Dance
For detailed information about the dance program visit the dance Web site. An Amsterdam Abroad Experience is available through ConfiDance.
The dance department mission is to generate leadership for the arts, specifically for the dance field, through a rigorous bachelor of arts program emphasizing the development of professional dancers, teachers, choreographers, and arts administrators. The department offers a curriculum that focuses on classical ballet supported by modern, jazz and tap. The program also promotes the importance of planning for the long-term future of each individual dancer by offering and encouraging a well-rounded dance education. The faculty is dedicated to a nurturing and compassionate approach to teaching through example, mentorship, counseling and advising. Dance technique courses are balanced with the development of verbal articulation, critical thinking and writing to learn curriculum components. Strong ethical standards are established and maintained through faculty, personal and peer evaluations that are conducted on a regular basis. The program also emphasizes a professional approach to a theatrical aesthetic that includes maintaining a positive approach to mental and physical wellness and health, as well as sustaining an injury-free work ethic. The department strives to expose students to a culturally diverse group of guest artists, teachers and choreographers of international stature while also encouraging broadened learning experiences through internships and international studies. Students in the department enjoy ongoing pre-professional and educational outreach performance opportunities that include three main stage performances, apprenticeships with Lake Erie Ballet (by audition only) and a series of mini performances, lecture demonstrations, seminars, workshops and informal discussions.
The technical level of the student is determined by audition and re-evaluated at the end of each term. Students are advanced at the discretion of the dance faculty and the department director.
Majors and Concentrations
- Dance major
- Applied Theory Concentration with Tracks in Pedagogy and Choreography
- Performance Concentration
Minors
- Arts Administration Minor