College of Visual and Performing Arts

Mason Korea celebrates 10 years with kickoff reception

Lauren Reuscher — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 14:20:34 +0000

Mason Korea celebrates 10 years with kickoff reception Lauren Reuscher Thu, 06/13/2024 - 10:20

��AV Korea kicked off its 10th anniversary celebrations with a lively reception that brought together Mason Korea students, faculty, and staff, current and past leaders, visitors from George Mason's Fairfax Campus, and members of the Mason Korea advisory board.

��AV leaders gathered for Mason Korea's 10th anniversary kickoff celebration. Photo by Mason Korea

The event included a recognition ceremony for Mason Korea employees with five to ten years of service. Janette Muir, vice provost for academic affairs and chair of the Mason Korea LLC Board, presented awards to five-year employees. Robert Matz, dean of Mason Korea, honored those with six to nine years of service, and ��AV President Gregory Washington recognized faculty and staff with 10 years of service—those who have been at Mason Korea since it opened.

President Gregory Washington (right) and faculty/staff with 10 years of service at Mason Korea. Photo by Mason Korea

President Gregory Washington and faculty/staff with 6–9 years of service at Mason Korea. Photo by Mason Korea

President Gregory Washington and faculty/staff with 5 years of service at Mason Korea. Photo by Mason Korea

Matz thanked the faculty and staff in attendance for their contributions to the campus. “You do not need to be told of Mason Korea’s successes because you are the reason for them—you are their engine,” said Matz.

The event featured a first-of-its-kind collaboration between the Green Machine pep band and Mason Korea's student bands, Crescent and Sketch. The electric energy of the bands filled the banquet hall with a mix of English and Korean pop hits.

Photo by Mason Korea

Sherlin Amaya Medrano, Mason Korea Student Government president, also offered her congratulations to the campus community. The 10th anniversary celebration continues throughout the week with a series of public events.

Photo by Mason Korea

Learn more about Mason Korea's 10th Anniversary

Topics

Mason Korea

Campus News

Faculty and Staff News

Around Mason (E-Files)

Strategic Direction

College of Visual and Performing Arts

Computer Game Design

A second chance at a college degree for this Mason Korea computer game design graduate

Colleen Rich — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 14:12:29 +0000

A second chance at a college degree for this Mason Korea computer game design graduate Colleen Rich Wed, 04/17/2024 - 10:12

Juyoung Cha was the first in her family to consider studying abroad for college. Starting in high school, she wanted to experience a different culture, specifically the United States.

Computer game design major Juyoung Cha by Mason Pond on the Fairfax Campus. Photo provided

After she faced closed doors to her fine arts college applications in Korea, her local pastor who had lived in the United States recommended that she take the community college route in the state of New York. Cha decided to study accounting, a pathway she considered to be more stable than fine arts in terms of career outcomes.

Cha spent three semesters at a community college and three semesters at the City University of New York. However, due to family financial difficulties, Cha and her sister returned home to continue their college education.

Coming back to Korea as a transfer student was a huge challenge for Cha, as Korean universities only accept transfer students who enrolled for more than two years at a single institution. With her six semesters at two institutions, she was limited in options for continuing her undergraduate education.

At the point where she was about to give up on her college education, her pastor’s wife introduced her to Kelley Chung, Mason Korea’s associate dean for admissions and government affairs, who helped Cha see that she could continue her fine arts pursuits through the field of computer game design at a U.S. institution in Korea.

“While it was not as abstract as plain fine arts and had a clear career route, the thought of building something in the digital world that cannot be constructed in the real world sounded exciting,” Cha said.

Learning computer programming, design, and game modeling was challenging for Cha. “As the days of being a college student prolonged, the goal of graduating felt farther away the more I got close to it,” she said.

Cha found that computer game design faculty members wanted to see her succeed, showing flexibility on deadlines and even offering the chance to retake classes for a better grade. Her internship supervisor at Mason Korea’s Office of Development and Strategic Partnerships, Christina Cha, was her biggest supporter when she was on the brink of dropping out of college.

“Juyoung’s diligence and willingness to learn new skills was impressive to me and to all of us in the office,” her internship supervisor said. “She was also an active member of G-nonymous, Mason Korea’s student RSO for [computer graphic design] majors, quietly yet persistently honing her skills. I’m so happy that she rose above her own doubts and decided to complete her education journey at Mason and become our alumnus!”

Now Cha is just weeks away from reaching the finish line in Fairfax—earning her BFA in computer game design. In May she plans to walk proudly across the graduation stage in EagleBank Arena along with her younger sister, Subin Cha, who is a Mason Korea student in accounting.

