Dr. Alison Bory, Professor of Dance at Texas A & M International University, is one of the many new faces that have joined our ever-growing campus. She is a very experienced, well-educated individual, and is an asset to the campus. “I have, thus far, enjoyed teaching at TAMIU. My students are, for the most part, enthusiastic and willing to try new things–and those are my favorite kind of students,” said Bory.
Originally from Arlington, Virginia, Professor Bory brought an impressive educational history with her when she joined the TAMIU faculty this year. She has obtained four different degrees at very prestigious schools, which allowed her to travel to diverse parts of the world. Bory’s first degree, her BA, was in Dance and Psychology from Mount Holyoke College located in South Hadley, Massachusetts. Continuing her studies, she obtained her MA in Dance Studies at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom. Persistent for knowledge, Bory received her MFA in Dance/Experimental Choreography, and soon after her PhD in Dance History & Theory from the University of California, Riverside.
Bory has worked with a number of choreographers in a variety of different kinds of venues—from large theaters, to small galleries, to even the streets of yes, Hollywood!
At the young age of four, Bory was exposed to the world of dance. “I wouldn’t say that dancing was my life, but I was often at a dance class or rehearsal of some sort,” commented Dr. Bory. She remembers that as an adolescent she was enrolled in Creative Movement and Ballet classes, which was the beginning of her now, successful career. Dancing became part of her everyday life. By the time she was in high school, she was apprenticing a professional company. It wasn’t until college when Bory was unveiled to all different sorts of dance, movement styles, and techniques that she became aware that she wanted to make dance her life. “I always thought that something else would capture my interest, but I have never felt so strongly about anything else, and so here I am,” said Dr. Bory. And indeed, here she is to be an exceptional influence to all aspiring dancers here at TAMIU.
As an adjunct professor at TAMIU, Bory teaches two levels of both ballet and modern dance, as well as classes on improvisation and choreography. In the spring semester, Bory plans to also teach dance history classes, in addition to the different levels of modern dance and ballet. “I would definitely recommend students who have a dance practice and/or an enjoyment of a dance form to minor in Dance.”
For students that do enjoy dance, TAMIU offers a number of ways to get involved in the field. The TAMIU Dance Club, for example, is open to all students who have a committed passion to dance. Also, there are Ballet Folklorico and Flamenco clubs for students who are interested in that specific dance area. If not able to join a club or if unsure, students can simply register to be enrolled in a specific type of dance coarse, in which they will be exposed to dance and perform in a dance recital, and later come to find if it is for them.
Like most good professors, Bory believes in connecting a course of study in relation to an art of some form. “I truly believe that societies need artists to reflect and shape the world around them,” stated Bory. Like many other studies, dance teaches students many effective qualities, such as discipline and critical thinking, which most people will agree with me when I say, is needed in the lives of not only students, but everyone.
Throughout the course of her life and her studies, Bory has realized that each profession is unique in its own way. Some people are mathematicians, others are doctors, and few are dancers. “I think that every dance style has a rich tradition or important cultural significance, and that allows me to appreciate all sorts of approaches to dance and movement,” commented Dr. Bory. While she realizes that dancing is not for everyone, she still believes it is, among all, an art and should be tried at least on.