Diana Curran has been teaching dance for 39 years, 20 of which she has spent at Bryn Mawr. Under Curran's leadership, generations of Bryn Mawr girls have learned about different dances, and different cultures. Curran plans to keep that up for as long as possible, reflecting, "As long as I can walk, I'll keep dancing!"
How have dance, and Gym Drill, changed over your years here?
I came to Bryn Mawr in 1988, and I was the first dance educator here. Dance here was very different then, and I trained everyone that I could. I said, “If we’re calling this dance class, we’re doing dance!” This was before computers, so I was teaching myself ethnic dances out of books for Gym Drill, and we didn’t yet have a dance studio. Barbara Chase, the headmistress at that time, was the one who said, “We need to get you a dance studio!” I led the first Upper School Dance Company, which was so much fun. I had some really creative girls – they were actresses and musicians, and then it took off. I did that for five years, and then I left Bryn Mawr in 1993 for eight years before coming back. When I came back, we had a Middle School Dance Company too, which I led until 2011.
When I first came here, the Gym Drill dances were very limited. I looked at our student body and saw that we needed to diversify. One of the first dances from the continent of Africa that we did was from Senegal. I went up to Bates College in Maine and worked with a choreographer named Arthur Hall. We did real, true African dance with drumming and singing, and I brought that back for our girls here. From there, we just kept on going.
What is the importance of having dance for every girl in Middle and Upper School?
You can talk about it from many different points of view. Physically, dance is really good for your body. I teach kids about their posture, about their range of motion, about what their bodies can do. They also get to experience culture and music through Gym Drill. We’ve really expanded the cultures that we draw upon for dances. I wanted to learn myself – I’ve been to the Turkish embassy twice to learn dances, and learned many dances from books and off YouTube. Every year I ask alumnae and parents to suggest dances, and it’s really fun to see what comes back. This year the Upper School is doing a new dance from India, a new dance from the Middle East and a new dance from the continent of Africa.
What is your teaching philosophy?
I have to be having fun when I teach, and I want the kids to have fun too. I start every class the same way, with plies and tendus, and then we start to travel more. I tell them where we’re going to “travel” today – “We’re going to the Cook Islands!” I demonstrate, I watch, and then things just happen. I used to be really strict about what occurred in a class, but now I use what comes out of a class, and that includes mistakes – sometimes I’ll see something and say, “oh, I like that better – we’re doing that!” I’m very flexible. I have studied with many great dancers and choreographers – people like Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, Twyla Tharp – and all the things I learned from them I can apply to my classes here, in some way.
How have dance, and Gym Drill, changed over your years here?
I came to Bryn Mawr in 1988, and I was the first dance educator here. Dance here was very different then, and I trained everyone that I could. I said, “If we’re calling this dance class, we’re doing dance!” This was before computers, so I was teaching myself ethnic dances out of books for Gym Drill, and we didn’t yet have a dance studio. Barbara Chase, the headmistress at that time, was the one who said, “We need to get you a dance studio!” I led the first Upper School Dance Company, which was so much fun. I had some really creative girls – they were actresses and musicians, and then it took off. I did that for five years, and then I left Bryn Mawr in 1993 for eight years before coming back. When I came back, we had a Middle School Dance Company too, which I led until 2011.
When I first came here, the Gym Drill dances were very limited. I looked at our student body and saw that we needed to diversify. One of the first dances from the continent of Africa that we did was from Senegal. I went up to Bates College in Maine and worked with a choreographer named Arthur Hall. We did real, true African dance with drumming and singing, and I brought that back for our girls here. From there, we just kept on going.
What is the importance of having dance for every girl in Middle and Upper School?
You can talk about it from many different points of view. Physically, dance is really good for your body. I teach kids about their posture, about their range of motion, about what their bodies can do. They also get to experience culture and music through Gym Drill. We’ve really expanded the cultures that we draw upon for dances. I wanted to learn myself – I’ve been to the Turkish embassy twice to learn dances, and learned many dances from books and off YouTube. Every year I ask alumnae and parents to suggest dances, and it’s really fun to see what comes back. This year the Upper School is doing a new dance from India, a new dance from the Middle East and a new dance from the continent of Africa.
What is your teaching philosophy?
I have to be having fun when I teach, and I want the kids to have fun too. I start every class the same way, with plies and tendus, and then we start to travel more. I tell them where we’re going to “travel” today – “We’re going to the Cook Islands!” I demonstrate, I watch, and then things just happen. I used to be really strict about what occurred in a class, but now I use what comes out of a class, and that includes mistakes – sometimes I’ll see something and say, “oh, I like that better – we’re doing that!” I’m very flexible. I have studied with many great dancers and choreographers – people like Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, Twyla Tharp – and all the things I learned from them I can apply to my classes here, in some way.
What should never change about Gym Drill?
The sword dance – we should always have that! The kids love it, and the alumnae love it. Also, the Banner March should never change.
The sword dance – we should always have that! The kids love it, and the alumnae love it. Also, the Banner March should never change.
Located in Baltimore, Maryland, The Bryn Mawr School is a private all-girls pre-kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school with a coed preschool for ages 2 months through 5 years. Bryn Mawr provides students with exceptional educational opportunities on a beautiful 26-acre campus within the city limits. Inquisitive girls, excellent teaching, strong student-teacher relationships and a clear mission sustain our vibrant school community where girls always come first.