Baltimore County, MD smARTS, 28 Dec 2018

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From YouTube: CCBC Dance: Tommy Parlon

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CCBC Dance: Tommy Parlon

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(Lively music).

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Each year we celebrate baltimore county's, diverse dance scene with the take a leap, dance, celebration,.

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From contemporary to jazz to ballet, dance taps into the rhythm of life.

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with us on, smarts is tommy parlon from the community college.

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Of baltimore county dance, program. good to see you.

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Good to see you.

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And I said when you came into the studio,, I could spot you as a dancer a mile away. (laughs).

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You look in great shape and so spry.

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Thank you., yeah.

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When did you know, you wanted to be a dancer?.

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Probably about 15, 'cause, I was doing gymnastics and theater. and then at some point, and they kept casting me in dancing parts in shows in junior high.

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And I went,, I should take some classes.

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And then went, oh,, I like this..

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This is more comfortable than gymnastics,.

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And I know I'll have a longer career. yes, alright,, that's true.. So how has dance kind of affected your life or enriched your life,? Would you say?.

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I've met so many great people and traveled to so many different places,.

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And have gotten a lot of information. That's been useful.

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Outside of the dance studio, like just in terms of how to live, your life, and I've had some excellent role. Models.

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Okay, and so you've been at ccbc about nine years..

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I didn't realize this, but ccbc was the second.

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Community college in the united states to be accredited.

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In dance, and in all the four arts disciplines,, which include dance,, music,, theater and art.

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That is pretty phenomenal..

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It took six years,, but it happened.

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That's terrific.

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Okay, so tell us a little bit about the dance program., I'm very familiar with the theater program,, which is highly regarded. but, as too, is the dance program.

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Well, the dance program consists of two different degrees.

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there's the associate of fine arts,, which is basically the performance and choreography degree.

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and the associate of arts,, which is a liberal arts. Degree.

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98% of my students are associate of fine arts., they wanna dance, and dance, and dance.

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Exactly. they live in the studio.

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It's like you, walk in there sometimes and the lights are turned off and you turn them on and there's like four dancers lying on the floor. Doing homework.

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and I'm like you can turn the lights. On.

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ccbc paid its electric bill. (laughing).

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So I've gotta ask you, because I'm gonna play devil's advocate right. Now,.

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I've talked to a lot of young folks who are looking at going to school, wanna be in the arts,, wanna be dancers, and their parents are saying,.

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I am not gonna help pay for your college because you need to have a job., but there are job opportunities for dancers..

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Tell us about some of them.

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There are so many even just regionally in the area..

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There are lots of companies around,, there's lots of teaching opportunities.. There's lots of performance opportunities., a lot of choregraphic opportunities.

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baltimore county alone has dance programs in so many of its high schools and middle schools..

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Anne arundel county has dance k through 12 in every single school.

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and they're, always looking for guest teachers,, guest choreographers,, and so a lot of my students have gone in and have actually set pieces, like a lot of times on their high schools, where they're alumni. [carolyn] oh, how nice. [tommy] yeah, they go back to patapsco or they go back to carver..

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[Carolyn], that's a wonderful community, connection., [tommy] yeah., and so I think folks make a mistake. Thinking you either have to be a star, or you don't make it at all..

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There is an in-between, right, yeah.

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And a lot of people,, I have one who's: an alum who has went to another school, got her bachelor's, she's back at ccbc, doing exercise science..

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She had an ankle injury.. She went through the whole surgery process and the whole physical therapy process, and she's like,, I'm really interested in physical therapy., [carolyn] interesting. and I went, the dancing physical therapist..

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We know who we're sending everyone to,. Once you get your degree.

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Right, right, right.

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right, okay, well so,. How does the dance program at ccbc.

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Then also collaborate or partner with other dance, companies?.

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Oh, yes, allison howes' trajectory dance is in residency with us. oh, okay. yeah,, which is great.. We also have jon lehrer's company from upstate new york coming down in january to set a piece.

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[Carolyn] terrific.

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Yeah, and we've had a lot of local artists,, alvin mayes,, nicole martinell, adrienne clancy, that come in and work with our students..

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I brought in my friend cina briggs from lines, out in san francisco.. She came and spent a week with us.

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Wow, so see the world right there at ccbc, and dance.

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Terrific. alright, well,. We encourage people to go online,, find out more about the program. there's a lot going: on. dance at ccbc.

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There you go., that's the url.. Do you get a t-shirt if you--? If you join company,, if you make it into dance company,, you do get a t-shirt.

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Okay, well great. tommy, great to meet you.

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Good to meet you. alright, thanks. thank you.

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Alright,, I am carolyn black-sotir, and you're watching smarts, the baltimore county arts and culture show.