Department of Dance
Luke C. Kahlich, Chairperson
Philip Grosser, Undergraduate
Coordinator
(215) 204-1942
ACCREDITATION
The Department of Dance is a fully accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Dance.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The Dance Department is committed to an artistic, academic, and social environment that reflects the belief in dance as a measure of society and a barometer of culture. Its guiding principle is the responsibility to a society composed of a variety of cultural groups and traditions as these are manifested in artistic expression, particularly dance.
The department's artistic, academic, and educational work is based upon the premise that the somatic dimensions of human endeavor are indivisible from and equal in importance to their intellectual and spiritual counterparts. Our work seeks to guide students toward a balance of cognitive/analytical and intuitive/creative skills.
The degree programs in dance aim to:
• Aid students in the development of their creative potential through choreography, performance and other creative expressions;
• Educate students about the various forms and premises of dance within their historical, social and cultural contexts;
• Train students in the mastery of modern dance techniques, represented by the full time faculty and selected guest teachers;
• Prepare students to function as performing artists, choreographers, teachers, researchers, scholars, and informed and responsible citizens in academic and non-academic settings.
FACILITIES
The Department of Dance is housed in a triangular grid in three buildings on North Board Street. In Vivacqua Hall - 3rd floor houses the full-time faculty offices, Technical Director's office, secretarial complex, Department Admissions Office, Work Study Students, Graduate Teaching Assistants, Learning Resources Center, media lab and classrooms.
Conwell Dance Theater is located in Conwell Hall- 5th Floor and 6th Floor. It houses a black box theater with computer lighting, complete sound system and video and audio equipment.
Pearson Hall houses three studios, a rehearsal room, Pilates studio, Dance Medicine Clinic, faculty dressing room, equipment and costume storage, and classrooms. Pools and locker rooms are located in the basement.
AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
The Department of Dance offers a number of awards and scholarships. Scholarships are offered following successful entrance auditions and are based on potential for success in the dance curriculum. Scholarships are available both from the Fran Bowden Development Fund and the department.
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance
The undergraduate program in designed to provide a sound preparation for students wishing to enter the dance profession in a variety of areas including performance, choreography, production, and teaching. It is also designed to serve as strong foundation for the continued study of dance in any of these areas or in related areas in the field. The B.F.A. is designed for the student’s personal development as well as the development of the technical skills demanded by the profession. Students are expected to extend their competency in the techniques as demanded of professional dancers. This includes expanding their understanding of choreography, performance, production, and other areas of knowledge in dance; and gaining meaningful experiences in related arts, sciences and humanities.
Acceptance into the Undergraduate Program
Students who have been admitted to the University are also required to successfully complete an audition to gain formal acceptance into the dance major program. Prospective and newly admitted students are strongly advised to make an appointment with the Dance Admissions Coordinator to discuss personal goals and the department’s program.
The Audition
The audition consists of an introductory technique class taught, performance by the auditionee and an interview with the faculty. The dance faculty attempts to choose students with both the movement and intellectual potential to enter and complete the dance program and the general University Core. The faculty is concerned that potential student's goals and aspirations are supported by the department philosophy.
A student must pass the audition prior to final acceptance by the University and notification of admission as a matriculated student. The department will accept a student as a dance major only after the University admissions process has been completed.
Freshman and transfer students are formally advised by the Department of Dance Undergraduate Coordinator. Freshmen should make an appointment for early advising in the semester prior to entrance. All transfer students, internal or external, should contact the Undergraduate Coordinator before completing the transfer process.
The Undergraduate Curriculum
The undergraduate dance major
curriculum includes a maximum of 77 semester hours or required dance courses.
In addition, a maximum of 40 hours in the Core curriculum is required.
A minimum of 8 hours of electives are available inside or outside the
department. The dance minor consists of 21 semester hours of required courses.
Students must complete 125 semester hours to graduate.
| Core Curriculum | 40 s.h. |
| Electives | 8 s.h. |
| Required dance courses | 77 s.h. |
Program Distribution of Dance Courses
The Curriculum is based on a sequence of dance experiences and additional groups of courses in nine areas of dance.
