Kim K “breaks” Internet, not stereotypes

New York-based Paper magazine recently released its Winter 2014 issue. The issue stunned audiences with Kim Kardashian posing nude on the front cover, baring her famous bottom with the words “BREAK THE INTERNET” across the page. What was even more shocking were the full frontal nude pictures plastered across the pages throughout the magazine, indeed outraging the Internet. In one shot, Kardashian is photographed grinning as she bares her bottom, while in another, she holds a bottle of champagne as it shoots through the air and into a glass that rests on her derriére. Known for his photographs of the Jamaican model Grace Jones, French artist Jean-Paul Goude photographed Kardashian, whose pose was influenced by Jones.

Some might remember Kardashian complaining about posing nude for Playboy back in 2007, when she requested to be completely draped in pearls. There was another time in 2010 when she posed nude for the cover of W Magazine and expected that it be censored, but the spread in the magazine pictured her covered in paint with no censors, which outraged Kardashian.

So why the sudden change in thought? It may be that after giving birth, she is proud to show off her body. She is getting a lot of flack from critics who question whether, as a mother, she should be posing nude.

Both mothers and non-mothers alike should applaud Kardashian for being brave enough to display her body after giving birth to baby North West. She is among a long line of celebrities encouraging women to be proud of their bodies no matter their age or shape.

It seems that in today’s society, it is very difficult for women to feel beautiful despite all the pressures of the media. As one of the reigning queens of the celebrity press and social media, Kardashian has a lot of influence on women––and mothers––everywhere.

Although her move is encouraging to mothers, the photo spread is also unrealistic. Throughout the magazine, all of the photographs show Kardashian’s body with no wrinkles, stretch marks or anything else—just a voluptuous, oiled-up body. At 34 years old and after one baby, Photoshop must have been involved to produce such a close to perfect image.

If Kardashian wants to promote the female body, she should show hers off as it is, especially since various sources are admitting to retouching the photos. Critics should be wary of the retouching that goes into the photographs rather than the actions of Kardashian.

Although Kim Kardashian will always be ridiculed for some reason or another, hopefully women will focus on the positive that Kardashian has elicited from her magazine spread—embracing the female body.

Chicago group reinvents classic tap

The Chicago Tap Theatre graced the Wadsworth Auditorium stage on Saturday Nov. 8, wowing the audience with innovative style and dynamic expertise. The company is devoted to preserving the tap dance style while simultaneously taking it to the next level of creativity. One of the ingenious aspects of CTT is its use of live music. The band consisted of three members who contributed with bass, piano, guitar, violin and vocals. Besides providing music for the dancing, the trio performed a variety of songs in between tap numbers.

“Same But Different” was a piece that epitomized the importance of sound in tap. All four company members were completely in sync with their sounds and rhythms, despite each dancer performing a different series of steps and movements. This dance proved that the same sounds could be produced from a variety of steps.

The duet between the two women of the CTT, Kirsten Uttich and Jennifer Pfaff Yonally, was one of the standout pieces. Titled “Thin Line,” the number mimicked the motions of walking on a tightrope. With the use of lighting and menacing-sounding music, the dancers exemplified balancing on a thin line while executing perfect taps.

The artistic director of the company Mark Yonally showcased his high level of tap excellence in his solo “Improvography.” The number was just what the title expresses—improvised choreography. Yonally impressed the audience with incredibly fast footwork and risky movements that came together to create a piece that did not appear improvised at all.

The company surprised audience members when dancer Rich Ashworth joined the band to demonstrate his beat boxing skills during “Too Good to Be True.” Ashworth laid down his microphone part way through the number so that he and Yonally could engage in a “tap battle.” The combination of the tap with the beat boxing demonstrated the importance of beat and rhythm in tap dance.

One of the most entrancing pieces from the night was the final number “Strobe.” This piece focused heavily on the idea of succession, with dancers joining into the movement one at a time. What caused this dance to be so successful was its subtle and understated attitude toward the complicated footwork. Mixed with bursts of energetic movement, this final piece earned CTT a standing ovation.

