Skills you acquire through a liberal arts Dance major, and how these skills translate into other careers

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Liberal Arts Dance Degree and other Careers
Abstract
For a long time, liberal arts dance major has been referred to as useless by various critics. In fact, most of the critics have argued that acquiring a degree in dance is a waste of time and money considering the limited opportunities available in the job market. Most students are always in a state of panic after finishing their dance arts degree since they consider themselves the less privileged when it comes to the number of job offers they get. Comparing the course with other majors such as engineering and law, art dance students always find themselves struggling in the job market. It is for this reason that many critics and analysts have come up to criticize the importance of the course and why it should not be taken as a career by students. In fact, most critics consider it a course that people should only do as a supplement to other majors. In this regard, this paper seeks to demonstrate the importance of liberal arts dance as a degree and the benefits that come with the degree. The paper shall also discuss the various careers that a dance major can pursue other than dancing with a professional company and choreographing. In essence, this paper seeks to demonstrate how the skills acquired through the years of dancing by a dancer can translate into other careers as well as a full-time career in itself.
Introduction/ Background Information
Dance is defined as the body movement in a rhythmic way, more often than not to music and within a certain space, with the idea and reason of conveying an idea, feeling or releasing of energy or basically taking pleasure in the movement itself (Donnan 69).

This definition echoes the meaning attached to dance by Aristotle who described dance as a rhythmic movement whose purpose is to represent the characters of men as well as what they do and feel. Fundamentally, dance is a dominant desire; however, the dance as an art is that desire directed by trained performers or rather skilled dancers into a performance that becomes fascinatingly remarkable and that possibly may amuse the audience that does not have the desire to take part in the dance themselves (Donnan 70). These two conceptions of dance as an art, dance as a dominant desire and dance as a competently choreographed art done mostly by a trained few, are the most imperative connecting concepts linking any deliberation of the degree or subject. In liberal art dance, these two models are closely and strongly connected as compared to other dance arts and none of them can solely exist.
Essentially, liberal arts learning institutions were started at the time of colonization. The set of courses of the original liberal arts institutions, consisting almost entirely of the study of Greek, Hebrew and Latin, was not reputable because these courses would expand the student’s mind (Schmidt 63). Relatively, these courses are the fundamentals for learning and the ability to elucidate the New and Old Testament scriptures. These scriptures are the essential toolkit for any minister. At the time of its founding, the liberal arts college of America was projected for the twofold purpose of both “the liberation” of the mind and organizing the graduate for constructive work. In fact, between the opening of Harvard’s in 1636 and the 19th century, roughly 50 liberal arts institutions were started in America (Schmidt 65). From 1820 up until the start of the Civil War a “volatile proliferation” of learning institutions occurred as denominations and municipalities saw the founding of colleges as a way of marketing their profile and increasing their influence (Schmidt 66). Some are still liberal arts colleges till date. And some, for instance, nine among the first ten institutions started in America, are not recognized as liberal arts institutions today but as Universities of research. One of the best strengths of the education system in American has long been considered to be its miscellany and dynamic institutions. American higher education comprises state universities, community colleges, public and private research universities as well as liberal arts institutions. The liberal arts colleges are part of the American Higher Learning system and particularly, liberal arts dance degree is recognized by the American education system as one of the higher education disciplines. However, due to its rigidity, as supposed by most critics, in the job market, many people have dismissed it as a course not worth taking. Perhaps if we look closely and keenly at the definition of dance and art, we will be able to understand how the liberal arts degree is an important and a course just like other courses.
The main idea according to the aforementioned definition and description is the idea of dance being an art and the performance of a dance requires exceptional skills that only a trained and skilled performer can manage to do. In essence, it is a skill that is not acquired through any other means but rigorous training and practice that requires the guidance of a trained and knowledgeable tutor. The training also involves the training of the brain to adapt to the changes in the external environment and to be able to accurately interpret situations and the trends in the society. This aspect of dance closely demonstrates a similarity between the art and other disciplines since the other disciplines also require training by a skilled and trained tutor. Despite this fact, a number of critics have come up to brand liberal art dance as a useless course and those that take the course ends up struggling to make it a career. These arguments have been based on the fact that the job market favors other disciplines such as Technology, Sciences, Engineering and another course such as law to the liberal arts dance courses. This makes the dance market limited and small making it hard for the students taking this course to make it a career that can actually earn them a living. Nonetheless, a number of people still make a living out of this course. As a result of this argument, several campaigns have been initiated to show the importance and relevance of liberal art dance as degree and discipline that people can rely on. In fact, in 2013, the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) initiated a public awareness campaign dubbed “securing American future: The Power of Liberal Arts Education” to spread accurate data about liberal arts dance education and liberal arts, in general, prospective students, parents and the media to counter the arguments that have been levied against this course (Donnan 71). This campaign was spurred by the continuous misrepresentation of the liberal arts education in the media and public. The campaign, thus, served to address the issues by informing the public of the importance of liberal arts degree and the opportunities available for a person with a liberal arts degree. As such, the misrepresentations that have been associated with the liberal arts dance major are a course of concern and it is important to demonstrate the importance of this course; the opportunities available for this course and how the skills acquired in this field can be translated into other careers as well as a full-time career in itself.
