Undergraduate Program

Major Requirements

Our program offers a BA in dance. Students looking to major in dance can choose from two major tracks: Creative Expression and Performance or Dance Studies.

Please note: Students enrolled in a dance course or courses are required to attend at least two of the program-sponsored performances and two of the program-sponsored workshops within the semester.

Concentration: Creative Expression and Performance

The dance major comprises at least 54 credits.

This program is flexible enough that students can choose to focus on Western dance forms such as contemporary modern dance and contemporary ballet, or world dance forms such as those from the African Diaspora that might include West African dance, capoeira, Zimbabwean dance, hip hop, and jazz. Courses that appear in more than one category can only be used to fulfill one category.

Required Courses

Foundations – Minimum of 8 credits required

DANC 160: Dance Improvisation (2 credits) (Suggested as a pre-req to Choreography)
DANC 278: Choreography (4 credits)
DANC 242: Lighting Design for Dance (2 credits)

Choose up to one of the following (4 credits):

DANC 170: Embodied Resourcing Through Somatic Practices (4 credits)
DANC 288: Movement Analysis and Integration (4 credits)

Embodied Practice – Minimum of 16 credits required

We recommend at least one embodied practice course each semester, as ongoing practice is crucial to the development of the dancer and the integration of the body and mind. Students are required to take at least 16 credits of embodied practice courses.

Choose two or more courses:

DANC 204: Contact Improvisation and Culture (4 credits)
DANC 250: Contemporary Dance: Context and Practice (4 credits)
DANC 251: Jazz Dance: Context and Practice (4 credits)
DANC 252: Intermediate Ballet: Context and Practice (4 credits)
DANC 253: West African Dance: Context and Practice (4 credits)
DANC 254: Tap Dance in American History: Context and Practice (4 credits)
DANC 285: Experience Guinea (4 credits)

Additional embodied practice courses:

DANC 102: Fundamentals of Movement (2 credits)
DANC 110: Beginning Dance Techniques (2 credits)
DANC 116: Intro to Somatic Ballet (2 credits)
DANC 140: Tap Dance: Beginning (2 credits)
DANC 145: Beginning Jazz Technique (2 credits)
DANC 150: Beginning Contemporary Dance Technique (2 credits)
DANC 171: Capoeira: Brazilian Art Movement (2 credits)
DANC 181: West African Dance Forms I (2 credits)
DANC 185: Krumping: Culture and Expression (2 credits)
DANC 187: Hip-Hop: Dance, Culture, and History (2 credits)
DANC 188: Hip Hop Culture and Breaking (2 credits)
DANC 189 Breaking: Conditioning and Battling (2 credits)
DANC 190: Dances of the Middle East: Folkloric Bedouin (2 credits)
DANC 197: Latin Dance (2 credits)
DANC 212/MUR 210: Ngoma: Drumming, Dance and Ritual in Southern Africa (4 credits)
DANC 215: Beginning Ballet II/Advanced Beginning Ballet (2 credits)
DANC 240: Tap Dance: Intermediate (2 credits)
DANC 266: Intermediate Contemporary Dance (2 credits)
DANC 267: Advanced Contemporary Dance (2 credits)
DANC 268: Intermediate Contemporary Ballet (2 credits)
DANC 269: Advanced Contemporary Ballet (2 credits)
DANC 271: Capoeira II: Music in Motion (2 credits)
DANC 273: Capoeira: Strategies and Improvisation (2 credits)
DANC 281: West African Dance Forms II (2 credits)
DANC 283: West African Dance and Dundun (2 credits)
DANC 290: Dances of the Middle East: Orientale (2 credits)
DANC 365: Sansifanyi: West African Dance and Drum Ensemble (3 credits)

Critical Thinking – Minimum of 12 credits

This category gives students an opportunity to develop skills for expressing their own artistic and aesthetic voices to improvise, create dances of their own, and think outside of the box. They also provide a performance experience, as well as develop their observation and analytical skills for dance, art in general, and composition. These courses also address aspects of citizenship and cultural competency, including listening, empathy, collaboration, community-building, civic engagement.

All dance majors are required to present work and/or participate in public performance through one or more of the following courses.

Choose at least four credits in each of the following required categories for a total of 12 credits.

