The John Carroll School offers two unique dance programs: the co-curricular College Preparatory Dance Program available by audition only for enrolled John Carroll students and the on-campus extracurricular Academy of Performing Arts & Dance, which is open to all ages five through adult. Information on both programs can be found below.
College Preparatory Dance Program
Intended for the serious dancer, The John Carroll School College Preparatory Dance Program is one of JC’s newest but fastest-growing programs that offers a four-year college preparatory dance program as part of the school curriculum. The program offers superb conservatory level training in an academic setting. Classes are held five days a week from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. and include Ballet, Modern and Contemporary Dance Technique, as well as studies in Dance Science, Dance History and Composition. Pointe is held on Ballet days from 4:30-5:00 p.m. Each class is graded and included in tuition for John Carroll students.
To enhance The John Carroll School Dance experience, each semester one guest artist is invited to the school to set his/her work on the dancers; all choreographic work is presented in our annual fall and spring dance concerts. Symposiums and workshops are held on site throughout the year to provide dance educational opportunities for the community.
Field trips, festivals and offsite performance and learning opportunities are provided for the students throughout the year creating the ultimate dance opportunity for our dancers; there is no other institutional program like it in the area. As an Institutional Member of the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) and holding a National Honor Society for Dance Arts Chapter, the dancers also work toward the opportunity for induction into the NHSDA.
Students enrolled in the college preparatory dance program will:
- Train technically and become dedicated dancers
- Explore the depth of dance through history, science, culture and choreography
- Work as a company to establish meaningful relationships in and out of the studio
- Prepare for and pursue dance at the college and university level
- Enhance skills through performance and workshop opportunities
- Push their boundaries, find their artistic voice and become the next generation of dancers
Students who are passionate about dance can elect to pursue the Performing Arts track of a Diploma with Distinction in Fine Arts. For information on requirements and how to apply, please visit the Diploma with Distinction in Fine Arts page and refer to the directions under Performing Arts.
As this program is intended for students with an existing background in dance, an audition is required to enter into the dance program.
Contact info:
Mrs. Laura Ward-Moran
College Preparatory Dance Program, Director
lwardmoran@johncarroll.org
Important Dates for Prospective JC Dancers to Attend
- September 29, 2018: Dance Day for all middle schoolers! 11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
- December 19, 2018: Christmas Dance Concert and Prospective Student Reception 7:00 p.m. Online registration has closed, however, tickets will be available for purchase at the door!
- January 5, 2019: College Preparatory Dance Program 2019-2020 Auditions 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Register for auditions today!
- April 6, 2019: Dance Day for all middle schoolers! 11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Register for Dance Day!
- May 3, 2019: Spring Dance Concert 7:00 p.m.
- May 4, 2019: Spring Dance Concert 3:00 p.m.
Follow @JCcollegeprepdance on Facebook!
Meet the College Preparatory Dance Program Director
LAURA WARD-MORAN is the owner of Harford Premier Pilates, LLC and the director of the John Carroll School College Preparatory Dance Program. A dancer, choreographer, Pilates Instructor, and educator, she earned her BA in Dance Education with Secondary Maryland State Certification from Goucher College in 1999.
At Goucher, she received superb training from Elizabeth Ahearn, Chrystelle Bond, Laura Dolid, Ken Skrzesz, Andrea Woods, and Amanda Thom Woodson. While a student at Goucher, she was the recipient of several scholarships and awards including: The Friends of Goucher Dance, The Amy Goldstein Dance Scholarship, The Bond Dance Award, The Summer Studies in Dance Scholarship; her choreography earned her a Phi Beta Kappa award her senior year. She’s performed with Howard County Ballet, Choregraphie Antique, and Nancy Wanich-Romita and the Moving Company.
With 20+ years teaching experience, she has taught for The St. Paul’s School for Girls, The Saint Paul’s Lower School, The Carver after school program, The Goucher Summer Arts Institute, Harford Dance Theatre, Harford Day, and The Sudbrook Magnet School Summer Program. Her involvement with dance education goes beyond the classroom, as she was invited as a consultant to write the dance portion of an integrated arts curriculum for the Harford County Public Schools in 1998, she implemented a dance program for Parkville High School in 1999, and in 2016 she implemented the College Preparatory Dance Program at the John Carroll School.
Mrs. Ward-Moran received her certification as an Authentic Pilates Instructor in New York, NY, in 2001, and is a level V+ certified authentic Pilates instructor through Romana’s Pilates, New York, NY. For six years she had the pleasure of teaching Pilates in the Dance Department at Goucher College, and she became the Assistant Director of the Pilates Center, prior to opening her own Pilates studio in Harford County in 2005. In addition, she also spent a valuable summer in Dallas, Texas at Southern Methodist University where she obtained her Fundamentals Certificate in the Language of Dance (Motif), as developed by Ann Hutchinson Guest, and she enjoyed studying closely with LOD instructor, Tina Curran.
Her work in Harford County has been extensive. In July 2001, she opened The Maryland School of Ballet and Modern Dance, Inc. where for 15 years she successfully built and grew a dance program for children and adults producing 29 original ballets and modern dance concerts through her school and company, The Maryland Dance Project. In 2016 she successfully executed the sale of her school. Now, as a guest instructor, she continues to teach dance and Pilates, as well as choreograph throughout the region.
Mrs. Ward-Moran has contributed to her community as a panelist, guest speaker, volunteer and columnist with regard to dance, education, and business. Most recently, she was appointed to serve as a board member for the Harford County Cultural Arts Advisory Board. She was interviewed by Lisa Okuhn, for an article in Dance Studio Life Magazine about the importance of Mission Statements. She has participated as faculty in the Maryland State Dance Festival and has served as guest instructor for Open Marley Night at EMC, and as an adjudicator for the Susquehanna Youth Ballet. In the fall 2018, she has been invited by Amanda Thom Woodson to speak in the Goucher College dance department as part of their senior capstone project about the experiences and career paths she has had as a dancer and educator.
She is a member of the NDEO, the Maryland Dance Council, and the sponsor for the JCS NHSDA Chapter. This summer Mrs. Ward-Moran will be pursuing her certification in Progressing Ballet Technique; a fitness program to help dancers achieve their technical goals.