Although “Strobe” was the final number of the show, the performance was not over yet. The company officially ended the show with a traditional tap routine, the “Shim Sham.” CTT invited audience members to join them in the routine. This surprise ended the show in high spirits.

The Chicago Tap Theatre did exactly what it boasts––combining the traditions of tap dance with innovation and excitement.

CMA Awards highlight country’s pop push

The 2014 Country Music Association Awards took place on Nov. 5. Hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood for the seventh consecutive year, it involved a variety of surprising wins and music collaborations. To begin the night, Miranda Lambert joined Meghan Trainor to sing a country-like rendition of Trainor’s hit “All About that Bass,” which was a surprisingly good collaboration between the two singers. With their strong voices and spunky attitudes, the performance was a hit.

After the performance, Paisley and Underwood took the stage with their humorous monologue. They first addressed the “serious” epidemic occurring around the world: Postpartum Taylor Swift Disorder. The duo jokingly claimed that if Swift ever wanted to return to country music, they would kick Blake Shelton out of his seat. During their monologue, Paisley also “accidentally” mentioned that Underwood is pregnant with a baby boy.

Although the “All About that Bass” collaboration was a success, another pop-country crossover between Ariana Grande and Little Big Town was more than disappointing. The group performed a rendition of “Bang Bang” dressed in costumes bordered with lights, which proved Grande should stay away from country music.

A memorable performance of the night was Kacey Musgraves performing country legend Loretta Lynn’s “You’re Lookin’ At Country.” Musgraves aptly covered the song and then Lynn herself surprised viewers and joined Musgraves to finish.

One of the top moments of the evening was when Vince Gill was honored with the Irving Waugh Award of Excellence. He is only the second to win the award, the first being its namesake. Many stars from Keith Urban to James Taylor honored him through a video montage that highlighted his career. Most surprisingly, country superstar Garth Brooks made his first CMA Awards appearance since 2005 to present Gill with the honor.

Lambert dominated the night with four wins including Album of the Year. However, her most shocking win was for Female Vocalist of the Year, her fifth consecutive win for the award. Her husband Shelton followed this path, winning for the fifth year in a row for Male Vocalist of the Year.

Luke Bryan won the night’s most coveted award, Entertainer of the Year. Surprisingly, Bryan has never won a CMA Award, and this high honor is well deserved for his high-energy entertainment and music.

This year’s CMA Awards proved to be most exciting with all of its surprises, while also showing that country music is just as tremendous as ever.

Sexy or silly? Fine arts find way onto Tinder

The popular dating app Tinder has a humorous reputation, with many users downloading it as a means to have fun. These users generally spend their time on the app casually messaging and interacting online with others. Recently, however, the dating site has seen a new trend: men posting photos of themselves posing with various types of art. Blogger and artist Sally Glass pinpointed this curious photo trend. After finding many art-related photographs on the app, she created a blog titled “Tinder Guys Posing With Art,” showcasing male users with various art pieces. The blog highlights everything from men posing on sculptures to mimicking paintings.

Profiles on Tinder have the power to attract different types of people. For example, if an individual posts a picture with a pet, they are bound to attract animal lovers. This same concept translates with individuals posting photographs with artwork. So what are men attempting to do with using art as a backdrop in their photos? They may be looking to attract women who are artists, or perhaps they may be looking for someone cultured and intelligent. It is also possible that the men themselves are hoping to come across as intellectual or artsy.

Glass finds the art-filled photos to be more of an amusing trend than an actual determining factor for dates. Besides using her blog to elicit humor, Glass uses her blog as an educational tool for anyone who stumbles upon it. She includes a photo of the actual art piece with its title and artist’s name.

I agree with Glass; the photos are more entertaining than attractive, and many of the pictures cause users to appear more preposterous than cultured. Mimicking gestures of a painting or attempting to pose seductively next to a sculpture make users seem more silly than sexy.

For some, the artwork may increase the attractiveness of a man, while others may even find certain photographs with artwork disrespectful to the artist. I wonder if the art trend is actually helping users achieve dates. It would be interesting to hear how successful Tinder users have been with this trend.