“Being the first five students among Mason Korea’s first computer game design cohort and one of the few female students in my major’s graduating class from Mason Korea, to me being a Patriot symbolizes endurance and patience,” said Cha. “Studying abroad in the United States and coming back to an American college through Mason were both non-traditional routes that exposed me to different challenges that allowed me to see the value of a college degree.”

Mason Korea opened its doors to in 2014. As part of Mason Korea’s 10th anniversary, Mason will host events in Korea and on the Fairfax Campus. This is the first in a series of stories highlighting Mason Korea students.
Learn more about Mason Korea's anniversary >>

U.S. Student? Study at Mason Korea!

Topics

Students

Mason Korea

Computer Game Design

College of Visual and Performing Arts

Graduation

Spring Commencement

Mason’s research is best in Virginia in multiple EduRank rankings

Sarah Holland — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 16:41:23 +0000

Mason’s research is best in Virginia in multiple EduRank rankings Sarah Holland Wed, 04/03/2024 - 12:41

Eighteen ��AV programs are ranked the best in Virginia in a new report by EduRank that focuses on performance in research.

Students enjoy the cherry blossoms on the Fairfax Campus. Photo by Eduardo de Souza/Office of University Branding.

Topping the list is Mason’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, which for the second consecutive year was ranked No. 1 among all public institutions and No. 2 among all institutions nationally.

Best-in-Virginia programs were spread across the university and included those from the Costello College of Business, the Schar School of Policy and Government, the College of Engineering and Computing, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS), the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, the College of Visual and Performing Arts, the Antonin Scalia Law School, the College of Education and Human Development, and the ROTC.

That research is supported by entities such as the Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Impact, which has overall responsibility for Mason’s research enterprise and support of entrepreneurship and innovation. And Costello College’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship lets students dig into entrepreneurship, from the theoretical to the experimental.

Mason’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is anchored by the university and reaches out into the broader community. Mason Enterprise, a division of the Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Impact, is a strategic collection of 24 programs that support entrepreneurs and small business owners across Virginia, and conducts more than 1,500 training programs and more than 30,000 hours of one-on-one counseling with entrepreneurs in the community and from universities each year.

It is that environment of research, discovery, and innovation, which is a main contributor to Mason’s R1 designation from the Carnegie Classification of Higher Education as one of the nation’s top research universities.

And though the EduRank rankings focus mainly on research performance, they are an indicator of the quality of the programs from which that research is produced.

“Mason is committed to accelerating the translation of research into practice by leveraging university talent, infrastructure, and partnerships to create solutions for societies’ toughest challenges at speed and scale,” said Andre Marshall, Mason’s vice president for research, innovation, and economic impact. “It is a credit to our faculty and students that Mason is a place where we can put theory into practice.”

Added Paula Sorrell, Mason’s associate vice president of innovation and economic development, “Mason was originally created by the business community to serve its needs, and for 50 years it has been doing just that. In the past four years, we’ve significantly amped up our tech entrepreneurship to support and mirror the rapidly growing tech economy, adding 16 new programs and counting.”

Research is the bedrock of entrepreneurship, Costello College dean Ajay Vinzé said.

The university’s top rankings “are in many ways reflective of our approach to business education and the business of higher education,” he said. “Our approach—built on the foundation of a rich university-wide entrepreneurial ecosystem, powered by a growing body of faculty research across multiple fields of study—is changing the arc of higher education expectation and delivery as we prepare the next generation of leaders.”

Costello College is a contributor to the top entrepreneurship ranking, along with the Schar School and the Mercatus Center, all of which produce volumes of research, articles, and papers for an abundance of publications.

Schar School dean Mark J. Rozell called entrepreneurship research “a very distinguishing feature for a public policy and government school.”

Its research at the Center for Micro-Economic Policy Research (CMEPR), for example, is focused on diversity and disadvantaged groups among entrepreneurs, especially those who are Black, immigrants, and female. It also looks at job creation by minority entrepreneurs in minority and low-income communities.

“The center brings an unusual contribution to research on entrepreneurship by focusing on these issues,” said John Earle, the center’s director and a Distinguished University Professor, who has published more than 60 articles and scholarly papers. “While the typical focus for entrepreneurship studies is for performance, especially for firms receiving venture-capital support, CMEPR research analyzes a much broader range of businesses, and how public policies affect the entry, growth, and survival of those owned by minority entrepreneurs.”

At the College of Engineering and Computing, Dean Ken Ball noted that CEC faculty garnered more than $119 million in research awards in 2023.

Dean Alpaslan Ozerdem's Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution class. Photo by: Ron Aira/Office of University Branding.

