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WIU Assistant Professor (Head of Dance) Donald Laney
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WIU Dance Director Spends Summers Learning More About His Craft

November 7, 2022

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MACOMB, IL – For one Western Illinois University faculty member, his time spent between teaching semesters has gone toward expanding his knowledge base as WIU's director of dance programming, and supporting WIU students and faculty within the department.

Assistant Professor (Head of Dance) Donald Laney came to WIU in 2020, after teaching at and leading the West Virginia Dance Company for 15 years. Besides his time in the classrooms and dance studios at WIU, Laney is also a freelance artist who teaches and choreographs shows, and works in costume design and construction.

This past summer, Laney choreographed a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) modern dance concert piece entitled, Active Interference for the West Virginia Dance Company. The original 11-minute composition is for five dancers. He also spent time teaching at festivals, and at the WV Governor's School for the Arts.

"Creating original work on professional dancers reminds me of what I am striving for when I teach these students - impressing on them the dedication, determination and discipline that it takes to have a career in the arts," he said.

In Summer 2021, in addition to teaching at the WV Governor's School for the Arts, Laney noticed on social media that many of his students, and some department faculty, were acting in productions across the Midwest. It was then he decided to spend extensive time traveling to watch the 12 productions across Missouri, North and South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan and North Carolina.

He said the travels mirrored actions by his mother, a fourth grade teacher, who attended her students' activities during her more than 30-year career.

"I think it is important to keep actively creating, teaching and traveling," said Laney. "When I teach at festivals and the WV Governor's School for the Arts, I have the opportunity to meet with other dance professors and share information about their programs, as well as teaching methods and approaches. In musical theatre choreography, working with different directors allows me to broaden my own knowledge and see different approaches to creating a show."

In addition to choreographing productions during the summer months, Laney has also served as a guest artist and master class teacher at numerous locations, mostly within West Virginia. In 2018, he was also awarded the WV Governor's Award for Leadership in the Arts.

Another prestigious accomplishment was being the last dancer invited to learn the Spanish Dance," which celebrates the life of internationally-known dancer Daniel Nagrin. Laney learned the dance from Nagrin in 2008, just before Nagrin's death. During the process, Laney kept a journal of the lessons he learned.

"The history lesson that I receive daily is amazing," he wrote in that journal.

In 2023, Laney has been awarded an arts grant to present a project at the Birke Fine Arts Symposium. The project will document the process of how dance evolves, and break down aspects of artistic choices, process, technique, historical and sociological context and the dance/movement aesthetic.

"The process of creating a work of choreography is a journey of self-discovery through the lens of a body in motion," said Laney. "Like other art forms, the time-staking work of the choreographer/dancer goes largely unseen. To shed a light on this aspect of the creative process, this proposal endeavors to invite an audience to explore with the artists, the process of creative discovery."

WIU Department of Theatre and Dance Chair Tammy Killian said she is amazed by Laney's dedication to WIU's students and to the dance department.

"He works until a project is completed to his liking," said Killian. "He is a kind, nurturing leader; he has a strong artistic vision; he is a great collaborator; and he does not settle for 'just okay.' In all of the productions we have done together, I have been impressed with his ability to get the very best work out of our students, as well working collaboratively with our team. He is a true professional in every sense of the word."

For more information about WIU's Department of Theatre and Dance, visit wiu.edu/theatre.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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