Tell me a little bit about what you were doing before you came to Columbia:

I recently graduated from the University of Kansas (December 2011) with a degree in Communication Studies and a minor in Dance.  I was the Assistant Dance Program Director for Kristi’s Academy of Dance from about December 2011 to August 2012.

What made you choose Columbia?

I chose Columbia because I visited Chicago in April 2012 and found the city very interesting.  I knew I wanted to travel to another state to get my master’s, but I wasn’t sure where.  After visiting, I researched some of the schools here, stumbled across Columbia’s website, found the Interdisciplinary Arts MA program, and that was that!

What is your favorite thing about the M.A. program?

My favorite part about the M.A. program so far has probably been experimenting with Sound, as well as experimenting with Movement, not just “dance”.

What do you feel is the difference between movement and dance, and what did you gain from that experimentation?

I come from a competitive dance background, so slowing down to see the importance in movement versus dance was exciting. Realizing that “who can do the most tricks” was not important was quite refreshing. Taking a moment to slow down and explore everyday movements was nice. I felt that I was able to create more in my movement class. Not being able to rely on moves that I learned from my dance background was interesting. I was forced to dig deep and create new things.

What project are you working on right now that you are excited about?

I am always working on dance pieces!  I am looking forward to next semester and all of the new things I will be learning.

Find out more about Jasmyn’s inspiration here.