“I’m proud that our research has informed and strengthened our academic programs and led to innovation and economic growth that benefits society,” Ball said. “Mason has consistently been a national leader in cybersecurity, data analytics, software engineering, aviation, and web development. These rankings reflect the impact CEC researchers have in areas of engineering and computing that are relevant to everyone, as well as our leadership position among Virginia’s public universities.”

CHSS dean Ann Ardis said her college’s contributions to research in best-of-Virginia areas such as criminology, broadcasting, law enforcement, journalism, and political economy “are a testament to the scholarly excellence of our faculty. We take immense pride in our researchers’ contributions to Mason’s growing reputation nationally as a comprehensive R1 institution with strengths across a range of research areas.”

For Alpaslan Özerdem, dean of the Carter School, the ranking in conflict resolution “fuels our dedication to shaping a more peaceful and understanding world.”

Özerdem noted that the school has been at the forefront of teaching, researching, and implementing conflict resolution for four decades.

“So being recognized as the premier institution for conflict resolution in Virginia deepens our pride and reaffirms our vital role within the broader conflict resolution ecosystem of the commonwealth,” he said.

Here are the programs ranked the best in Virginia, with ranking among public institutions and overall national ranking; best in Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland (DMV) where noted:

Aviation: 8, 11 (best in the DMV)

Broadcast Journalism: 40, 58

Cinematography: 29, 48 (best in the DMV)

Conflict Resolution: 15, 28

Criminology: 19, 26

Cybersecurity: 21, 33

Data Administration: 19, 29

Entrepreneurship: 1, 2 (best in the DMV)

Human Rights Law: 9, 28 (best in the DMV)

Intellectual Property Law: 6, 18 (best in the DMV)

Law Enforcement: 5, 10 (best in the DMV)

Military Science: 33, 47

Political Economy: 14, 28

Public Policy Administration: 17, 29 (best in the DMV)

Radio & TV Broadcasting: 37, 55

Remote Sensing: 29, 39

Software Engineering: 11, 15

Web Development: 12, 18

See EduRank’s methodology here.

Support the Mason Nation

Topics

Costello College of Business

College of Engineering and Computing

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

College of Visual and Performing Arts

Antonin Scalia Law School

Office of Research Innovation and Economic Impact

Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Costello College of Business News

Schar School of Policy and Government

Schar School Featured Stories

Schar School News for April 2024

Wherever I May Roam: Mason alum directs marching band to victory in Metallica competition

Sarah Holland — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 14:39:49 +0000

Wherever I May Roam: Mason alum directs marching band to victory in Metallica competition Sarah Holland Tue, 02/06/2024 - 09:39

Smoke glides across the Oakton High School football field. A black curtain—20 yards long—hangs in the center of the field with giant silver letters: “Parade to Black.”

As the opening bars of “Enter Sandman” play on vibraphones, 50 high school marching band members emerge in ’80s hair metal wigs. They join the arrangement of the hit Metallica song, head-banging in between choreography and music cues.

Photo by Dave Custer.

“Enter Sandman” concludes the eight-and-a-half-minute medley of Metallica’s most popular songs, performed by Oakton High School’s marching band and color guard. Directed by Mason alum Jamie VanValkenburg, BM ’97, MM ’00, the Marching Cougars won the approval of Metallica itself, winning the small high school category in the inaugural “For Whom the Band Tolls!” marching band competition, beating out more than 450 other competitors. Other than praise and acclaim from the gods of metal themselves, the band will also receive a prize of $15,000 for instruments and equipment.

“It’s surreal. I grew up listening to Metallica,” VanValkenburg said. “Their albums were huge when I was in middle and high school, so when I saw the initial announcement on social media about the competition, I thought doing a Metallica show and entering their competition would be fun. I never expected that we would win.”

Jamie VanValkenburg, BM ’97, MM ’00, director of the Marching Cougars. Photo by Dave Custer.

VanValkenburg, an upstate New York native, chose Mason at the encouragement of his middle school band director, whose college band director was Anthony Maiello, University Professor of Music in the Dewberry School of Music in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Before he came to Mason, Maiello taught a number of future New York band directors at SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music, in northern New York state.

“Once he moved to Mason, those directors encouraged their students who showed interest in majoring in music to look into Mason,” VanValkenburg explained. “We joked that in the Mason music department, if you weren’t from Virginia, you were probably from New York.”

VanValkenburg met his future wife at Mason, also from Upstate New York and with a Maiello connection, Holly (Constantine) VanValkenburg, BA Music ‘00. Maiello was also the conductor for VanValkenburg’s New York All-State high school band.

