generation of performers and entertainers.
