It is not common to see a professor who specializes in geoscience and geology teaching the same class as a professor who specializes in dance.
Students enrolled in THAD 295, Interdisciplinary Connections, at Winona State University get that experience.
The idea for THAD 295 blossomed as part of Winona State’s Learning in the 21st Century Initiative.
The Winona State Department of Theatre and Dance received a grant from the initiative to offer a class within the interdisciplinary studies section. Dance professor Gretchen Cohenour approached assistant professor Sharon Mansur to see if she would be interested in teaching such a class.
Geoscience professor Jennifer Anderson and Mansur met when they both became new faculty to Winona State before the fall 2005 semester at a university-sponsored faculty learning community which met every week. It gave new professors a chance a chance to learn about each other’s discipline.
Anderson and Mansur have headed the class together since its debut in spring 2007.
To begin learning how to approach this class, both Anderson and Mansur observed each other in each of their classrooms.
Mansur visited a geology class Anderson taught and notated her movements using a system called Laban Movement Analysis (LMA).
Mansur, who is a Certified Laban/Barteneiff Movement Analyst, teaches LMA to students in THAD 295. LMA interprets and describes human movement through effort and shape.
Then Anderson visited Mansur’s dance appreciation class in Phelps Hall. Anderson said it stunned her to see students standing and moving around in a lecture.
“It was eye-opening to see students creating art,” said Anderson. “I saw how talented students are.”
During Winona State’s Consortium for Liberal Arts and Science Promotion in fall 2006, Anderson and Mansur advertised THAD 295 for the topic “Does Science Matter?”
With both entering from one side of the stage, Anderson entered wearing a lab coat and Mansur entered wearing a tutu. Their goal was to break down the stereotypes of science and dance.
“Everyone can do science and everyone can dance,” said Anderson. “Everyone can ask questions and everyone can move.”
Although THAD 295 is registered as being roomed in Phelps Dance Studio, Anderson and Mansur offer students chances to make connections in both science and dance in science labs as well.
Earlier in the semester, THAD 295 students were asked to use the tools they learned from LMA while observing sediment movement during the flume lab in the Science Lab Center.
In spring 2007, THAD 295 did the same observation but with one of Anderson’s geology classes. The students in THAD 295 described the sediment movements to geology students using BESS, a form of LMA. Anderson said it helped both sets of students learn to communicate amongst fields of study.
“A lot of people say they can’t do science because of the vocabulary,” said Anderson. “The point is, can they see and observe things? People can learn the terms later.

Questions or comments?
Contact Dana at
DJKudelk7481@winona.edu