"The phrases the students are trying out on the floor are directly related to the movement of the three-dimensional figures dancing within the computer."

Getting There From Here — One Teacher's Dance with Technology Pru Cuper NC State University Raleigh, NC Introduction A visitor to the dance studio at Raleigh, North Carolina's Martin Middle School enters a room teeming with life and excitement. A group of young dancers may sit on the polished wooden floor, watching as another cluster of students begins work on the choreography for their next performance. The students' teacher is an energetic presence in the room, watching and listening and interjecting periodic comments.

"…the teacher, Cindy Hoban, encourages the experimentation that is taking place."

On the desk beside this teacher there sits a laptop computer. Another group of dancers manipulate animated figures on the computer's screen. Slowly, the visitor sees what is taking place in this unique classroom. There is a new dimension being added to the choreography. The phrases the students are trying out on the floor are directly related to the movement of the three-dimensional figures dancing within the computer. These dance phrases develop simultaneously at some points, transactionally at others. And the teacher, Cindy Hoban, encourages the experimentation that is taking place. "Use variation. Manipulate what you have, " she is likely to call to her students. "Challenge the possibilities." Getting There from Here The Teacher: Cindy Hoban | The Journey: Entering the Digital Dimension The Payoff: Pieces of Gold | The Future: Poser Possibilities To page 2 of 5