Glass’ blog makes fun of the men she finds on the dating app and provides an entertaining alternative to actually using Tinder as a way to find dates. Many Tinder users already do not take the app seriously as a dating site and the new art-photo phenomenon is only adding to the comedy associated with Tinder.

Although the art photos on Tinder add to the app’s lighthearted usage, the humorous blog may help attract potential users looking to swipe right and find an art-filled profile match of their own.

Duquesne Tamburitzans preserve classic Eastern European music, dances

Wadsworth Auditorium was filled with entertaining, enriching Eastern European song and dance on Saturday Oct. 4. Hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, student group the Duquesne University Tamburitzans performed a wide variety of folk dance and music from Eastern Europe. The Limelight and Accents Performing Arts Series sponsored the performance. The group began the night with music and dance from the Turopolje region of Croatia. This style of dance was very intricate, with fast-paced footwork and jumps. Performing in traditional Croatian nošnje, or typical native clothing, the group wore white costumes with red, purple and green embroidery. This extravagant number introduced the entire group with a bang, leaving the audience in high anticipation of what was to come.

After a group number, the men later conquered the stage with the “Idegenkedök,” a vigorous Transylvanian dance that exploded with high-energy jumps. The male dancers’ strength and agility was emphasized in this piece which reflected a “dance battle.”

This “dance battle” returned later when the Tamburitzans performed the “Russkyl Prazdnovanie,” a Russian ensemble dance. This piece created a playful atmosphere through character and movement. Another dance battle among the male dancers occurred, displaying relentless energy with acrobatic tricks. According to the storyline, the men showed off their abilities to win the hearts of women.

When the group performed the Ukrianian “Tantsi Z Volyni,” both the male and female dancers exhibited their acrobatic talents. This piece was an interesting union of both the polka and the waltz. The performers demonstrated that these simple styles of dance could be both entertaining and exuberant with a combination of diverse jumps, lifts and turns.

Although there was a lot of focus on dancing throughout the night, the instrumentalists of the group also had their own shining moments. Throughout the night, the band played a wide variety of instruments. The audience was introduced to two Slovakian flutes when a performer demonstrated his impressive ability to play both. He first played the fujara, a deep bass horn. He then continued to play the smaller koncovka, a flute with no holes. The group also introduced the trumpet violin, a unique instrument that originated in Transylvania.

The band’s talent was also highlighted during their performance of music from Vojvodina. Vojvodina is known as the tambura capital. The tambura is a guitar-like instrument of various shapes and sizes––this is where the Tamburitzans get their name. The instrumentalists exhibited their ability to play not only quickly, but also with precision.

For the finale, the Tamburitzans performed the show-stopping Romale Gypsy Ukranian dance. The entire ensemble filled the stage, captivating the audience with vivacious colors and enchanting melodies. The instrumentalists made their way to the front, bringing all performers of the group together. The dancers performed an energetic, fast-paced and intricate dance that mesmerized the audience. In this concluding piece, the troupe also demonstrated some final acrobatic tricks.

The Tamburitzans also performed song and dance from Serbia, Romania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Armenia. After all the numbers, the Tamburitzans were rightfully rewarded with a standing ovation for their incredible energy and talent.u

Family weekend a cappella concert reinvents all-time favorites

On Saturday Sept. 20, five a cappella groups came together in Wadsworth Auditorium to deliver amazing performances for family weekend. To start off the night, Exit 8 took the stage to excited applause and shouts from the audience. The group proceeded to perform “Settle Down” for its first number. Senior Harrison Dole, who presented his beat boxing skills for the song, accompanied the group.

The audience clapped along to Exit 8’s second piece, which took a soulful turn with the classic “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” by Stevie Wonder. As the clapping continued through the end, the Southside Boys prepared for their performance.

For their first song, the Southside Boys slowed things down with a rendition of “My Body is a Cage” by Arcade Fire. Dole returned to the stage once more with his accompanying beat boxing.

