Sz i SOUTH CAROLINA December 10, 2013 College of Arts and Sciences Prof. Emily Morgan Deparmentot Tate and Dance Dept. of Theatre and Dance Winthrop University 115 Johnson Hall Rock Hill, SC 29733 Dear Prof. Morgan: 1 am writing this letter of reference on behalf of Brittany Johnson for inclusion in her academic portfolio that is due in the course entitled Principles of Teaching Dance: Curriculum and Pedagogy. Ms. Johnson was a student who I taught and mentored during my employment at Winthrop University. In the three years that I have known Ms. Johnson, I have become quite familiar with her academic and artistic work. Her commitment to exploring all educational and artistic opportunities available to her demonstrates her relentless work ethic, inquisitiveness, and desire to become more knowledgeable about her discipline and life in general. I believe that Ms. Johnson is a promising young professional in the field of dance education and will attempt to provide specific examples of her participation in numerous activities during her studies that have established her as an emerging leader in the field. When I was at Winthrop, Ms. Johnson was a Dance Education major and Theatre minor who modeled great leadership, integrity, focus, and open-mindedness for other students in the Department of Theatre and Dance. She was one of our most active students who frequently auditioned for both Theatre and Dance Productions. Crossing these disciplinary boundaries enabled her to utilize her talents in each discipline to reinforce one another. While she exudes an incredible confidence and strong presence on stage, her consistent desire to expand her horizons keeps her focused on pursuing her goals and improving her craft. With each production, I was more impressed with Ms, Johnson and her abilities. She is always engaged in her studies with {great intensity by approaching knowledge as something to be absorbed and synthesized, resulting in the sharing of new perspectives. What I find exceptional about Ms. Johnson is her desire to help others. Ms. Johnson grew up in a rural area of South Carolina that is economically challenged and access to the arts is limited. She realizes that her training in the arts has helped her develop great focus, discipline, and passion for earning. In addition, Ms. Johnson understands that her ability to study the arts was somewhat unique in her hometown. It is not unusual that lower socioeconomic, rural communities lack certain privileges such as access to arts education. Desiring to fill this gap, Ms. Johnson has identified establishing a fine arts center in her hometown as one of her long-term goals. With this goal in mind, Ms. Johnson has chosen coursework and other professional development opportunities that will provide her with the knowledge that will help her succeed with this vision. University of South Carolina + Columbia, South Carolina 29208 + 803-777-4288 + Fax 805-777-6069