Making the Right Moves

When Tusculum College junior Heather Brace began the process of selecting a college three years ago, she faced a dilemma. It wasn't that she found herself academically unprepared or that she didn't have a clear set of goals in mind. An outstanding and talented student, Heather had her pick of many colleges and universities. But what she really needed was a college where all of her talents and interests could develop and grow simultaneously.

When Theatre at Tusculum needed a choreogapher for its partnership with a local community theatre, Director Marilyn duBrisk called on Heather Brace (a junior environmental science major) to teach teachers, social workers, and businessmen how to dance. Here Heather (right) works with Terry Greene, a local teacher.

Heather has "two totally different passions" in her life: a love of animals and a love of dancing. To fulfill one of those passions, Heather decided to become an environmental science major in order to work with the conservation of endangered species. But, at first, "I couldn't figure out a way to incorporate dance with my desire to save animals," she said.

Heather decided to come to Tusculum College largely because she liked the block plan, by which students take one class at a time for a three and a half week block rather than taking several classes for a semester. "I was hoping there was a chance I'd be able to continue dancing," she said. "It's my emotional release," she explains.

"I knew there was an auditorium and I knew there were theatre productions, so I was hoping I could become involved with that." She also learned that she would have the opportunity to study ballet with Marilyn duBrisk, Tusculum's artist-in-residence. "Most of the other schools I looked at didn't offer anything in the form of dance," she says, "and I wasn't very happy about that!"

Heather soon found out that, at Tusculum College, those with a desire to participate can immediately take a leading role.duBrisk and TC Arts Outreach coordinator Delina Hensley quickly recognized her talent, and Heather was asked to help with choreography for the college's annual Actors Coming Together (ACT) project for area high-schoolers.

Then, in her sophomore year, Heather was named choreographer for the Theatre at Tusculum production of the disco-themed "Diary of Adam and Eve.” For this play, Heather was able to incorporate her love of animals in a way she never expected: in addition to directing dance moves for a group of students playing various animals, she herself played the roles of a snake and a zebra!

This fall, Heather has taken on her most demanding choreography project to date in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at the Little Theatre of Greeneville, Inc., which is this season supported by Theatre at Tusculum. As head choreographer, Heather is responsible for coming up with all the dance moves for a large number of different characters.

"You have to understand the characters' motivations and the difference between them," she says. "They're trying to express themselves in completely different ways…. I think about what we need to convey to the audience and how we can represent that."

Since finding her place in theater circles, Heather says she hasn't had any problem combining dance with her studies  in environmental science. "I haven't had much difficulty at all. The block plan is great. It really helps with science in that I can do field research and go on trips, and then I have all afternoon or evening to work on dance or homework.

"Plus here you have a chance to get to know your professors and have an actual relationship with them, so they can help you if you have any difficulties,” she says.
She has even brought increased attention to the arts among her scientifically-minded professors and peers. "They think it's great," she says of her work in theater. "They like to go to the plays and see what I'm doing. They're all very supportive."