The group then radiated its boy band image with a cover of the Backstreet Boys’ “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).” Already giving a great performance, the Southside Boys amped up their singing game by switching lyrics around—changing “Backstreet’s back” to “Southside’s back.”

The newest addition to Geneseo a cappella, Emmelodics, then followed. The group began its set with a lively rendition of “Suddenly I See” by KT Tunstall. Emmelodics emitted energy that transcended the entire auditorium, revving up for the next song.

The all-girl group Hips n’ Harmony took the stage with “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” This slower piece displayed that the girls stay true to their name, showing off their harmonic strengths.

Taking a spin on an old classic, the group next performed “Somebody to Love” by Queen. After the audience was entertained with more traditional music, Between the Lines graced the stage and took a more modern path.

For its first number, the group performed “Dance in the Graveyards” by Delta Rae. Once again, Dole, a crowd favorite, lent his beat boxing talents. Although Between the Lines was the smallest group, the singers’ powerful vocals filled the entire auditorium, and they were received with cheers and strong applause.

The group took a different path for its second song, performing “Hide and Seek” by Imogen Heap. A mood changer, this piece was certainly subtler, but Between the Lines continued to captivate the audience.

The amazingly receptive crowd made it evident that Geneseo’s a cappella groups have tremendous talent.

Disney returns to its animation roots with upcoming film

It’s been five years since Disney last put forth a hand-drawn animated movie. Some former Disney and Dreamworks artists have taken it upon themselves to do the honors with the creation of Hullaballoo. With computer-animated films such as Frozen and Planes: Fire Rescue at the front of the industry, we’re seeing the art of hand-drawn animation slowly dying out. Disney veteran James Lopez, however, has decided to go against the grain and create a new 2-D animated film. Lopez has also worked at Warner Bros. and Dreamworks and is the creative genius behind The Lion King and The Emperor’s New Groove.

With a team of voice actors, modelers, animators and composers, Lopez is set to create the Hullabaloo, a steampunk superhero story. This film depicts the story of Veronica Daring, a young scientist on a journey to rescue her kidnapped father, an inventor.

So how will a steampunk animated film appeal to the masses? Steampunk is an emerging genre that is not yet too popular, setting the future film apart from other typical animated movies. The innovative theme will introduce new aspects from an emerging art world, while integrating with the old art form of hand-drawn animation.

The film also abandons the idea of the damsel in distress. Instead, we see a woman on a mission to rescue her father. Although this may be reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast, there is to be no love story interrupting the journey of the film. Daring instead finds friendship in fellow inventor Jules.

By forsaking classic plot clichés, the creators of Hullabaloo are to have a sure-win with the film. In an age where all movies seem to be sequels and remakes, it is a breath of fresh air to see novel works in the process.

Lopez and his team needed to raise $80,000 to produce a film short with hopes of this leading to a feature-length film. They have already raised over $300,000, proving there is still a considerable market for traditional, hand-drawn animated film. The concept art that has been released looks amazing; it will be a disappointment if the animation team is unable to go through with this project.

Hopefully, Lopez and his team will be able to pull off their project and remind children and adults alike how tremendous and meaningful hand-drawn animated films are.

Student chorus sings its way to encore

The department of music presented the Spectrum Women’s Ensemble and the Geneseo Chamber Singers in Doty Recital Hall on Sunday April 27. The choral concert began with the Spectrum Women’s Ensemble singing “Cantique de Jean Racine, Op. 11” by Gabriel Fauré. The piece was directed by professor of music Gerard Floriano and accompanied by pianist and adjunct lecturer Beata Golec. Spectrum sang a slow, but pleasant song that introduced their beautiful, melodic voices.

For the group’s second song, senior Paul Pedziwiatr took Floriano’s place as a student conductor. Pedziwiatr conducted a Canadian folksong, “The False Young Man,” arranged by Donald Patriquin. The strong harmonies of the choral group really shone through in this piece.

Spectrum’s harmonic power continued to impress in its next piece, “Angelus ad pastores ait.” Student director senior Benjamin Durland directed this song composed by Juan Blas de Castro. The Spectrum singers filed off the risers into a semicircle in front of the hall in order to fully convey their a cappella abilities.

