By Stephanie Hall, Student Correspondent 
Collin’s dance program has grown in leaps and bounds from having two-levels of dance courses to providing an array on dance components that are designed to prepare its aspiring dance students with the techniques and abilities to become successful dancers.
When Tiffanee Arnold took over as the chair of the dance department about seven years ago, she decided to revamp the department to give dancers a place to cultivate their talents.
“When I started here, there was only one beginning-level class and an intermediate-level class,” Arnold said. This only allowed students to take two semesters of dance courses, which left two semesters empty of study. “Now, today, there are four different levels of courses, so students can take classes and earn dance credit for each semester they are typically here,” she said.
Because of this, the dance program continuously attracts more students each year. “We had roughly between 250 to 300 students each semester take dance courses,” said Arnold. “This year we started with 350 students.” Since the addition of new courses, “we have increased our enrollment each year,” she said.
Arnold is also a performer and a dance instructor, which led her to add components to the dance program designed to hone the competitiveness of her students. “This program is about teaching the fundamentals, teaching the historical components, teaching vocabulary, teaching performance qualities and teaching composition,” she said. There are three categories the dance classes fall under: technique courses such as ballet, modern, jazz, and tap; theory courses such as dance improvisation, dance composition, choreography, and dance appreciation; and performance courses that allow students to perform and learn practical applications.
“I think Collin has a really strong dance program,” said Christiana Matyasik, a 22-year-old sophomore. “I researched a few other community college programs before choosing this one,” she said. She needed a strong dance program to help her overcome some potential setbacks. “I moved here from California very recently, and I was coming back from an injury,” Matyasik said. “Both my arches had collapsed.”
At first, Matyasik was hesitant to resume dancing. “I remember my first day here,” she said. “It was really intimidating because everyone seemed really well prepared. I almost left, but I stayed and stuck it out,” she recalls. “I felt so out of place, but everyone was so friendly, and Tiffanee was great. That’s why I stayed and kept coming back because I felt like maybe I do belong.”
While nurturing, the atmosphere within the dance department can also be demanding and intense. “Technique wise, (Collin’s dance program) challenged me,” said Melissa Nagel, a 21-year-old sophomore who is a part of the elite Collin Dance Ensemble, a dance company students can participate in by audition only. “The program, and Tiffanee, got me back into shape,” she said. Nagel had taken a two-year hiatus from dancing. “I get a lot of positive feedback as well as a lot of constructive criticism,” she said.
Arnold takes great satisfaction in her job as a dance instructor. “It’s great to see these students react,” said Arnold. “As the teacher I can see the light bulb go off over their head.” To obtain this, Arnold believes she needs to establish an environment where her students can grow. “I really enjoy this particular age group because I’m able to share with students that there is more to dance than they ever thought possible. I feel that I am able to relate well with my students,” she said.
Both Matyasik and Nagel plan on auditioning for university dance programs soon, and they both strongly believe their confidence and readiness are largely due to Collin’s dance program. “Now I feel a lot more ready than I was before to go and audition and hopefully get accepted into a university program,” Matyasik said.
Nagel said she will leave Collin with all the confidence in the world. “I’ll be ready for what ever comes in a university program,” she said.
