Loabelle Black Mangelson-Clawson

Loabelle graduated high school before I was born. But I never thought of her as being so much older than me. I had one good year at the U of U dance department which was 1974-1975. She taught a composition class and was a substitute teacher for a technique class. I spent that semester trying to understand what she meant by "self-indulgent." I suppose she did not want dancers to be fashion models on stage.... kind of thing. Or ... using the stage to show off the techniques they could...

I took composition class from Loa at the University of Utah as a fledgling grad student (1995-1997). She was quite possibly the toughest teacher I´ve ever had. Her standards were specific, her eye for detail unerring. If we cheated in the motif composition project and repeated a movement, she caught it. Start over, she said. She was a fervent advocate for the nuance that "all dances are too long" and would cut people off when it reached that point of self-indulgence. She´s say, get on with...

I was a student in the Dance Department at the U from 1974-1978 and had classes with Loabelle. I especially remember her teaching philosophy/pedagogy course, and a solo she did around 1976 where she tore strips of paper while seated--it was so revolutionary for me, and I still remember it several decades later!

Besides costuming her fascinating pieces for dancers in the school, I also costumed her one woman show "Done into Dance" based on the life of Isadora Duncan. I had a great time working with her and yes, she took the opportunity to Act up a storm.