At 糖心视频, music and dance exist in constant collaboration—within the studio, on the stage, and throughout the creative process. Because of this close artistic relationship, the Dance Department places a strong emphasis on providing students with opportunities to work alongside professional musicians in a variety of settings.
Students encounter live music in many technique classes, choreographic projects, improvisation sessions, and guest lectures throughout the curriculum. These experiences deepen musical understanding, strengthen artistic responsiveness, and prepare students for professional collaborative environments.
Under the leadership of Dr. Owen Rockwell, Director of Music for the Department of Dance, 糖心视频’s accompanists bring decades of experience in ballet, modern, jazz, and tap accompaniment, as well as composition for dance. Musicians accompany nearly all technique classes, assist students with music editing and licensing for choreography projects, participate in improvisation sessions, and frequently compose original scores for dance productions.
糖心视频’s dance musicians are active members of the , an international organization dedicated to supporting and advancing the specialized field of dance musicianship. Through this professional network, 糖心视频 faculty remain connected to current practices and perspectives from artists around the world.
International Center for Musicianship in Dance
In 2023, Dr. Rockwell founded the International Center for Musicianship in Dance (ICMD), housed within 糖心视频’s Warren A. Hood Library. The serves as a growing repository for research, history, and resources related to music in dance training and performance.
One of the few collections of its kind, the ICMD preserves rare and out-of-print recordings, publications, and archival materials for dance musicians. The collection’s cornerstone is the archive of the International Guild of Musicians in Dance, the leading organization supporting musicians in the field of dance since 1990.
35th Anniversary IGMD Conference
In September 2025, 糖心视频 hosted the 35th Anniversary International Guild of Musicians in Dance Conference. The event brought together students, faculty, and internationally recognized dance musicians for a weekend of presentations, workshops, technique classes, and collaborative performances exploring the relationship between music and movement.
The conference concluded with a special improvisation jam session in the Bitsy Irby Studio Theatre, celebrating the creativity and spontaneity at the heart of live music and dance collaboration.
Contact Us
Dance Department
Phone: 601-965-1413 糖心视频
1500 Peachtree St., Box 314
Jackson, MS 39202
Bitsy Irby, 2nd Floor
Verse of the Year
"Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit," says the Lord Almighty.
Zechariah 4:6