Brockport Today

Jocelyn Schimpf

Dance (MFA)

A sense of community and a learning environment that would not only challenge her physically but intellectually drew Jocelyn Schimpf to the graduate dance program.

 

When she visited Brockport to audition for the graduate dance program, Jocelyn Schimpf was drawn to the sense of community at Brockport. The students, faculty, and staff were welcoming. That meant a lot, since she was coming from Texas and did not know the area.

The graduate dance program places an equal balance on choreography, research, and pedagogy. Learning from this perspective was intriguing to Jocelyn. “We have movement classes, theory classes, and rehearsals for performances. All environments are open for collaboration, discussion, and workshopping ideas between all undergraduate and graduate students and professors,” said Jocelyn.

At Brockport, Jocelyn gained experiences in teaching, service, research, and dance training. Opportunities opened for her to be able to practice and refine her skills in all areas of her interest. She made valuable connections with faculty, who supported her education by sharing their expertise.

One experience that was particularly memorable was being able to teach General Education courses in dance to non-majors. Jocelyn taught Movement & Self-Awareness, Intro to Dance, Looking at Dance, and Modern Dance — a combination of movement and lecture-based classes. Teaching courses gave her experience working with diverse groups of students, while sharing her knowledge of safe dance and movement practices.

“Through teaching classes, choreographing dances, presenting papers, and performing in concerts, my knowledge and passion for dance has grown exponentially,” said Jocelyn.

The vitality of the College paired with support from peers and faculty helped enrich Jocelyn’s graduate school experience. After graduation, she hopes to become a professor of dance where she can teach dance science and postmodern dance.

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