Creative expression (choose at least 4 credits):

DANC 104: Contact Improvisation (2 credits)
DANC 109: Costume Design for Dance (1 credit)
DANC 235: Change: Welcomed, Denied, Inevitable: An Investigation Through Movement, Writing, and Dialogue (4 credits)
DANC 237: Dance Ensemble (2.0 credits)
DANC 243/SART 243/FMST 223/DMST 281: Dance on Camera/Camera on Dance (4 credits)
DANC 279: Dancer as Collaborator (1 credit)
DANC 377: Choreographic Voice: Dance and Physics Frontiers (4 credits)
DANC 378: Choreographic Voice: Dance and Social Justice (4 credits)
DANC 379: Choreographic Voice: Dance and Narrative (4 credits)
DANC 380: Repertory and Performance (3 credits)
DANC 385: Dance Performance Workshop (2 credits)
DANC 397: Dance Ensemble (1 credit)

Citizenship (choose at least 4 credits):

DANC 202: Dance and Peacebuilding (4 credits)
DANC 233: Climate Interventions: Performing Arts + New Media (4 credits)
DANC 247: Moving Memories (4 credits)
DANC 249: The Art of Dance, Change, and Community Practice (4 credits)
SART 281: Performance Art and Social Intervention (4 credits)
DANC 296: The Art of Teaching Dance (4 credits)
DANC 305: Dance and Interdependent Community (4 credits)
DANC 235: Change: Welcomed, Denied, Inevitable (4 credits)

Context and cultural competency (choose at least 4 credits):

DANC 155: Movement Revolutions: A Cultural History of Social Dance (4 credits)
DANC 195: World Dance (4 credits)
DANC 228: Dance History: Philosophy, Aesthetics and Culture (4 credits)
DANC 248: Arts and Activism (4 credits)

Somatic Awareness – Minimum of 6 credits required

This category is designed to encourage a diverse approach to a depth of understanding of embodiment. These courses serve not only as valuable cross training practice for dancers, but also provide training for relaxed strength, total body coordination/organization, integration of breath support, balance, centered alignment, timing, weight shifting, mindfulness, fluidity, and energy flow. Somatic study also helps to identify unconscious physical habits that over time can lead to injury or pain.

Choose at least one of the following:

DANC 200: Anatomy and Kinesiology (4 credits)
DANC 230: Living Anatomy, Living Yoga (4 credits)

Additional somatic awareness courses:

DANC 106: Pilates (1 credit)
DANC 114: Intro to Yoga (2 credits)
DANC 115: Moving Into Stillness (2 credits)
DANC 130: Conditioning for the Dancer and Athlete (2 credits)
DANC 167: Ecolinguistics: Language and Movement (4 credits)
DANC 170: Embodied Resourcing Through Somatic Practices (4 credits)
DANC 208: Tai Chi: Movement Art and Culture (2 credits)
DANC 209: Qi Gong Way to Health (2 credits)
DANC 211: Tai Chi: Explorations in Qi (4 credits)
DANC 218: Into the Present Moment (4 credits)
DANC 225: Yoga II: Continuing the Journey (2 credits)
DANC 245: Dance/Movement Therapy Foundations (4 credits)
DANC 258: Resilient Activism Embodied Practices for Effective Systemic Change (2 credits)
DANC 288: Movement Analysis and Integration (4 credits)

Seminar/Capstone Courses – 4 credits required

DANC 388W: Senior Seminar A (fall) and DANC 389W: Senior Seminar B (spring) /Project* (4 credits total; 2 in fall semester and 2 in spring semester, starting fall 2023)

Optional courses:

DANC 260: Interdisciplinary Dance Studies* (2 credits)
DANC 391: Independent Study

*The senior capstone research can take the form of a paper, project, service or community-based activity, choreography and/or performance.

Experience in Technical Production

Students are required to complete one red job (13+ hours), one yellow job (6-12 hours) and one green job (0-5 hours). The following are examples of different types of technical jobs:

Green job: Such as helping to lay the marley floor
Yellow job: Such as running sound for a guest artist
Red job or additional green and yellow job: Crew for a student or faculty concert

Upper-Level Writing Requirement

The upper-level writing requirement is built into the array of courses in the dance major, where reflective and research-based writing is inherent. In all our courses, we assess our students through reflective writing and/or research papers and projects, which account for approximately 40 to 50 percent of a student’s final grade.

DANC 388W Senior Seminar A (fall) and DANC 389W Senior Seminar B (spring) is where we pay attention to the writing requirement. In this full year (fall and spring) pairing starting fall 2023, students submit drafts and receive feedback before a final version of their senior thesis is due. This practice is not exclusive to this course, as the practice of written expression is an important part of the creative process and critical and reflective thought in dance.

