As the fine arts department director at Westlake High School, Rae Ransom Coleman prides herself on teaching students lifelong lessons through the arts. Coleman wants to see all her students succeed, and she thinks being involved in the arts is a step in the right direction.
Coleman spoke with rolling out about her role, why arts are important for youth, and why Black directors are essential.
What is your role as the director?
We have a program of about 150 to 250 students, depending on the enrollment year. Our kids come in the ninth grade, and they matriculate through different classes in the genres of general dance, modern dance, and jazz dance. We teach the kids how to navigate the world of dance through technique and the business side with two shows every semester.
Our seniors, which is what we’re preparing for now, graduate with a pathway in dance, and they do that by taking at least four years of dance and then completing a capstone project, where they choreograph a piece that’s three or more minutes long–they have to costume, they have to light it, they have to build their rehearsal schedule, they have to wear all the hats that a director would wear or that a choreographer would wear that fully prepares them for any collegiate program, or hopefully, professional industry work. As director, I am the one who makes sure that none of our kids kind of fall through the gaps and miss any of those benchmarks.
Why are the arts important for youth?
The arts are what gives everything else meaning. I don’t want to take that lightly at all. I have some kids here who only come to school because dance makes them feel better. When you are an artist, your brain does more. You speak more languages; you multitask easier and faster; and you problem-solve quicker with less stress. The amount of things that a musician, a dancer, or a thespian is thinking at any one time is just mind-blowing. I was talking to one of my students because we were getting ready for the show, and I said something to the extent of, “Make sure you’re pulling up,” which means pull up in your core …
She also had to pull up in her turn, all the things while making sure she was hitting her music and other things she had to think about. She had to make sure she was in the right spot to find her light and the light kept moving. So she had to keep doing all of these things while the light kept moving, navigating things that may be on the floor and navigating certain obstacles that may come up. Your ability to problem solve and think on your feet, they are just hands down better than anybody else who is not in the arts. I am a true arts advocate. I think that every parent raising any child anywhere needs to find a way for their child to participate in the arts all the time because we want our kids to be successful and making sure that they’re in the arts will guarantee that [they’re a] success in some way, shape or form.
The Spring Dance concert is here! Time to Face Your Fears. Explore fear and triumph through movement and music! In addition to our regularly expected class performances by our dance pathway students, this semester, our senior pathway students will present their capstone projects. Come support our graduating seniors and our upcoming dancers and purchase your ticket at this link.