While Maiello brought VanValkenburg to Mason, it was retired professor Roger Behrend who put VanValkenburg on the path to teaching. “Behrend insisted that those of us interested in music performance get our degrees in music education,” VanValkenburg said. “It would ensure we had a plan if we were unable to sustain a career in performance. It was some of the best advice I ever got.”

VanValkenburg still draws on the lessons from his time at Mason. In particular, he remembered Maiello’s influence. “Professor Maiello had very high standards, but he knew how to rehearse a band to meet those standards. He taught us how to reach those heights, and that’s something I try to emulate. He was incredibly inspiring on the podium, and I owe a lot to him.”

The Oakton High School marching band performs their award-winning show "Parade to Black" at the VBODA State Marching Band Assessment. Photo by Dave Custer.

VanValkenburg isn’t the only Mason alum in the Oakton High School community: Multiple members of the band staff are either alumni or current students of Mason, including the marching band music arranger Kent Baker, BA Music ’21 ; percussion arranger Nick Kraemer, BM Music Education ’15; percussion instructors Ricky Carrero, BA Sociology ’17, and Bronson Rodriguez, BA Music ‘23; and color guard instructor Malcolm Wood, BM Music Education ’23. Current Mason students on staff include Elaine Hopkins and Carly Wolfrey. Together, they created the winning Oakton High School performance.

Putting together a marching band show is a months-long endeavor, which VanValkenburg compared to a “1,000-piece puzzle.” Students are given the music arrangement near the end of the school year to learn over the summer. At marching band camp in August, they learn the drill and choreography, and develop the show as an ensemble. The show learned at band camp would be their show for the full season, including football games and competitions, which runs through October.

The road to this victory wasn’t easy. School music programs are still feeling the impacts of COVID-19, including reduced student numbers and loss of group performance skills.

“For a full year, none of them were able to play together. Once back in person, they didn’t know how to listen to each other, how to work as an ensemble anymore,” he explained. “And the process of virtual band was so painful we saw a lot of students not continue with their music programs.”
VanValkenburg suspects that recovery will take a few more years, but he hopes that this victory will encourage student interest.

“I’ve heard from directors around the county that after the winners were announced, their middle school students came into class all abuzz with the news. It’s awesome that everyone is as excited about this as we are,” he said.

Learn more about the Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music

Get involved with the Mason Alumni Association

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute honored for its contributions to arts education

Lauren Reuscher — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 18:05:55 +0000

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute honored for its contributions to arts education Lauren Reuscher Wed, 11/15/2023 - 13:05

The ArtsFairfax Awards celebrate visionary contributions to arts and culture in Fairfax County. On Oct. 26, ArtsFairfax honored the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at ��AV with its Education Award for providing exceptional arts education and opportunities to the community.

Participants in an OLLI Mason workshop taught by the LADAMA quartet, former Mason Artists-in-Residence

For more than 30 years, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI Mason) has offered educational, cultural, and social opportunities for adults in their retirement years. A nonprofit affiliate of ��AV, OLLI Mason offers more than 600 courses each year on a broad spectrum of subjects, as well as clubs, social events, and excursions.

As Fairfax County’s local arts agency, ArtsFairfax distributes public funds for the arts, connects artists and arts organizations to each other and other sectors, and promotes arts and culture activities for residents.

“OLLI Mason exists to bring intellectual stimulation, social engagement, and arts and educational enrichment to its membership, as well as the wider community,” said Jennifer Disano, executive director of OLLI Mason. “ArtsFairfax champions our efforts and lifts us up as an example of excellence within Fairfax County as a premier educational institute—this is a great honor.”

Volunteer-run and member-driven, OLLI Mason offers classes and activities designed and taught by its members, Mason faculty, and regional experts. Through courses in creative arts, music, writing, poetry, and more, OLLI sparks the creativity and interests of its intellectually curious and active senior membership.

Disano expressed gratitude for the volunteers and supporters who contribute to OLLI programs. “We owe much of our success to the all-volunteer OLLI teacher corps, nonprofit partners, and Mason departments, especially the College of Visual and Performing Arts and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, for their contributions to art appreciation courses within our organization,” said Disano.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, OLLI Mason has expanded its methods of delivering courses and is providing new experiences and programs for its members. Programming is available in person, on Zoom, and in hybrid formats. A robust archive of over 1,000 recorded lectures is available in its electronic library.

With over 1,200 members, the institute’s impact continues to grow. One of its latest partnerships is with local retirement communities, where OLLI provides programming to residents.

