A Celebration of UCLA Dance: 1962–2017
This year, UCLA celebrates the 55th anniversary of its dance department, which was the first in a public university. Throughout this history, UCLA has been at the forefront of the dance field, redefining trends in choreography and performance and making important contributions to the fields of dance ethnography and dance movement therapy. This month, we will celebrate this rich history and honor the women who founded the department.
In 1953, Alma Hawkins, who trained at Columbia and Teachers College in New York, was persuaded to come to UCLA to teach dance in the Department of Physical Education. She joined Pia Gilbert, Carol Scothorn, and several others in the dance unit, and found that dance was an integral part of the Physical Education major with courses in social and folk dance, modern dance, composition, music analysis, and dance history. Led by pioneering dance educator Martha Deane, UCLA had already developed a genuine commitment to dance and had even introduced opportunities for student performance.
By 1957, a dance major was established within Physical Education, and soon the faculty began bringing artists from New York during summer sessions—Merce Cunningham, Jean Erdman, and Betty Jones were some of the first guests. The same year, Life magazine published a feature article on the arts at UCLA calling the University a “cultural boom town.” This national recognition attracted students from across the country and soon fifty students were enrolled in the dance major.
After UCLA established the College of Fine Arts, Alma Hawkins led the effort to move dance into this new College and create its own department in 1962. This formally recognized the emerging importance of dance in higher education, paving the way for many other departments across the country.
By 1968, UCLA had the largest and most influential dance department in the country. The department was built upon an understanding that students should have the opportunity for performance, but also for historical and ethnological research. While some students concentrated in choreography, history, or dance therapy, others were able to study the dance of other cultures.
UCLA is now home to World Arts & Cultures/Dance, one of the most diverse dance departments in the country. We are training the next generation of practitioners alongside researchers and theorists who explore dance as a socially relevant form. Our students are dancing, thinking about dance, and making choreography that directly confronts the crucial issues of our time.
Please join us on April 21 for a performance to celebrate this pioneering department and honor its founders.
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Header image:
Pia Gilbert, Professor Emeritus, Department of Dance
Carol Scothorn, Professor Emeritus, Department of Dance
Alma Hawkins, Chair, Department of Dance, 1962-1977
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This story is a part of the Spring 2017 UCLA Arts Newsletter. Subscribe to our mailing list to receive this quarterly newsletter directly to your inbox!