The Importance of Liberal Arts Dance Major
As university graduates take the initial step into the world of business and other professional fields, a chance to reflect on the validity of higher education manifests itself. For years, disciplines such as Technology, Engineering, Science and Math have been the well-known credible study areas (Brint Et.al 160). In fact, parents often advise their children to pursue these disciplines because job opportunities are apparently better in these disciplines. This is because of the job prospects of these the establishments that have been seen in the various fields that deal with these courses. For instance, in the field of Engineering, there are various sub-courses that a student can specialize in making the course so diverse and expands the market base of this particular course. For this reason, Engineering students have defined destinations where they can apply and use the knowledge they acquire in the learning institutions. Liberal arts dance, on the other hand, has limited destinations and the available destination are not well paying making critics conclude that it is a waste of money and time. However, in the contemporary society, the demographics of the world are changing and the attention is slowly shifting to the area of arts. This is because, in a global market and the new cycles, liberal arts are critical to success in every economic sector. There is no doubt that liberal art has an essential role in laying a basis for learning in every specialized field. As such, liberal arts education is essential and important in the following ways:
First, evidently, all successful and booming careers require teamwork, critical thinking, and sensitivity to demographic, cultural, societal and economic differences as well as political perspectives. This foundation is completely laid by liberal arts learning (NUGENT 15). In essence, liberal arts education helps in critical thinking. Particularly, liberal arts dance is a major that requires students to critically think since it involves the expression of emotions, feelings and the entertainment of the crowd. To achieve these skills and qualities, a person has to go through rigorous training and be trained to think. This training involves the adaptation of the brain to interpret and employ different techniques making it a more useful tool for analysis. The ability of the brain to adapt to these techniques enables the person to think for themselves by linking the points throughout conceptions and ideologies in a variety of frameworks (Schwartz 840). This aspect of critical thinking makes liberal arts dance major one of the most important higher education course since every aspect of the economic, social and political sphere requires individuals to think critically. Also, liberal arts dance major provides a great foundation for adjusting to new careers and further education. For instance, Khiara Bridges is a law professional and a dancer. She says that she loves dancing because it enhances her critical thinking styles which are seriously needed in the legal profession that she also majors in (Bridges YouTube). As such, as a course that requires people to think individually; liberal arts dance is essential to other courses.
Secondly, liberal arts dance education trains individuals how to learn. Learning is a virtue that every person requires in their everyday operations. Considering the changing society in all aspects, every person has to be able to learn and adapt to the new trends in the job market. As such, liberal arts dance education makes it possible for students to acquire the required skills and knowledge to become permanent learners. This will be practical when absorbing fresh strategies and information needed to achieve in a person’s careers with merit (Brint Et.al 155). Also, liberal arts dance education grants the students the chance to study outside a particular major. In this regard, our knowledge and understanding of life are appreciably enhanced hence making us improved and better trainers to others. The skills acquired in the liberal arts dance course are essential and every day we commune, there exist an exchange and transmission of learning and teaching which makes liberal arts dance education very important in our society today.
Lastly, research demonstrates that liberal arts degree is an important investment. Robinson calls this predicament of having to place an economic assessment of every expertise that every apprentice acquires at the learning institutions (Carter 170). It brings down education to simply training, rather than to innovation and exploration. It’s a concealed secret that liberal arts degree, in fact, trains a person to be an exceptional communicator, writer and critical thinker. These are the kinds of skills that many businesses will always need. Particularly in liberal arts dance education, communication is the most important aspect of the course as it is what the performers use to get attached to the crowd they are performing to. Being able to communicate and interpret correctly your moves and styles with the help of critical thinking is an important aspect that is universal to all aspects of the society. In the contemporary world, successful businesses are not built by people who are merely trained and educated on business matters but are built by people who possess the skills to critically think outside the box and communicate well and effectively with other colleagues. As such, liberal arts dance education is a foundation and basis for all the other disciplines.
Translating Liberal Arts Dance Degree into other Career
College students time and again find themselves having the experience of a quarter-life catastrophe as they near graduation. The prospect seems to be a hydra; debts, jobs and living expenses become larger as they show out of tomorrow into the current situation. This leaves a lot of students questioning themselves whether they made the right career choice (Rine, Eliason 15). For instance, Liberal Arts Dance students who often have fewer solid career paths as compared to their peers are predominantly vulnerable to spells of panic. This fear comes as a result of the few opportunities available for the Liberal Arts Dance students in the job market and the fact that most of the opportunities available do not pay like other disciplines pay (Carter 169). However, many forget the importance and relevance of this career in other fields. The training associated with this degree program is very rigorous and makes the course very dynamic and flexible. In essence, students with Liberal Art Dance degree can adapt in any field of study and be a success in any career they chose to pursue considering the skills and knowledge they acquire during their training. As such, translating Liberal Arts Dance degree into other careers is very easy and may be the only choice and solution for the students that miss out on the fewer opportunities available in the field of art dance such as choreographing and other dance opportunities available in this field. As such, it is important to understand how liberal arts dance degree can be translated and transformed into other careers.
