ANDERSON — In Beef & Boards’ production of “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” Doug King and Kristen Noonan play pioneers on the Oregon frontier.

But the castmates are also real-life dance pioneers on the education frontier.

King has led the development of the dance curriculum as an instructor at Anderson University. Noonan, his former student, was among the first AU students to earn a minor in dance.

“She’s ground-breaking,” King said of Noonan. “She’s one of the first ones that really had talent. It was through students like her that we were able to see that there was an interest and that students would start coming here because we’re offering dance. Especially students seeking a Christian study environment.”

King and Noonan appear in “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” through Oct. 4, but King’s history with the theater goes back to a production of “Oklahoma” in 1987. In 2000, King accepted a position as dance instructor with AU and a charge to develop an accredited dance curriculum.

“I kind of presented a five-year plan for a dance minor and a 10-year plan for a major,” King said. “The minor took a lot longer than that to get going, but the major is ahead of schedule.”

In May 2009, AU graduated its first dance minors. King said the department has added a full-time faculty member, Matt Farmer, to recruit dance majors. The school is now accepting freshmen and sophomores into the program and King’s goal is to grow from six students to 20 by next fall.

Noonan, 22, was among the first dance minors to graduate, earning a degree in music, with an emphasis on vocal performance. The Carmel native was a principal dancer and choreographer in AU’s dance concerts and founded a student choreography club. It was Roberta Wong of Dance Kaleidoscope who attracted her to the school’s dance program, but she has also found inspiration in King.

“Doug is always a very content and patient and inspiring person,” Noonan said. “In the Beef & Boards setting, I get to see him a little more relaxed and a little more fun. He’s a very positive presence in my life.”

In “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” Noonan plays Alice, the object of desire for Gideon (Sam Weber). Clad in green dress, she plays the character with a childlike wonder and a coo in her voice that is both flirtatious and innocent. If Alice seems like a nuanced character among seven women, that’s because Noonan has created a secret history for her.

“This is my first experience doing 45 shows and not just six,” Noonan said. “I try to give my character details, even if it’s just little body-isms. I end up playing my hands a lot during the show. I have my overall theme for Alice that she’s very in love with being in love.”

King plays Caleb, one of the seven brothers, with a mischievous charm. He toured with a national production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and will direct and choreograph a production of the show for Beef & Boards in October, then one with the Fort Wayne Civic Theater in February 2010.

Noonan said she will continue to audition for roles and is open to all possibilities. She could be just the first of King’s former students to perform at his side, but the mentor said he already considers Noonan an equal.

“She has achieved this on her own by being a strong talent,” King said. “We all signed the same contract and we’re all working for the same goal.”

Contact Justin Schneider: 640-4809, justin.schneider@heraldbulletin.com