1. ‘W&L After Class’ Podcast Releases New Episode Featuring Jenefer Davies

'W&L After Class' Podcast Releases New Episode Featuring Jenefer Davies In this month's episode, Professor Davies talks of creating and building W&L's dance program to be a place where preconceived notions dissipate and the liberal arts education flourishes.

By Laura Lemon
July 15, 2024

"I believe if you can move, you can dance. Dance doesn't have to be plié échappé. Dance can be walking, hopping, skipping, rolling and falling. It can look like pedestrian movement."

~ Jenefer Davies, professor of dance and chair of the department of theater, dance, and film studies

When you think of dance, what images do you conjure up? Is it the leaps of Swan Lake; little girls in ballet slippers standing in first position; the tap sounds emerging from Fred Astaire? Jenefer Davies, professor of dance and chair of the department of theater, dance, and film studies at Washington and Lee University, delves into how she works to shatter narrow definitions of dance in the latest episode of the "W&L After Class" podcast with Associate Director of Lifelong Learning Ruth Candler.

In this month's episode, Davies details her beginnings in dance at 3 years old, her first professional stab at designing choreography at 15, her training in college and how all those experiences molded her teaching style and outlook. She designed W&L's dance minor from the ground up, and the podcast explores her innovative approach to dance education in a liberal arts setting - including how she created the first aerial dance programs in the country. Davies talks about how she believes dance challenges and empowers students by pushing them out of their comfort zones and ultimately fosters personal growth.

"I feel very strongly that as a liberal arts institution, it's our responsibility to provide an arts experience for any student who wants an arts experience," she said. "We're not a conservatory. And I wouldn't want to be a conservatory - because some of the joy I get from teaching are seeing students who are science majors or math majors or philosophy majors who are experiencing the arts for the first time. It's just this incredibly rewarding experience. At the same time, I want to make sure that everyone is being challenged."

"W&L After Class" entered its fifth season on Feb. 13. The season started with Rob Straughan, the Crawford Family Dean of the Williams School and professor of business administration, who described his journey at W&L, the evolution of the Williams School's distinctive approach within a liberal arts curriculum and the exciting initiatives on the horizon, including the new Williams School building. This season also includes Wythe Whiting, professor of cognitive and behavioral science, who discussed the complex connections between mental health, sleep, physical activity and cognitive functioning; Paul Youngman, associate provost and the Harry E. and Mary Jayne W. Redenbaugh Professor of German, who details the ever-changing roles W&L has played in his life; and Mark Drumbl, Class of 1975 Alumni Professor of Law and Director of the Transnational Law Institute, who explains his the function and limitations of law through his research and teachings in mass violence and human rights.

The podcast series began in the spring of 2020 and is a collaborative effort of Lifelong Learning, Alumni Engagement and the Office of Communications and Public Affairs. Each episode invites listeners to experience conversations with W&L's expert faculty, giving listeners worldwide a chance to stroll the Colonnade in the comfort of their homes. W&L faculty members discuss their teaching, research and special interests. Previous topics include poetry, witches, cybersecurity, theater and free speech.