Nat Goodhartz Award
Dr. Mary Khunger ’87 established the Nat Goodhartz Award at The College at Brockport as a tribute to Dr. Nat Goodhartz. Dr. Khunger notes that Dr. Goodhartz is one of the most profoundly inspirational instructors and mentors she has had in her life. The Goodhartz Award recognizes an outstanding student in the Department Dance at the College who demonstrates a proficiency and involvement in dance science.
Dr. Goodhartz did her undergraduate work at Brooklyn College. She then earned her master’s degree in gross anatomy and kinesiology, and her doctoral degree in exercise physiology at Ohio State. After completing her degrees she remained at OSU and developed a kinesiology curriculum specifically for dance majors.
Joining the Brockport faculty in 1971, Dr. Goodhartz continued working with dance majors through a required dance kinesiology class, which had prerequisite courses in anatomy and physiology. An option was available for students to pursue work in this area through independent studies and lab work. The kinesiology program emphasized ways in which the body could be used to support the intention of the choreographer. The structure of the body, how it functions, and the mechanics of movement where all explored, as well as movement imagery versus the anatomical reality. The course content was devoted to giving the performer an understanding of the body as the instrument. Safely extending the usual limits of human movement were also examined.
Dr. Goodhartz is currently coaching fencing at Back Alley Fencing in Rochester. Her students have fenced on multiple World Cup and World Championship teams, and one fencer was an Olympic silver medalist. She is a certified Fencing Master, and a member of the US Fencing Hall of Fame.
Qualified applicants for the Nat Goodhartz Award are enrolled as majors in the Department of Dance at the undergraduate of graduate level and demonstrate academic excellence with a GPA of 3.5 or better. Qualified applicants also must demonstrate proficiency and involvement in dance science through their curricular of extracurricular activities.