Concentration: Dance Studies

The dance major comprises at least 50 credits. The dance studies concentration incorporates two or three courses from another discipline into the dance major. Many students choose to combine their studies in a second major with the dance studies major to explore interdisciplinary applications. Courses that appear in more than one category can only be used to fulfill one category.

Required Courses

Foundations

Required:

DANC 260: Interdisciplinary Dance Studies (2 credits; recommended fall semester of junior year)

Choose one of the following courses:

DANC 170: Embodied Resourcing Through Somatic Practices (4 credits)
DANC 288: Movement Analysis and Integration (4 credits)

Embodied Practice – Minimum of 10 credits required

At least one practice course each year is recommended. Students must take at least 10 credits of embodied practice courses.

Choose at least one of the following:

DANC 204: Contact Improvisation and Culture (4 credits)
DANC 250: Contemporary Dance: Context and Practice (4 credits)
DANC 251: Jazz Dance: Context and Practice (4 credits)
DANC 252: Intermediate Ballet: Context and Practice (4 credits)
DANC 253: West African Dance: Context and Practice (4 credits)
DANC 254: Tap Dance in American History: Context and Practice (4 credits)
DANC 285: Experience Guinea (4 credits)

Additional embodied practice courses:

DANC 102: Fundamentals of Movement (2 credits)
DANC 110: Beginning Dance Techniques (2 credits)
DANC 116: Intro to Somatic Ballet (2 credits)
DANC 140: Tap Dance: Beginning (2 credits)
DANC 145: Beginning Jazz Technique (2 credits)
DANC 150: Beginning Contemporary Dance Technique (2 credits)
DANC 171: Capoeira: Brazilian Art Movement (2 credits)
DANC 181: West African Dance Forms I (2 credits)
DANC 185: Krumping: Culture and Expression (2 credits)
DANC 187: Hip-Hop: Dance, Culture, and History (2 credits)
DANC 188: Hip Hop Culture and Breaking (2 credits)
DANC 189: Breaking: Conditioning and Battling (2 credits)
DANC 190: Dances of the Middle East: Folkloric Bedouin (2 credits)
DANC 197: Latin Dance (2 credits)
DANC 212/MUR 210: Ngoma: Drumming, Dance and Ritual in Southern Africa (2 credits)
DANC 215: Beginning Ballet II/Advanced Beginning Ballet (2 credits)
DANC 240: Tap Dance: Intermediate (2 credits)
DANC 266: Intermediate Contemporary Dance (2 credits)
DANC 267: Advanced Contemporary Dance (2 credits)
DANC 268: Intermediate Contemporary Ballet (2 credits)
DANC 269: Advanced Contemporary Dance (2 credits)
DANC 271: Capoeira II: Music in Motion (2 credits)
DANC 273: Capoeira: Strategies and Improvisation (2 credits)
DANC 281: West African Dance Forms II (2 credits)
DANC 283: West African Dance and Dundun (2 credits)
DANC 290: Dances of the Middle East: Orientale (2 credits)
DANC 365: Sansifanyi: West African Dance and Drum Ensemble (3 credits)

Critical Thinking – Minimum of 12 credits required

Creative expression

Choose at least one of the following:

DANC 104: Contact Improvisation (2 credits)
DANC 109: Costume Design for Dance (1 credit)
DANC 160: Dance Improvisation (2 credits)
DANC 237: Dance Ensemble (2.0 credits)
DANC 242: Lighting Design for Dance (2 credits)
DANC 243/SART 243/FMST 223/DMST 281: Dance on Camera/Camera on Dance (4 credits)
DANC 278: Choreography (4 credits)
DANC 279: Dancer as Collaborator (1 credit)
DANC 377: Choreographic Voice: Dance and Physics Frontiers (4 credits)
DANC 378: Choreographic Voice: Dance and Social Justice (4 credits)
DANC 379: Choreographic Voice: Dance and Narrative (4 credits)
DANC 380: Repertory and Performance (3 credits)
DANC 385: Dance Performance Workshop (2 credits)
DANC 397/DANC 398: Dance Ensemble I/II (1 credit)

Context, citizenship, and cultural competency

Choose at least one of the following:

DANC 155: Movement Revolutions: A Cultural History of Social Dance (4 credits)
DANC 195: World Dance (4 credits)
DANC 202: Dance and Peacebuilding (4 credits)
DANC 228: Dance History: Philosophy, Aesthetics and Culture (4 credits)
DANC 233: Climate Interventions: Performing Arts + New Media (4 credits)
DANC 235: Change: Welcomed, Denied, Inevitable: An Investigation Through Movement, Writing, and Dialogue (4 credits)
DANC 245: Dance/Movement Therapy Foundations (4 credits)
DANC 247: Moving Memories (4 credits)
DANC 248: Arts and Activism (4 credits)
DANC 249: The Art of Dance, Change, and Community Practice (4 credits)
DANC 296: The Art of Teaching Dance (4 credits)
DANC 305: Dance and Interdependent Community (4 credits)
SART 281: Performance Art and Social Intervention (4 credits)

Somatic Awareness – Minimum of 4 credits required

This category is designed to encourage a diverse approach to a depth of understanding of embodiment. These courses serve as valuable cross training exercise for the dancer, but also provide training for relaxed strength, total body coordination/organization, integration of breath support, balance, centered alignment, timing, weight shifting, mindfulness, fluidity, and energy flow. Somatic study also helps to identify unconscious physical habits that over time can lead to injury or pain.

Four credits of the following:

DANC 106: Pilates (1 credit)
DANC 114: Intro to Yoga (2 credits)
DANC 115: Moving Into Stillness (2 credits)
DANC 130: Conditioning for the Dancer and Athlete (2 credits)
DANC 167M: Ecolinguistics: Language and Movement (4 credits)
DANC 170: Embodied Resourcing Through Somatic Practices (4 credits)
DANC 200: Anatomy and Kinesiology (4 credits)
DANC 208: Tai Chi: Movement Art and Culture (2 credits)
DANC 209: Qi Gong Way to Health (2 credits)
DANC 211: Tai Chi: Explorations in Qi (4 credits)
DANC 216: Yoga and Experiential Anatomy (2 credits)
DANC 218: Into the Present Moment (4 credits)
DANC 225: Yoga II: Continuing the Journey (2 credits)
DANC 230: Living Anatomy Living Yoga (4 credits)
DANC 258: Resilient Activism Embodied Practices for Effective Systemic Change (2 credits)

Interdisciplinary Dance Studies – 8 to 12 credits required

Students will choose 8 to 12 credits (either within or outside of the Program of Dance and Movement) that support their dance major and research interests. Other courses related to your interdisciplinary capstone from other departments and programs can overlap with majors or minors outside of dance. Courses should be chosen with the help of a dance advisor

Courses in this interdisciplinary dance studies section are subject to the course overlap policy. See the interdisciplinary dance studies page for more information.

DANC 167M: Ecolinguistics: Language and Movement (4 credits)
DANC 202: Dance and Peacebuilding (4 credits)
DANC 235: Change: Welcomed, Denied, Inevitable: An Investigation Through Movement, Writing, and Dialogue (4 credits)
DANC 243/SART 243/FMST 223/DMST 281: Dance on Camera/Camera on Dance (4 credits)
DANC 248: Arts and Activism (4 credits)
DANC 249: The Art of Dance, Change, and Community Practice (4 credits)
DANC 296: The Art of Teaching Dance (4 credits)
DANC 305: Dance and Interdependent Community (4 credits)
DANC 377: Choreographic Voice: Dance and Physics Frontiers (4 credits)

Seminar Courses

The Senior Seminar courses are the foundation for each student’s individualized and interdisciplinary research in dance and/or movement and their own chosen related area.

The two courses provide a forum and platform for developing their own undergraduate thesis/project. Planning and research will take place in the A Seminar. Further research, development, writing and/or project implementation will take place in the B Seminar.

Participation in the campus-wide Undergraduate Research Expo is strongly encouraged. This research should be built over at least one full year (and seeds are planted in DANC 260). Capstones can take the form of a study, paper, project, service or community-based activity, choreography and/or performance.

Courses:

DANC 388W-A (fall): Senior Seminar/Project (2 credits)
DANC 389W-B (spring): Senior Seminar/Project (2 credits)

Experience in Technical Production

Students are required to complete one red job (13+ hours), one yellow job (6-12 hours) and one green job (0-5 hours). The following are examples of different types of technical jobs:

Green job: Such as helping to lay the marley floor
Yellow job: Such as running sound for a guest artist
Red job or additional green and yellow job: Crew for a student or faculty concert

Upper-Level Writing Requirement

DANC 388W Senior Seminar A (fall) and DANC 389W Senior Seminar B (spring) is where we pay attention to the writing requirement. In this full year (fall and spring) pairing starting Fall 2023, students submit drafts and receive feedback before a final version of their senior thesis is due. This practice is not exclusive to this course, as the practice of written expression is an important part of the creative process and critical and reflective thought in dance.