Durland also directed the next piece, “Farewell to the Highlands,” an arrangement by Joachim Kelecom. Spectrum displayed the strength in all its voices along with the ability to hit a wide range of notes.

For its final piece of the night, the group sang “Psalm 13, Opus 27” by Johannes Brahms, which was a powerful and momentous closing song.

After Spectrum left the stage, the Geneseo Chamber Singers began their program. Also directed by Floriano, the choral group sang four four-part songs by Franz Joseph Haydn. These songs included: “Die Beredsamkeit,” “Alles hat seine Zeti,” “Der Augenblick” and “Abendlied zu Gott.” Accompanied by pianist Linda Boianova, the Chamber Singers displayed their capabilities of beautifully blending their voices together, with both staccato and lengthy notes.

The group next performed “O vos omnes” arranged by Pablo Casals. Much like in Spectrum’s set, the group spread out into a semicircle and sang the piece a cappella.

In their third piece, the Chamber Singers sang “A Stephen Foster Medley” arranged by Jon Washburn. In what was the most entertaining piece of the performance, the group covered a variety of Foster songs, including hits such as “Oh! Susanna” and “Camptown Races.” Throughout the arrangement, different soloists emerged and had no trouble making their powerful voices ring loud and clear throughout the entire recital hall.

For its final song, the choral group performed “I Will Trust in the Lord,” an arrangement created by Undine Smith Moore, which showcased several soloists. This final piece flaunted the vocal strength of all members in the group. After they finished, the Chamber Singers received an encore and ended the recital with a captivating rendition of “Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho.”

The choral recital exhibited the talents of the Geneseo Chamber Singers and Spectrum Women’s Ensemble to the fullest extent, leaving the audience in applause well after the last song had finished.

Students sacrifice sleep for three minutes of fame

During Geneseo Recognizes Excellence, Achievement & Talent Day on Tuesday April 8, the third annual Insomnia Film Festival screened each of its entries, illustrating the talents of student filmmakers. Students had only 24 hours to construct a three-minute long film that applies three out of 20 given elements. For the 2014 run of the festival, there were 16 short film entrants.

Some films took a comedic approach that questioned some of the aspects of the Geneseo campus. The team Ghostbusters in Seattle questioned what was on the third floor of Sturges Hall. One character said that the third floor was simply home to the history department. Some of the characters had other ideas, however, such as the third floor being home to an underwater basket weaving class.

Team Ve Ninety Us! presented The Banana Man, which questioned the origin of banana man statue in the Union. The film depicted the start of the banana man during his time at Geneseo and his many uses for bananas, like using the fruit to win a game of beer pong.

[Team Name] showcased an a cappella parody called AwwwCapella. The film portrayed several characters brought together in friendship by singing a cappella. This piece humorously depicted drama that arose from the singing, but ends in a culmination of a cappella harmony.

Third place winners Team Goat presented the comedic Googly Eyes. The film personified inanimate objects such as a laptop by applying “googly” eyes to them. The different items then attacked the characters of the film, leaving the audience laughing.

The second place winner, team Duende, took a more serious approach with Ethologus. The film portrays a businessman and the grim way he made it to the top. Audience members watched as James Baxter took over the successful life of another character, with the final scene showing Baxter’s face in the mirror where the other man’s face should have appeared.

The Blue Team created a film called Letters that threw away all dialogue. This film won first place at the festival for its innovative idea and film skill. The film simply depicts a boy writing letters to a girl named Avery in different locations and from different film angles. The boy struggles to find the right words to say in his letters. When he finally does find the words, the film shocks the audience as he leaves a letter on a grave.

A member of The Blue Team, freshman Matthew Heaton, said the most difficult aspect of the competition was the sleep deprivation driving all of the collaborators crazy.

Heaton said that they were all “anxious, antsy and grumpy” after about 28 hours of no sleep. After watching what they had so far, the filmmakers realized that everything was coming along and that taking “a couple of minutes to sit back and see we were making something we could really be proud of was an immensely gratifying experience.”

