Date of Defense

4-19-2018

Date of Graduation

4-2018

Department

Dance

First Advisor

Megan Slayter

Second Advisor

Carolyn Pavlik

Abstract

The intended outcome of this project was to create an event not only to celebrate the successes of the Department of Dance at Western Michigan University, but also to gain visibility for the student-ran organization, Orchesis Dance Society while emphasizing the power art has to unify communities. This project is an example for the organization and the Department of Dance as to how events like this are important for visibility, community involvement, and the celebration of art’s power. I created a year-end formal as an example of how art brings communities of people together and should be celebrated in order to recognize this strength. The final presentation of my project was given via PowerPoint and an essay reflects an analysis of how the formal serves as an example of the power of art and it’s celebration. Within the paper I utilized material I got from my event management minor and various other tools I learned throughout my four years at WMU in order to create the event. This project contains documents from Ms. Deborah Droppers, director of the event management minor at WMU and meetings with the treasurer of the organization, Amy Russell.

The analysis of the event as a whole demonstrates the cost/benefit to Orchesis Dance Society. Along with this, it demonstrates why art is powerful and how it needs to be celebrated in order to fulfill its purpose. The “how-to” guide that I provided walks through in-depth detail of how exactly to host an event like the year-end formal so that the board of Orchesis Dance Society can continue this tradition for many more years. This will be extremely beneficial in years to come because of the overall benefit the event has to Orchesis.

This project served as not only an example of what I learned in my major and minor these last four years, but also a guide and explanation of why events like a year-end formal are so important.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Open Access

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