“The 2023 ArtsFairfax Awards honorees demonstrate how the arts revitalize communities, improve our wellbeing, and spark creativity in unexpected places,” said Linda Sullivan, ArtsFairfax president and CEO. “We’re thrilled to celebrate each of these awardees for enriching the lives of Fairfax County residents.”

View the complete list of ArtsFairfax awardees.

More about Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Topics

Campus News

OLLI

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Retirement

arts education

College of Visual and Performing Arts

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Around Mason (E-Files)

Faculty and Staff News

The Student Academy Awards recognized this student-directed film

Shayla Brown — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 17:56:06 +0000

The Student Academy Awards recognized this student-directed film Shayla Brown Mon, 11/06/2023 - 12:56

Andrew Opitz first came to ��AV as a freshman over a decade ago. After taking a hiatus from school, he graduated from the Film and Video Studies (FAVS) Program in May 2023. Opitz’s film, Jazz, which he directed for his senior capstone, was a semi-finalist in the Student Academy Awards Alternative/Experimental category.

^{“Jazz started years ago when I first came to Mason as a student. I would be driving, and little ideas would come into my head, but they were very skeletal, shallow ideas,” said Opitz.}

Film and Video Studies students at the Best of Film at Mason 2023.
Photo by Emily Schneider/CVPA

"Film was the first art that swept me off my feet. Music inspires me just as much,” said Opitz, who enjoys listening to different eras of music from the 40s to the 70s.

Opitz describes the film as a story about a jazz musician, “trying to get to a show and we’re under the impression that he’s playing in front of thousands of people at this theater,” said Opitz, “but when we get there, he’s playing on the street. That little twist that he is technically playing at that theater and in front of lots of people who are passing by was all I had. The hard part was fleshing it out.”

Opitz’s film, along with seven of his classmates' films, was featured at the annual Mason Film Festival, hosted by FAVS program director Cynthia Fuchs.

Although Opitz’s film received much acclaim after its release, he and his team faced challenges throughout the filming process.

“There are problems every which way you turn, especially with student films where it's very spur of the moment and you do what you can. Problem solving is probably the biggest job of a lot of the people on the set. That's the nature of filmmaking,” said Opitz.

Andrew Opitz during the Q&A portion of Best of Film.
Photo by Emily Schneider/CVPA

Iana Lee, a senior film and video studies major with a concentration in producing, joined the production team of Jazz in the early stages after signing up at one of Mason’s production fairs.

“Mason has a great filmmaking community. Everyone is very much motivated to be making films and everyone wants to get involved, which is very helpful when you need to pull people together for a film crew,” said Lee. “The professors at Mason are knowledgeable and experienced in filmmaking. They will support you through the process and that was what I needed, so we're supported from all sides of the community, which is nice.”

Rebekah Wingert-Jabi is a Peabody Award-winning filmmaker and adjunct professor in Mason’s FAVS Program.

"There is deep talent and ability among the film students at Mason,” said Wingert-Jabi who helped the students to make small edits including color and sound adjustments to their films. “These tweaks can make the difference between a film that is almost where it needs to be and a film that is polished. Andrew had the patience to go through that tedious process with Jazz, and it clearly paid off."

“It’s been a saga getting to the finish line, but I finally did it,” said Opitz.

Learn more about Mason's Film and Video Studies

Film was the first art that swept me off my feet. Music inspires me just as much.”

In This Story

Rebekah Wingert-Jabi

Topics

College of Visual and Performing Arts

College of Visual and Performing Arts Film and Video Studies

Students

Alumni

This Mason student manages her talents on and off stage

Sarah Holland — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 14:49:39 +0000

This Mason student manages her talents on and off stage Sarah Holland Fri, 09/15/2023 - 10:49

��AV rising senior Alexandra “Ali” Coburn is an arts management major who loves working on and off the stage.

“Arts management was eye-opening for me [because] it’s so versatile, and it incorporates so well into my performing career,” said Coburn, who is originally from Houston, Texas.

Ali Coburn poses at Atlas Theater in Washington, D.C. where she works throughout the year. Photo by Ron Aira/��AV

Coburn studied voice at the Potomac Vocal Institute and did work with the Washington National Opera at The Kennedy Center, where she made many lasting connections in the performing arts field. So, when she posted on Facebook about needing to complete volunteer hours for the Intro to Arts Management course, Erin Feng, the executive director of Capital City Symphony responded to her.

“[When] I started working for [the symphony], I told her that I would eventually have to do an internship as well. Just based off the work that I had done volunteering, she offered me an internship working mainly in development and operations,” said Coburn.

Coburn’s responsibilities include creating content for their social media pages, various writing assignments, and designing their quarterly newsletter. Coburn designed the company’s first newsletter in five years.

