Welcome to my blog, Fiona Scruggs Dance! My name is Fiona Scruggs and I am a dancer, choreographer, researcher, and educator. In this blog, we will explore the past, present, and future of dance as it relates to this world we call our stage. Dance history, performance, choreography, education, and everything in between will be highlighted here.
In May 2019, I graduated summa cum laude from Radford University with a B.S. in Dance Education. Today, I want us to get to know each other before delving into stories of dance.
During my undergraduate time at Radford University, I discovered the vast possibilities the dance field could offer. Having danced since the age of 4.5, dance has always been a part of my life. It wasn’t until college that I fully came to realize how integral dance was in not only my personal life, but in all facets of humanity.
Soon after beginning college, I sought out as many outlets related to dance and the performing arts as possible. In addition to performing in university productions, I wrote for the student-run newspaper at my university, writing reviews on dance performances, music concerts, theatre, and fashion shows. By the time sophomore year rolled around, I was cast in more performances, so I had to let my newspaper writing go due to time constraints. Naturally, I found other outlets for writing about the arts in my academic courses. Whenever possible, I selected research topics that I could sculpt into works of art related to the performing arts.
The chance to combine my passions for dance performance, research, writing, and choreography came when I discovered the vast history and influence of Josephine Baker, a legendary dancer, singer, activist, author, and espionage from the Jazz Age through Civil Rights Era. Her story was inspiring and showed me that I did not have to label myself as a dancer or choreographer or researcher or educator. I could be all of those things simultaneously.
Upon reading about Baker’s Château des Milandes in the Dordogne region of France, I decided that somehow, I needed to visit her former home turned museum to continue my research. After several months and meetings, I wrote and was awarded three grants from Radford University to conduct research abroad in France and choreograph a performance about the life, career, and legacy of Josephine Baker during summer 2018. (To learn more about the culmination of this project, visit my website.)
During this same summer, I attended the Salzburg International Ballet Academy in Austria. While there, my solo, Before the Dust, (Video Channel: Nili Glazer, EDAS-SIBA), was selected for performance in the galas. Spending a month and a half in Europe training, studying, and exploring in dance was incredibly eye-opening.
While in college, I also realized how much I enjoy teaching dance and sharing my love of movement and creativity with others. I firmly believe that the value of a strong arts education is one of the most important facets of fostering a child’s (or person of any age’s) development into a confident, compassionate, and critical-thinking human being.
As a performer and choreographer, I work to incorporate elements of dance history, research, and education into my artistry and creativity. Awareness of the world around you is key.
It was largely through these experiences in dance that I found a new niche and voice to share, one that I will share here.
Check back each week to read more about my explorations in the dance world. If you have a question or a topic you would like to know more about, let me know by sending me an email here, or to fionascruggs@gmail.com. I would love to hear your suggestions.
Keep dancing,
Fiona Scruggs
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