Washington and Lee men's basketball standout Isaiah Goodman led the program to new heights during his four-year career, and this past spring he reached new heights in another field: aerial dancing.

 "Do something you never thought you would do," said Goodman, who attended college on an academic scholarship and twice was chosen as team captain. "At least for me, that's what being a well-rounded student is about – smoothing those rough edges, having experiences that push you, intimidate you, scare you.

"Push yourself. It's never too late to take a trip or take a new class or do something different."

Those aren't just empty words from Goodman, and they explain why he was hanging from a cable on the side of a campus building one day last spring – executing a combination of slick moves and slicker basketball skills while dancing up and down the 40-foot wall.

The niche of aerial dancing is a subgenre of modern dance that's been around the United States since the 1970s.

Goodman choreographed and performed a solo routine as part of a first-of-its-kind six-week course at the university. Although some professional dance companies do it, Washington and Lee is believed to be the first college to offer an aerial dance course for credit. The school earned a grant to finance the class, which culminated in the performance in May that featured about a dozen students, including Goodman and men's cross country student-athlete.

Taking full advantage of what he described as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Goodman was one of the few in the class who wore elbow pads and a helmet because he liked to try "crazy jumps and flips on the wall."

As cool as dancing on the side of a building sounds, aerial dancing requires tremendous strength and conditioning, Goodman said – and a certain fearlessness.

"For me, it was about pushing the limit," he said. "You jump and do a double flip and see your face coming toward the wall. It's pretty scary."

Scary or not, it was the newness of the activity, the ability to give it his own twist and the chance to incorporate basketball that intrigued Goodman.

"With aerial dancing, there are really no rules," he said. "You watch 'Dancing with the Stars,' and you can judge it against other dances. But aerial dancing is amazing. It's all new. So I could make up my own kinds of flips and spins and string it all together. It was fun."

Goodman admits that early on, he endured more than a little skepticism and teasing from friends and teammates. But once he decided to incorporate basketball into his routine, minds started changing.

"After the show, some of my teammates said they loved it," he said. "My coach saw it and said he was amazed. Tons of people I'd never met said my piece was their favorite. It was neat to hear that after in the beginning my friends and family were like, 'What are you doing?' Six weeks later, they were like, 'That was the best.' "

Being among the best is familiar territory for Goodman. He helped the Generals post 16 wins and advance to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference tournament title game last season – their best finish in two decades – before graduating from Washington and Lee with honors. Goodman also is serving as chair of the NCAA Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee through September 2010.

Proud of his accomplishments on and off the court, Goodman said hard work is only one of the lessons he has taken away from his student-athlete experience. He has also learned the value of connecting with others and building relationships.

Goodman recounted the story of how he ended up playing basketball with Tibetan monks visiting the Washington and Lee campus to illustrate his point.

"Someone found out they liked basketball, it trickled through the grapevine and somebody contacted me," he said. "I wouldn't have had that opportunity if I wouldn't have had that relationship with that friend."

Goodman, a business administration major, graduated in May and recently accepted a position with Target Corporation in Minnesota.