The Bachelor of Fine Arts with a major in dance provides a professional degree program for talented students with prior dance experience and skills who seek professional careers as performing artists and choreographers. Dance technique and the history, philosophies, and aesthetics of dance are all central to this program.

Admission Requirements

Admission to this program is contingent upon satisfaction of the general requirements for undergraduate admission to the University and a successful audition conducted by the Department faculty. Audition dates are scheduled throughout the year prior to admission. Prospective students should contact the Theatre and Dance Office for audition schedule information.

All B.F.A. dance majors must be enrolled in appropriate level technique classes each semester and evidence successful progress in their respective degree programs in order to maintain dance major status. Any dance major who does not comply and/or does not register and complete appropriate dance coursework for one semester MUST AUDITION FOR THE DANCE PROGRAM for re-admission. Students out of the dance program for two semesters or more are rarely re-admitted to the program.

 

Program Requirements

Candidates must complete a minimum of 120 credits in course work, including satisfaction of the University General Education requirements, College degree requirements and a minimum of eighty credits in dance courses (specified below). B.F.A students must comply with the following department policies – any student who does not meet these standards will be placed on Departmental probation and may be denied continuation in the program: the credits in specified Dance courses must be completed with grades of C minus or better; dance technique and choreography classes must be completed with a B plus or better; and a 3.0 cumulative g.p.a must be maintained. Students must be current in their plan of work and all Basic Competency courses must be completed prior to enrolling in the Capstone course.

All course work must be completed in accordance with the academic procedures of the University and the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts governing undergraduate scholarship  and  degrees, as well as with the requirements of the Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance.  

General Education Course Progress

 Majors must complete the Basic Composition (BC) requirement by the time forty-five credits have been earned, and the Oral Communication (OC) and Intermediate Composition (IC) requirement by the time sixty credits have been earned. Failure to meet these limits on matriculation will result in the student being placed on departmental probation: the student will be ineligible to be cast in or participate as a member of the artistic/production staff of department productions. Transfer students will be reviewed upon entry into the major for compliance with these standards and advised as needed.

B.F.A. Major Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Required Technique Credits
Students must complete 32 credits of Technique coursework.		32
DNC 1220	Fundamentals of Classic Ballet II
DNC 1300	Pilates Conditioning for Performing Artists
DNC 2010	Contemporary Dance II: Part I
DNC 2610	African Diasporic Dance Technique I
DNC 3010	Contemporary Dance III
DNC 3200	Ballet III
DNC 3410	African Diasporic Dance Technique II
DNC 2600	African Dance II
DNC 3300	Pilates Equipment Lab
Performance
Students must complete nine credits of performance coursework.		9
Select from the following:
DNC 4000	Performance Tour
DNC 4710	Dance Company
DNC 4800	Repertory
Creative Practice
DNC 2460	Dance Improvisation	2
DNC 2500	Choreography I	2
DNC 3500	Choreography II	2
DNC 5560	Choreography III	2
DNC 5996	Senior Capstone Research (1 Credit in Fall, 2 Credits in Winter)	3
Required Theory Courses
DNC 1330	Production Practicum	2
DNC 2400	Introduction to African Dance	3
DNC 2000	Introduction to World Dance	3
DNC 2310	History of Dance from 1800 to the Present	3
DNC 2180	Anatomy of Human Movement	3
THR 3341	Design Skills - Digital I	2
DNC 3310	Dance Production	3
DNC 3810	Dance Pedagogy	3
Core Theory Courses
Select two of the following:		6
DNC 1810	Introduction to Dance Professions
DNC 2410	Music and Dance Relationships
DNC 4810	Dance Teaching Methods
DNC 3180	Dance Science
DNC 4910	Dance in Community
Total Credits		80

Performance Opportunities

There are three performance ensembles: the W.S.U. Dance Company One, Dance Workshop, and To Sangana African Dance Company composed of skilled dance students who must qualify for membership through auditions. They present concerts, lecture/demonstrations, and performances on campus and in the community, choreographed by visiting artists, faculty, and talented students. Students must have a minimum 2.5 overall g.p.a. to participate in a performance ensemble.

Dance Honors Program (B.S. and B.F.A. degrees)

In order to enter the departmental honors program students must have achieved academic excellence in previous work, such as a high school g.p.a. of 3.5 or a college or university g.p.a. of 3.3. Students must meet all regular major requirements including the following: three honors-option courses within their major taught by full-time faculty members (internships cannot satisfy this requirement), at least one 42XX honors seminar offered through the Honors College, a senior honors thesis under the direction of a faculty advisor in their major area (DNC 5997) and maintain a minimum g.p.a. of 3.3 cumulative and in the major.

Dance Honors Curriculum (15 credits required)

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Select the Honors Option in three of the following:		9-10
DNC 2000	Introduction to World Dance
DNC 2300	History of Dance to 1800
DNC 2310	History of Dance from 1800 to the Present
DNC 3180	Dance Science
DNC 3310	Dance Production
DNC 3810	Dance Pedagogy
DNC 4810	Dance Teaching Methods
DNC 5810	Teaching Creative Dance for Children
DNC 5997	Departmental Honors Thesis	3
HON 42xx Honors Seminar		3
Total Credits		15-16

Student must maintain an overall 3.3 g.p.a.

For additional information, students should consult the Irvin D. Reid Honors College.