Chatham University’s Business & Entrepreneurship Department would like to recognize student Gwyndolyn Kay Johnson, BA’16, MBA’17, for presenting her thesis research at the Undergraduate Research at the Capital Conference in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This conference, held at the state capitol building on April 5, 2016, “is an educational event allowing the undergraduate students enrolled in Pennsylvania’s colleges and universities to showcase their research talents to the Commonwealth’s key decision-makers.” Gwyn is the first Chatham student to present at this annual event.
Gwyn’s thesis research, titled Plié: The Forgotten Ballet Masters of Pittsburgh, PA., derives from her many years of experience in the dance industry. From 2009 to 2014, she worked as a successful stage manager for prestigious dance companies in New York City such as Dance Theatre of Harlem, Martha Graham Dance Company, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Gwyn then decided to further her education as a young woman in the arts in order to attain the qualifications necessary to move up in her field. She applied to Chatham’s Bachelor of Arts in Arts Management program, and was accepted in 2014.
While studying Arts Management at Chatham, Gwyn realized that she knew very little about the dance community in Pittsburgh. This soon became her senior thesis research focus. She began to study the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (PBT) in detail, and attended performances to become familiar with the community. There she conversed with local dance enthusiasts and long-time Pittsburgh residents asking questions such as, “what dance companies were around before PBT?” and “why did it take until 1969 for Pittsburgh to begin their own large ballet company?” As a result of these interviews, Gwyn realized that many locals were unaware of any dance culture or companies prior to the founding of PBT. “It seemed as though Pittsburgh had forgotten a part of its past,” comments Gwyndolyn. “This piqued my interest, so I decided to use my Senior Thesis to discover what kind of dance communities, dance companies, and dancers were present in Pittsburgh prior to 1969.”
For months, Gwyndolyn searched relentlessly through piles of old Pittsburgh Directories dating back to 1839 at the Heinz History Center. She discovered a fascinating story intertwined through the career listings and antique advertisements for local dance masters. As a result, she decided to analyze her research through three different lenses: local and national economics, historical events, and the detailed careers of three chosen dance masters to illustrate the annual acceleration and decline of Pittsburgh dance communities prior to 1969.
Through her research, Gwyn discovered there was an increase in dance masters in relation to the construction of theatrical playhouses, funding for the arts, and jobs available for dancers and instructors during the Gilded Age of the 1880’s and the post-war 1950’s. She contrasted this information with the decrease of employed dance instructors to historic events, such as the Civil War and the Great Depression. During the Civil War, funding for the arts declined as the nation focused on the need for ammunition from Pittsburgh. Likewise, arts funding dropped again during the Great Depression where dancers sought other means of income.
“I wanted to unveil a completely forgotten story of the dance culture of Pittsburgh, through a historical analysis, based on the information I found at the Heinz History Center”
Highlights of Gwyndolyn’s presentation in Harrisburg included meeting House Representative John A. Maher, and the head coordinator of the event, Dr. Jacqueline S. McLaughlin. These individuals offered to assist in her professional development and connect her with local organizations such as the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. “I felt so honored to be able to attend this event,” concludes Gwydolyn. “I am so grateful for the support, and I will continue to make Chatham University proud of the work I do!”
Chatham University’s Business & Entrepreneurship Department is pleased to recognize students such as Gwyndolyn for their educational and professional development achievements. The Arts Management major, a program supported in part by the Business & Entrepreneurship Department, is an interdisciplinary program that combines courses from business and the arts. The major is designed specifically to prepare students for leadership roles through expertise in strategic planning, management, marketing and artistic planning. For more information on this undergraduate major, please visit the Arts Management program website here.
