Garber is new president of national ballet organization
Jan. 25, 2001
KALAMAZOO -- Sharon Garber, associate professor of dance at
Western Michigan University,
has been named president of CORPS de Ballet International. Garber
is a founding member of the three-year-old organization, which
has grown to a membership of more than 80 full- and part-time
college and university ballet teachers.
CORPS de Ballet International seeks to advance the reputation of university training in ballet in both the academic and professional communities.
Says Garber, "Even though the level of technical standards in university ballet programs has risen dramatically...ballet has been looked upon as a stepchild of university dance forms. The professional ballet world has also looked down upon academic training."
CORPS is an acronym for Council of Organized Researchers or Pedagogical Studies of ballet. The organization is dedicated to the development, exploration and advancement of ballet in higher education and to the service and promotion of the art of ballet.
WMU's David Curwen, instructor of dance, also serves on the organization's board of directors.
Media contact: Mark Schwerin, 616 387-8400, mark.schwerin@wmich.edu