Modern circus explores rhythm through dance, beat boxing

A group of funky tap dancers and musicians known as Rhythmic Circus brought an energetic show “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now!” to the Wadsworth Auditorium stage on March 28. The show began with a simple first number. The four main dancers took the stage to perform “A Cappella Taps,” a piece that reflects its title. Despite being an understated start to the show, the performance wowed the audience with unprecedented talent. The piece highlighted each tapper’s individuality, while also expressing their ability to perform in perfect unison.

The second piece of the evening was titled “We Got It.” The seven-piece funk band introduced itself through this song, presenting a jazzy and swing style. Although the band began the number alone, three of the tap dancers joined to bring two worlds of live performance together.

In the first of the two title pieces, called “Heatbox,” the company’s beat boxer Aaron Heaton blew the audience away with his skill. With only a single spotlight, Heaton captured the attention of the audience and held it for the entirety of the piece.

The band then slowed it down with “I Believe,” when three of the dancers rejoined the band to perform. With this piece, all the performers displayed how tap and music can perfectly complement one another. In “World Tour,” the next piece, the performers relied on a different theme. Two of the dancers “battled” the saxophonist in a rhythmic combat that left the audience in awe.

For the final piece of the first act, one cast member sat in a chair and spoke to the audience. Another then joined him, and the two proceeded to begin to tell the story of how they first met in study hall. “Porch Jam,” however, took a surprisingly interesting turn when the two started banging out rhythms on their chairs.

Eventually, all the performers slowly joined the pair on stage with different instruments, such as kitchen utensils and a washboard, to create different beats, culminating in a brilliant closing piece for the first act. The company showcased its ability to perform in multiple media creatively while demonstrating just how remarkable rhythm can be.

In the first piece of act two, the performers continued to reveal their multiple talents. “Dream Song” presented the singer and guitarists of the band. The dancers then joined the musicians and changed the course of the piece with stepping.

With “Salsa,” the performers incorporated some Spanish flair into the show. “Boogie Monster” was another upbeat piece, emitting pure fun and energy. Both numbers combined the forces of the musicians and dancers.

“Circus” was the most spectacular number of the night. Keeping the circus theme in mind, the performers donned circus-inspired costumes and bright colors. This high-energy and fast-paced piece strongly displayed the capabilities of all on stage.

In “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now,” the final piece of the night, it was evident how much everyone on stage enjoyed performing, leaving the audience on its feet in a standing ovation.

Symphony Orchestra performs works by legendary composers

On Sunday Feb. 23, the Geneseo Symphony Orchestra performed in Wadsworth Auditorium, displaying its abilities with music by well-known composers Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Ludwig van Beethoven. An audience of students and local residents of all ages was in attendance, and the orchestra immediately captured everyone’s attention with the very first note.

The orchestra introduced its talents with a powerful rendition of “Marche Slave,” composed by Tchaikovsky in 1876. Tchikovsky wrote “Marche Slave” during the Serbo-Turkish War, for a benefit concert for wounded soldiers. The march was an astounding way to begin the performance, with strong crescendos and entrances that demonstrated the strengths of all members of the orchestra.

Throughout the piece’s entirety, the musicians blended their sounds beautifully with one another. The wind instruments could be heard over the strong string section, their sounds reaching throughout the entire auditorium. With smoother sections and more staccato points, the orchestra displayed its capability of playing Tchaikovsky’s complicated work.

The second piece began with a more understated and soft introduction – very different from the first composition. It was another work by Tchaikovsky, the “Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture.” With silkier sounds and aggressive crescendos, the overture emulates a classic story and transports audience members directly to the tragedy. The delicate noises of the harp, woodwinds and string instruments created an undertone of love. This harmonious theme throughout the piece was interjected with loud symbol clashes.

After a brief intermission, the orchestra performed its final piece, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37, a symphony in three parts. This orchestration introduced guest pianist professor of music and Chair of the Music Department Jonathan Gonder. Throughout all three sections of the piece, Gonder’s hands glided over the piano keys effortlessly, providing a truly spectacular performance that earned him a standing ovation.

