Pointing a Toe Toward Social Change
Rosalynde “Roz” LeBlanc Loo, LMU dance professor and chair, leaped onto the bluff 12 years ago and has been helping students reach new heights in dance ever since.
“At LMU, we aren’t just focused on the technical craft of dance; we also analyze its impact,” she says. “Our students make those professional connections and get jobs as working dancers, but they can also ask critical questions about where dance is going and how we can be changemakers in our field.”
And what better place to study dance, make those connections, and see that impact unfold than Los Angeles?
“L.A. is one of the best places to study dance,” says LeBlanc Loo. “Our students have access to so many opportunities. They meet dance legends like Misty Copeland and Bill T. Jones, and work with established dancers and choreographers who visit our campus for workshops.”
Most recently, LeBlanc Loo took her love of dance from the stage to the screen, producing and co-directing the 2024 Peabody Award-winning documentary, Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and D-Man in the Waters, a film that brings to life the creative process that culminated in choreographer-dancer-director Bill T. Jones’ tour de force ballet D-Man in the Waters, one of the most important works to come out of the AIDS crisis. The Peabody Awards honor excellence in storytelling that reflects the social issues and emerging voices of our day.
“This film took me nine years to make. It was a true labor of love,” said LeBlanc Loo. “At times, the process of producing this film brought me to my knees. I was full of doubt and fear, wondering if it would ever get finished. So, for the film to now be recognized with [a] prestigious Peabody Award is further confirmation to never give up on your dreams.”