Technology
As mentioned above, liberal arts dance degree is all about learning. Students that pursue this course are always learning since dancing as an art involves interpretation of the crowd and being able to learn and adjust to the new changes in our society. Also, liberal arts normally focus on a wide background of information and this is intended to assist individuals to build a solid foundation and master fundamental skills of critical thinking. On the other hand, the requirement to entry into the field of Technology is extremely low (Anders 9). Most aspects of technology do not require educational knowledge but the individual brilliance and the ability to interpret and adjust to the changes in the technological environment. In essence, technology requires a broad background of knowledge which is basically the ability to think outside the box. With the skill of critical thinking and the knowledge acquired in liberal arts schools, technology seems a very obvious career that students can easily translate their liberal arts dance degrees into. With the ever changing market structures and technological environments, critical thinking is a virtue that every employer and employee must possess which makes liberal arts education the basis and foundation of this particular career.
Business Management
In the field of business management, critical and strategic thinking is also a virtue. In fact, managers need to come up with excellent strategies to ensure the success of their businesses. These strategies require analysis of the different factors that influence the business world, the strategies of other competing businesses, the trends in the market and the production might of the businesses (Mednick 220). All these factors require critical thinking which is one of the skills acquired in liberal arts dance education. As such, liberal arts dance education can easily be translated into a business management career considering the analytical skills, critical thinking and strategic skills which are the most important aspect of any management. Being a career with few and limited job opportunities, management can be the most appropriate field of focus of liberal arts dance students.
In essence, college students can easily make their liberal arts dance degrees into paying careers. These students can practically double their job projection by selecting a few practical skills in the learning institution. This journey starts way before graduation. All the students need to do is supplement their liberal arts dance degrees with other specific skills that are marketable in the market. These skills may include business skills, marketing skills, sales skills, graphic design, social media skills, data analysis skills and lastly, information technology and management skills. These skills increase the job prospects of liberal arts dance students by creating more opportunities in the market for them. In fact, students that have other skills to supplement their liberal arts dance degrees always find it easy in the job market since most employers in the field of business look for specific skills when recruiting. The most important skills most employers look for are the skills to critically think in tight situations and the skills to analyze and strategize business moves that will make them compete favorably with other business competitors. Thus, liberal arts dance degree is a diverse and dynamic course if the student pursuing the course employs all his or her energy in mastering the most important skills and knowledge associated with this course.
Conclusion
In conclusion, liberal art, in general, is basically the foundation of most disciplines in the entire American Higher Education system. The skills learnt in this course and the bulk of knowledge that comes with this course makes it a very important discipline both in the business world and management. As such, the misrepresentations that are associated with this course by critics are not well-thought. Liberal Arts dance students can adapt to any working environment considering the skills and knowledge they possess. Especially the field of technology is a very viable career that the students can translate their liberal arts dances degrees into since it is a field that requires personnel with a bulk of knowledge; are able to think outside the box, and are able to interpret and analyze situations accurately.
Works cited
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Bridges, Khiara. “Khiara Bridges on Reproductive Rights, the Law and Ballet.” YouTube, uploaded by Bolton University School of Law, 27, Jun 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCIC36UuvhoBrint, Steven G., et al. “From the Liberal to the Practical arts in American Colleges and Universities: Organizational Analysis and Curricular Change.” The Journal of Higher Education 76.2 (2005): 151-180. Print
Carter, Françoise. “Dance as a Moral Exercise.”.” Guglielmo Ebreo da Pesaro e la danza nelle corti italiane del xv secolo (1990): 169-79. Print
Donnan, Christopher B. “Dance in Moche art.” Ñawpa Pacha (2015). Print
Mednick, Sarnoff. “The Associative Basis of the Creative Process.” Psychological Review 69.3 (1962): 220. Print
NUGENT, AN ESSAY BY S. GEORGIA. “The Liberal Arts in Action Past, Present, and Future.” Print
Rine, P. Jesse, and Jennifer Eliason. “Expanding Access and Opportunity: How Small and Mid-sized Independent Colleges Serve First-generation and Low-income Students.” Council of Independent Colleges (2015). Print
Schwartz, Herbert T. “Toward a Law Course for Undergraduates.” American Bar Association Journal (1972): 838-841. Print
Schmidt, George Paul. The Liberal Arts College: A chapter in American Cultural History. Rutgers University Press, 1957. Print