“It's been a little bit intimidating because I have never done anything like working in an office before. Most of my jobs have been teaching kids,” said Coburn, who is currently the musical director and director of Handbell Choirs at Browne Academy in Alexandria, where she works with students in kindergarten through eighth grade. She also gives voice and piano lessons.

“I've done a lot of teaching and performing, but never anything on the administrative side,” she said. “It’s a little nerve wracking being thrown into it, but I've really enjoyed everything I've been working on. This is definitely something I was meant to do.”

Although Coburn’s internship ended on August 31, she continues to work at Capital City Symphony as the executive director’s assistant.

“My goal in arts management, development, and fundraising is to create an atmosphere of younger audience members for opera, and just classical music in general. That’s why I enjoy working with Capital City Symphony,” said Coburn. “This internship taught me that happiness is where you choose to find it. It’s been a challenge to find my way, but now I get to work on stage and off.”

“It's a struggle sometimes to get people in the doors for classical music nowadays. I really admire that Capital City Symphony is multigenerational; it’s awesome that we are the first symphony that younger people are coming to. I love that I’m able to be part of a company that shows the DC community what true value classical music has for anyone willing to attend.”

Learn more about Arts Management at Mason

Internship Series

Carter School student knocks the socks off year-long internship
August 26, 2024
This meteorology student’s summer internship was a breeze
August 23, 2024
Navy chaplain works to build international peace
August 15, 2024
Communication student soars as an intern at the National Air and Space Museum
August 14, 2024
Business student’s summer internship is an opportunity to practice sustainability
July 31, 2024

This content appears in the Spring 2024 print edition of the Mason Spirit Magazine as part of "Career-Ready, Set, Go."

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater ‘awakens’ School of Dance students at Mason’s 2023 Gala Concert

Shayla Brown — Fri, 07 Apr 2023 15:16:59 +0000

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater ‘awakens’ School of Dance students at Mason’s 2023 Gala Concert Shayla Brown Fri, 04/07/2023 - 11:16

In This Story

Karen Reedy

Lawrence M. Jackson

School of Dance students rehearse the choreography for Robert Battle's "Awakening." Photo by Cristian Torres.

Lawrence Jackson, a ��AV School of Dance associate professor, explained why it’s so significant to have contemporary professional choreographers like Robert Battle produce works for the school’s 2023 Dance Company Gala Concert.

School of Dance students rehearse the choreography for Robert Battle's "Awakening." Photo by Cristian Torres.

“Robert Battle is the artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT), but he's also a choreographer of his own right,” Jackson said. “[Battle] is a choreographic genius and living legend.”

Battle’s “Awakening,” along with works by others, were performed by Mason dance students at the gala concert in March.

“It’s a really unique piece, because it was the first dance that Battle created after he became the artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater,” said Karen Reedy, director of Mason’s School of Dance.

In Battle’s “Awakening,” Reedy said, “there's a solo figure that emerges from the group symbolizing himself and all the feelings that go along with that of being chosen to lead the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and this community of people that has such a legacy.”

School of Dance students rehearse the choreography for Robert Battle's "Awakening." Photo by Cristian Torres.

Junior dance major Morgan Olschewske is one of 12 students who performed Battle’s piece, and one of 42 student performers overall, including understudies.

“A couple of us female-identifying dancers were cast in male roles, which was also a cool thing because the dance is kind of gendered but also it doesn't really matter,” said Olschewske. “I am dancing the role of current company dancer, Yannick Lebrun. Yannick is this gigantic man, and I'm like 5 feet 4 inches, so I was honored to get cast as such a larger-than-life dancer.”

Battle visited Mason’s dance students and offered artistic insight into the work, while former AAADT dancer Elisa Clark acting as a choreographic tutor known as a repetiteur.

“Elisa is an incredible stager,” Reedy said. “She's danced most of the works created by Robert Battle. She's his right hand and has done this incredible job of sharing this work.”

Olschewske agreed, calling Elisa “one of the most thorough individuals I ever worked with in terms of knowing everything about the choreography.”

School of Dance students rehearse the choreography for Robert Battle's "Awakening." Photo by Shelby Burgess.

The Gala included of four performances split into two acts. “Awakening,” an 18-minute piece, closed the first half to a standing ovation, said Reedy.

“It was quite gripping for the audience. I believe that many resonated with this very cathartic work,” she said.

The gala is one of the School of Dance’s biggest annual events. Prospective students are often invited.

“If students are on the fence about wanting to join the School of Dance, this concert pushes them over and they're [excited] to come to Mason,” said Jackson. “I was invited to come to one of these concerts, and it's actually what convinced me to accept my position here.”

