news & Events
'Dancers can explore new areas of learning and discover passions they never knew existed."
—LEAP Director Mark Baird, Equity News, September 2009
"LEAP's understanding of the artist's journey and being in the company of other dancers has enabled Los Angeles student Josette Owens to flourish in the program. She says dancers find success in LEAP because they are hard workers and overachievers by nature."
—"New Direction, New Perspectives," In Dance, December 2008
"For Austin Laurent, 24, a dancer with the New York City Ballet, this program 'made a lot of sense.' He did some research before applying to LEAP but ultimately chose this program because it offered a flexible schedule and a curriculum that was viable to what he wants to do."
—Manhattan Magazine, Spring 2008
"Dancers know that they're probably going to dance until 35 at the latest, and they don't want to go into the world unprepared. (The) biggest gift that LEAP can give dancers is that they can enjoy those last years of their career, knowing that there's something wonderful when it's over."
— "Pairing Ballet with a Bachelor's Degree," The New York Times, November 4, 2007
"Liberal Education for Arts Professionals in California [is] dedicated to schooling professionals about their futures."
—"After the Dance," Philadelphia Inquirer, July 2, 2006
"Every dancer in the world reaches that crisis point sooner or later, and the road beyond can look pretty bleak. That's no longer true here in the Bay Area, thanks to LEAP."
—KTVU TV Special Report, April 2, 2006
"Students have gone onto successful careers within and outside the dance world, as well as to graduate school in fields as diverse as international policy and music composition."
—"LEAP of Faith." Dance Teacher magazine, February 2006
"Do you worry about how you will support yourself once your retire from dancing? Have you tried taking 1 or 2 sporadic college courses only to be forced to quit because a tour got in the way? These are common concerns among dancers. Fortunately, there is a college degree program working to address them. Liberal Education for Arts Professionals, known as LEAP, enables current or retired professional dancers to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from Saint Mary's College in Moraga, California."
—"LEAP: Dancing by Degrees," Dancer magazine, April 2005
"LEAP bends over backwards to help students. [And] dance companies, for their part seem to love the program."
—"That's 1 Giant LEAP for Dancers," The Los Angeles Times, August 22, 2004
"Observing a class, even briefly, it's obvious the dancers have plenty on their minds. Discussions are heartfelt and intense, often mirroring the passion they have for their first careers."
—"Life Beyond the Barre," The Contra Costa Times, May 17, 2004
"LEAP gives professional dancers an unprecedented opportunity to expand and develop their awareness and understanding in an academic environment."
LEAP graduate Muriel Maffre ("Reflections on Education," Backstage, Fall 2003)
"Think there isn't time for college and a ballet career? Think again."
—"LEAPing to a Performing Arts Degree," Dance Magazine College Guide, September 2003
"While fitting everything in is the most challenging part of juggling a professional career and college, the program has a high success rate because it accommodates dancers' schedules."
—LEAP student Celia Fushille-Burke ("LEAP In," Dance Spirit, September 2003 )
"Bringing all these dancers together for class every week is a remarkable piece of choreography."
—"A LEAP of Faith," CBS NEWS Sunday Morning, December 2002
"After doing a show, I just want to go home and go to bed. But I find that when I go to [LEAP] class, this other space opens up in my head, and there's all this energy there that I hadn't tapped into."
—LEAP student Kathi Martuza, ("Preparing for Life After the Last Pirouette," The Chronicle of Higher Education, June 7, 2002)
"The result of this hard work and self-discovery is the most beautiful dancer of all: an educated, accomplished artist with the skills and self-confidence to enjoy the present and welcome the future."
—LEAP Founder Claire Sheridan ("Professional Dancers LEAP into College," 2001-02 Dance Magazine College Guide)
"LEAP challenges the status quo by removing the barriers that prevent working dancers from getting a college education and earning a degree. Most importantly, LEAP provides a strong support system that offers encouragement and guidance, as well as academic counseling."
—"LEAP!" In Dance, March 2000
"With a degree in hand, LEAP participants hope certain doors will open and new careers will evolve. In a sense, getting a college degree is a ticket into the mainstream and, for many, a mark of intellectual credibility."
—"Dancers Jumping for Chance to Earn Degree," Dance Magazine, June 2000
"What I've discovered is that there's light at the end if the tunnel. Getting a college degree would give us hope for a new future. The dancers I've talked to agree that this program is empowering us."
—LEAP student Corinne Jonas ("St. Mary's Helps Dancers Face New Stage," The San Francisco Chronicle, October 29, 1999)
