UNCC Dance Department Introduces Professional Internship Class
This semester, the UNC Charlotte Department of Dance has introduced a new professional dance internship course. Thanks to Baran Dance, which is hosting the internships, this course allows four junior/senior dance majors to have real world experience in a professional dance company, specifically contemporary dance. The department has had a long-standing relationship with Charlotte Ballet by way of the Professional Training Certificate program. However, this new internship course gives a unique look into the life of a professional contemporary dancer, expands the department’s reach into the Charlotte community, and starts a new wave of growth for the dance body on campus.
Baran Dance is a Charlotte-based contemporary dance company founded by UNC Charlotte alumna and Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance Audrey Ipapo Baran ‘03.
The internship is an excellent example of the career preparation and community focused curriculum that the department and the College of Arts + Architecture strive to provide, and Dance Department Chair Gretchen Alterowitz hopes that this course will become a staple of the department’s offerings.
“The internship with Baran Dance offers our students the opportunity to work with a professional contemporary dance company and make connections with the dance community in Charlotte,” she said. “An important part of preparing students for careers is to help them see themselves as future members of the dance profession, and this internship provides a mentored environment for real-world experience in a dance company. The relationship with Baran Dance is an important part of the Dance Department’s strategic vision to support, strengthen, and contribute to the Charlotte dance community.”