“This was my first time meeting [Robert Battle], and it was certainly the highlight of my career,” said Jackson. “One of the reasons I was attracted to the School of Dance is its reputation for hosting an array of eminent and emerging artists, providing artistic inspiration and networking opportunities for Mason students and faculty alike.”

Topics

College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Dance

Dance Gala Concert

Dance

Students

College of Visual and Performing Arts

A Contemporary Composer Fuels a New Mason Collaboration

Emily Schneider — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 19:19:10 +0000

A Contemporary Composer Fuels a New Mason Collaboration Emily Schneider Tue, 03/07/2023 - 14:19

In This Story

Lawrence M. Jackson

Dr. William Lake, Jr.

Growing up in the Black church, Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Concert Bands, Dr. William Lake, Jr., deeply understands the power of music and movement.

After hearing Come Sunday by composer Omar Thomas, Lake dreamed of bringing this work to life with movement, bringing together the ��AV Bands and the School of Dance. Working on such a project would not only expand his students' musical vocabulary but also create an authentic and expansive cultural experience for the Mason community. Associate Professor of Dance, Lawrence M. Jackson, had similar experiences, growing up in “the southern Black church, a very charismatic church” and reflected on his own upbringing and research into African diasporic dance forms. This collaboration came to life onstage in the Center for the Arts on Mason’s Fairfax Campus on February 28.

Students from Mason's School of Dance performing with the Mason Wind Symphony to Omar Thomas's Come Sunday on February 28. Photo by Will Martinez.

As a composer, arranger, and educator, Omar Thomas works with some of the most respected names in composition and education, including multiple GRAMMY-winning composer and bandleader Maria Schneider, Ken Schaphorst, and Frank Carlberg. Born to Guyanese parents in Brooklyn, New York, Thomas pursued music diligently, completing his Master of Music at Berklee College of Music and becoming the first Black composer to ever receive the National Bandmasters Association/Revelli Award for Come Sunday. His compositions are described as “thought-provoking, multi-layered masterpiece[s],” which made embarking on a partnership around this piece even more exciting for Jackson and Lake.

“I really hold dear my experiences as a musician in the Black church (I started playing the piano for my children’s choir around age 6) to my musical upbringing. Since I know gospel and other sacred music intimately, I can infuse the music with the extra nuances that can’t be described using notation but are true to the style. This piece has been performed by many great ensembles across the country… however, there hasn’t been a performance that centers movement and these great sounds.” said Lake.

Professor Jackson’s career often includes collaborations, a hallmark of his practice at other universities before coming to Mason in the fall of 2022. While the invitation to work with Dr. Lake at the end of the fall semester was a surprise, it also felt reassuring to find this partnership so early on and to begin exploring what this experience would mean for Mason students from both the School of Dance and the Dewberry School of Music.

A student from the School of Dance smiles at the audience during the performance of "Come Sunday" by Omar Thomas, performed by the Mason Wind Symphony. Photo by Will Martinez.

Building a vocabulary for the dancers was an opportunity for Jackson’s students to explore the storied culture of the Black church's sacred space and develop an understanding of the types of movement vocabulary that would reflect the energy and history of these spaces and traditions. From watching Alvin Ailey’s Revelations and clips of a particular scene from the movie Blues Brothers, Jackson offered context to his creative process, “blending contemporary dance forms, African diasporic dance forms, and pedestrian movement that is derived from the Black church, all merged into an amalgamation of movement vocabulary uniquely designed for this work.”

“The Mason School of Dance students are excited to work with the musicians,” said Jackson. “These dancers, most of them, if not all of them, have never had the experience of working alongside a symphony or a band. I’m excited for them to experience the unique energy of the symphony and adapt in the moment.” All of the dancers performing in this piece are seniors in their final semester with the School of Dance, which made Jackson that much more eager to share this experience with them before they embark on the next stage of their careers.

The dancers are not the only ones expanding their understanding and skills with this performance. “The jazz and gospel musical vocabulary is foreign to my students,” said Dr. Lake.

“It’s inspiring to see how invested our students are in something that they realize is new and different. My hope is that through music and collaborations, my students have a gateway to appreciate cultures different than their own,” Lake adds.

Dancers from Mason's School of Dance perform Professor Lawrence M. Jackson's original choreography to Come Sunday by Omar Thomas, performed by the Mason Wind Symphony on February 28. Photo by Will Martinez.