In all three pieces, Gonder’s piano solos partnered with the rest of the orchestra, and all sounds blended together to uphold the beauty of Beethoven’s work. Instead of the orchestra only supporting the pianist, the pianist and orchestra supported each other throughout each section of the piece.

The symphony orchestra conveyed a strong sense of dedication in its performance, exhibiting all of its young musicians’ capabilities.

Geneseo's Unexpected Artists: Sharon Peck

Associate professor of education Sharon Peck has dedicated her career to literacy education, but it takes more than reading between the lines of Peck’s résumé to learn that she is also a puppeteer, storyteller and balloon twister. Growing up in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Peck took part in historical reenactments that at times involved puppeteering. She eventually became involved in the Puppeteers of America and learned the trade from what she calls a “wonderful organization of very supportive puppet enthusiasts.” Peck is now the northeast regional director for the organization.

Peck has traveled to a variety of locations including England and India to explore puppeteering in other countries.

When Peck taught kindergarten and first grade, she began incorporating puppets into her teaching and saw the “power of puppets as an educational tool.” At Geneseo, she works to integrate puppeteering into her work as much as possible.

While she was coordinating the children’s activities at the Irish Festival in Rochester, Peck learned balloon twisting from the clowns at the event and extended her storytelling abilities. Peck was noticed for a strong aptitude for clowning and has since become a professional clown.

Peck’s father is an active storyteller, and she looks at storytelling as an important means of communication; she takes storytelling to the next level with her puppetry.

“There is something exciting about the potential of puppets and the way we learn,” she said.

Courtesy of Sharon Peck

Peck will bring the art of balloon twisting to Geneseo the April 2014 G.R.E.A.T. Day. With five student artists and help from local balloon twisters, Peck will recreate the Geneseo Seuss Spruce in balloon form. The tree will be a scale model made entirely out of balloons and will stand at either six or 12 feet tall.

Peck will also contribute by helping students perform their own stories. What started as an extracurricular puppeteering program on campus has evolved into the Geneseo Storytelling Institute. The program runs every spring semester, with students telling stories on G.R.E.A.T. Day and at Wadsworth Library.

Spotlight On: Jonette Lancos, Professor of dance

Professor of dance Jonette Lancos has been committed to dance since childhood after a tap dancing class that ignited a long, varied career. After tap dancing, Lancos moved on to take classes in all styles of dance. As all of her friends quit dancing, Lancos only continued to advance.

Lancos cites seeing the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company in Pittsburgh, Pa. as a turning point in her dance career. It was her first time seeing a modern dance performance. After the show, her teacher surprised her and her classmates with an assignment: choreograph a modern dance.

Although nervous about the assignment, Lancos created a dance inspired by The Nun’s Story, a 1959 film. Lancos called this assignment the “first kernel of expressive dance for myself.”

Approaching high school graduation, Lancos realized she had not thought about what she would do with dance after her senior year. She decided to apply to the Boston Conservatory and later attended as a dance major and drama minor. Lancos said it was “so amazingly shocking to be at an audition in a big city.”

Lancos served as a teaching assistant and led some classes for younger children at her former dance studio when she was an older student. That was her first taste of teaching, and the Boston Conservatory recognized her talent for education. Lancos began teaching at a dance school in the suburbs, developed by the conservatory.

Following her graduation, Lancos obtained a job as a dance teacher at Misericordia University. She later became artistic director at the Wilkes-Barre Ballet Theatre. Soon after, she took a job at Geneseo.

“It is just so fulfilling to see students really take this knowledge [of dance] and make a career and just be so influenced by it, and it is what makes me enjoy teaching,” she said.

As academic coordinator of the dance studies program, Lancos has achieved many accomplishments through her teaching and dedication. She published a book called Reclaiming Charles Weidman (1901-1975): An American Dancer’s Life and Legacy and has been awarded the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.

“Since [I was] 7, dance has been a part of my life, but what I think that keeps me in the field is the ability to use my creativity and personal expression,” Lancos said. “Arts allow that. The arts give the students ability to have imagination and creativity.”