Megan Castranio '09 - Senior Fellow

Harrisburg, PA
castra_m@denison.edu
Dance and Psychology Double Major

• Ballet I, II, III
• Contemporary I, II
• World Dance II – Middle Eastern Dance
• World Dance I – Greek Dance
• Cultural Studies in Dance
• Women and the Arts
• Experiential Anatomy/Kinesiology
• Composition & Improvisation
• Seminar in Production
• Seminar in Choreographic Research
  
• Choreography: Ogtel (Spring 08)

    I began dancing as a young girl in Harrisburg and spent much of my youth performing and taking classes at many venues in central Pennsylvania. I attended the Harrisburg Dance Conservatory for many years and was a company and ensemble member performing ballet and modern pieces. I also attended many ballet summer intensive courses in New York and Pennsylvania. In addition to my dance training, I was on my high school’s cheer leading squad and I can be found in the Dance Distributors Catalog. I attended an arts magnet school my junior and senior year of high school, where I was introduced to improvisation and choreography.

    In my first semester at Denison, I enrolled in the Contemporary II class. Although my previous experience was only in structured modern techniques, I felt the Contemporary II class would help me become a more eclectic dancer. I love that I now have the contemporary technique in my repertoire and I look forward to advancing my education in contemporary dance while at Denison. I have been a creative movement teacher, a Ballet Level I teacher at Ohio City Youth Ballet, a guest artist in COYB’s Nutcracker and Le Bayadere, an intern at the Chautauqua Institute for Dance and am studying dance and psychology here at Denison. This is my second year as a dance fellow and I am also the Captain of Denison’s Dance Team. I have enjoyed the opportunities to learn and grow both as a dancer and choreographer; last semester I created my first piece of work, Ogtel, and I look forward to continuing my choreographic journey this semester.

Diana Dixon '09 - Senior Fellow

Perrysburg, OH
dixon_d@denison.edu
Dance and Spanish Double Major 

• Ballet I, II, III
• Contemporary I, II
• World Dance II – Middle Eastern Dance
• World Dance I – Greek Dance
• Social Body in Dance
• Cultural Studies in Dance
• Movement Analysis
• Experiential Anatomy/Kinesiology
• Composition & Improvisation
• Seminar in Production
• Seminar in Choreography
• Choreography: Lindo San Mateo (Spring 08)
  

I am a senior Spanish and Dance double major from Perrysburg, Ohio. I have been dancing since the age of three and have experience in various dance forms including ballet, tap, lyrical, contemporary, Irish, Hawaiian, Middle Eastern, Greek, salsa, and tango dancing. This training has given me the opportunity to learn not only about my own movement style, but has most importantly provided me with the opportunity to observe, and deeply appreciate, the diversity of movement around me. Since my arrival at Denison I have taken advantage of any and all possible dance opportunities offered, including both academic and movement classes. I have participated in nine dance productions, choreographed by both faculty and students, and have attended many performances in the area, which have exposed me to dance on a very diverse scale.

My passion for dance extends into my love of Spanish language and culture. While traveling and studying in Spain, Chile, Argentina, and Mexico over the past three years, I took advantage of opportunities to attend authentic performances and learn tango, salsa, bachata, and merengue. Spring Semester 2008 I choreographed my first piece at Denison which explored dance as the universal language by combining it with my passion for the Spanish language. My piece, titled Lindo San Mateo, represents not only my interest in the movement of the body, but the passion and history carried with Latin dances and the ability that dance has to cross cultural and lingual boundaries and create an atmosphere that can be understood by any audience through movement of the body. During my senior year, I plan to undertake my year-long senior honors choreographic research project, expanding on the ideas and inspiration from my previous project.

Christina Marino '10 - Junior Fellow

Warren, Ohio

marino_c@denison.edu

English and Dance Double Major

• Ballet I, II, III
• Contemporary I, II
• World Dance I – Greek Dance
• Composition & Improvisation
• Experiential Anatomy/Kinesiology
• Dance and Ethnicity

Dance has always been an integral part of my life. For thirteen years, I have studied a variety of dance forms at the James Dance and Performing Arts Center in Warren, Ohio. I was a member of the studio’s competitive dance team and competed in ballet, jazz, lyrical, tap, character, and hip hop dance pieces in cities throughout the United States. During high school, I also performed on my school’s dance team.

At Denison, I realized how great my passion for dance is and have continued to grow as an artist. Through technique and theory courses, I have been challenged to improve my movement qualities and especially to think innovatively. For the first time, I explored the possibilities of contemporary dance as well as improvisation. My favorite aspect of dance has always been performance, and participating in dance department concerts as well as student choreography pieces have given me a great opportunity to do so. In addition, I perform with the Denison Dance Team. Along with performing, I enjoy sharing my love for dance and last summer I had the opportunity to work as a camp counselor with the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. It has been an honor to be a Vail Scholar and a Dance Fellow, and I am looking forward to working in the Dance Department as a leader, performer, and choreographer.