Unlike most concerts, the Wind Symphony will be moved further upstage than normal and without the acoustic shell to allow for the choreography to be presented downstage. This has resulted in the assistance of the Center for the Arts Artistic Staff to add audio, lighting, and stage-managing support. This unique concert has been chosen as one of the Mason Arts at Home features that will be captured via six cameras in the hall and even GoPros! Dr. Lake shared, “I’m jealous of the audience, I won’t get to experience the concert from their vantage point – I’m thankful that the School of Music and the College of Visual and Performing Arts have agreed to record, edit, and professionally mix our hard work”.

The duo is optimistic that this is just the beginning of collaborations between the Mason School of Dance and the Dewberry School of Music.

You can watch an in-depth interview with Jackson and Lake on the College of Visual and Performing Arts YouTube channel, including behind-the-scenes footage of rehearsals leading up to the performance.

The Wind Symphony’s performance from February 28, 2023, including Come Sunday featuring the School of Dance, will be available to watch from March 28 through April 28, 2023 exclusively through Mason Arts at Home.

Topics

College of Visual and Performing Arts

Mason Arts

Dewberry School of Music

College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Dance

Schar School Alumna Jennifer Vasquez Joins Golden State Warriors as VP of DEI

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 03 Oct 2022 13:08:05 +0000

Schar School Alumna Jennifer Vasquez Joins Golden State Warriors as VP of DEI Andrew J Schappert Mon, 10/03/2022 - 09:08

Jennifer Vasquez: ‘I felt that at George Mason I could be authentic, and it helped me define my identity and led me to realize the impact I wanted to have.’

NBA superstar Stephen Curry and his world champion Golden State Warriors have a new teammate.

��AV graduate Jennifer Vasquez joined the Warriors this year as vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), a new position in the San Francisco-based sports and entertainment company that boasts some 2,500 employees.

She will also lead the franchise’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council.

The Arlington, Virginia, native earned her bachelor’s degree in government and international politics in 2001 from what is now Mason’s Schar School of Policy and Government—and says that her time at Mason, as a first-generation college student, made a lasting impact.

“It was transformative for me by how [Mason] embraced different cultures and prioritized the success of each student,” she said. “There was so much diversity that it prompted me to continue my passion in this work and to really venture into DEI with a systems-change lens.”

Her degree, she said, “gave me grounding in how to navigate multicultural and political environments. I felt that at George Mason I could be authentic, and it helped me define my identity and led me to realize the impact I wanted to have.”

Vasquez, whose parents immigrated from El Salvador to Northern Virginia during that country’s civil war, made the most of her college career at Mason, working as an intern at three embassies before interning at the Department of Defense. That position turned into a full-time job, she said.

As for her new job, Vasquez, who has worked in the DEI field for more than 15 years, said her goal with the Warriors is to remove barriers that exist, inadvertently and otherwise, in the male-dominated sports industry.

“There are not only barriers of entry for getting into sports, but also barriers of advancement and upward mobility,” she said. “My work is grounded in providing a safe space where everyone feels they can belong, and where everyone is in a position to thrive, regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disabilities.”

As for working in an organization that also employs Steph Curry and has won seven NBA championships, Vasquez said “that’s an added bonus—the icing on top of the cake to be part of his legacy.”

Topics

Alumni

Government and International Politics

Schar School News September 2022

Students

diversity equity and inclusion DEI

Schar School BA in Government and International Politics

College of Visual and Performing Arts

College of Visual and Performing Arts

Mason Korea celebrates 10 years with kickoff reception

Related News

Topics

A second chance at a college degree for this Mason Korea computer game design graduate

U.S. Student? Study at Mason Korea!

Related Stories

Topics

Mason’s research is best in Virginia in multiple EduRank rankings

Here are the programs ranked the best in Virginia, with ranking among public institutions and overall national ranking; best in Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland (DMV) where noted:

Support the Mason Nation

Related News

Topics

Wherever I May Roam: Mason alum directs marching band to victory in Metallica competition

Learn more about the Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music

Get involved with the Mason Alumni Association

Read more about Mason's outstanding alumni

More from Mason Spirit Magazine

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute honored for its contributions to arts education

More about Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Related Stories

Topics

The Student Academy Awards recognized this student-directed film

Learn more about Mason's Film and Video Studies

Related Stories

In This Story

Topics

This Mason student manages her talents on and off stage

Learn more about Arts Management at Mason

Internship Series

More from Mason Spirit Magazine

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater ‘awakens’ School of Dance students at Mason’s 2023 Gala Concert

In This Story

Topics

A Contemporary Composer Fuels a New Mason Collaboration

In This Story

Topics

Schar School Alumna Jennifer Vasquez Joins Golden State Warriors as VP of DEI

Topics