SUU Community Education offers “Bard to Ballet,” a class for dance and theater lovers
By Haven Scott
On Oct. 2, instructor Donald Bradburn will begin teaching a four-week SUU Community Education course entitled “Bard to Ballet: Shakespeare and Dance.” Now a resident of Cedar City, Bradburn spent his professional career dancing in movies, plays, and television.
The course follows Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” and looks at the involvement of dance within classical works. Each session will include discussion and review. In the final class, a dialogue will occur about what has been shown and its relationship to the play. Although the class has no homework, class enrollees are encouraged to read the play to familiarize themselves with plot and character before first class.
“The initial ballet to be covered is ‘Romeo and Juliet’ as this is the most popular ballet based on Shakespeare and has the most familiar plotline and recognizable characters,” Bradburn said. “Later sessions can include ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ ‘The Tempest,’ or ‘Othello’ if the participants desire.”
Bradburn was an emeritus lecturer of dance at University of California Irvine as well as a member of the Dance History Scholars and Dance Critics Association and a former editor of Dance Magazine. Bradburn danced in the movies “Funny Girl” (1968) and “Sweet Charity” (1969) and has danced in more than 40 musicals, playing the lead in “West Side Story,” “Carousel,” “The Music Man” and “Gypsy.” He has also danced on television specials with Fred Astaire, Goldie Hawn, Diana Ross, Glen Campbell, and the Smothers Brothers and has directed and choreographed dance for concerts, operas, films, television, and theater during his career.
SUU Community Education establishes community partnerships by generating fun, cultural, and educational opportunities for those who love to learn. Subjects including cake decorating, cooking, arts, professional development, yoga, dancing and more are taught by local professionals for the purpose of increasing participant knowledge and developing new skills. Give the gift of time spent with a loved one this holiday season.
There are more than 30 classes at SUU Community Education to build your resume, learn something new or spend time with a friend or loved one this fall. For more information, visit suu.edu/wise, email bewise@suu.edu, call (435) 865-8259, or stop by the office at 136 W. University Blvd, Suite 3, in Cedar City.
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