Core Dance
Experiences 12 s.h. required
| Dance 0010, Movement Sources & Concepts | 3 s.h. |
| Dance 0011, Movement as a Medium | 3 s.h. |
| Dance W300, Creative Process in Dance | 3 s.h. |
| Dance W397, Senior Seminar | 3 s.h. |
Core Dance Techniques 30 s.h. required
Dance majors are required to take daily
technique classes at the appropriate level, throughout their course of study.
This must include a total of twenty-four hours of modern dance, including at
least one course each semester, and a minimum of six semester hours
of concentration in a second technique, which could include: ballet, jazz dance,
improvisation or African dance. In addition, students are required to take
one semester of African dance.
| Dance 0020, 0322-0325 | Modern Dance, Level I-V | 2-3 s.h. each |
| Dance 0030, 0332-0334 | Classical Ballet Level II-IV | 2 s.h. each |
| Dance 0040, 0342-0343 | Jazz Dance Level I-III | 2 s.h. each |
| Dance 0357 | Tap Dance | 2 s.h. |
| Dance 0356, 0366 | African Dance I-II | 2-3 s.h. each |
Improvisation and
Composition 8 s.h. required
| Dance 0070 | Dance Improvisation I | 2 s.h. |
| Dance 0072 | Dance Composition I | 2 s.h. |
| Dance 0073 | Dance Composition II | 2 s.h. |
| Dance 0074 | Dance Composition III | 2 s.h. |
Choreography and
Performance 9 s.h. required
| Dance 0174 | Freshmen Repertory | 3 s.h. |
| Dance 0374 or 0300 | Dance Repertory or African Repertory | 3 s.h. |
| Dance 0390 | Senior Choreographic Project | 3 s.h. |
Historical and
Cultural Perspectives 6 s.h. required
| Dance H195 | Dance in Human Society | 3 s.h. |
| Dance 0315 | Forces and Figures in 20th Century Dance | 3 s.h. |
Systems of Movement
Analysis 3 s.h. required
| Dance 0335 | Introduction to Laban Movement Analysis | 3 s.h. |
Music 3 s.h.
required
| Dance 0080 | Rhythmic Analysis | 3 s.h. |
Dance Production 4
s.h. required
| Dance 0340 | Dance Production | 1 s.h. |
| Dance 0350 | Lighting Design for Dance | 3 s.h. |
Dance Major
Electives 2 s.h. required
| Dance 0058 | Hatha Yoga | 2 s.h. |
| Dance 0071 | Movement Improvisation | 2 s.h. |
| Dance 0085 | Children’s Dance | 2 s.h. |
| Dance C112 | Pathways in American Dance | 3 s.h. |
| Dance 0304 | Dance and the Child | 3 s.h. |
| Dance 0314 | Dance Experiences for Children | 3 s.h. |
| Dance R280 | Dance, Movement, and Pluralism | 3 s.h. |
| Dance 0285 | Program and Method in Dance Education | 3 s.h. |
| Dance 0286 | Field Experience in Dance | 1-8 s.h. |
| Dance 0287 | Field Experience in Dance Performance | 1-8 s.h. |
| Dance 0288 | Field Experiences in Student Concerts | 1-8 s.h. |
| Dance 0290 | Independent Study in Dance | 1-4 s.h. |
| Dance 0300 | African Repertory Dance | 3 s.h. |
| Dance 0306 | Somatic Theatre | 3 s.h. |
| Dance 0375 | Contact Improvisation | 2 s.h. |
| Dance 0396 | Principles of Dance Technology | 3 s.h. |
| Dance 0365 | Dance, Science, and Somatics | 3 s.h. |
NOTE: Students may elect extra technique classes in addition to those satisfying their modern and secondary concentrations.
NOTE: By permission of
instructor, undergraduates may also be eligible to enroll in a selection of
graduate level courses.
FACULTY
PROFESSOR
Eva Gholson, M.F.A., Sarah Lawrence
College.
Philip Grosser, M.A., Columbia
University.
Luke Kahlich, Chair, Ed.D.,
Temple University.
Ann Vachon, B.A., The Juilliard
School, M.L.A., Temple University.
Dr. Kariamu Welsh Asante, MA.H.,
SUNY Buffalo, Ph.D, New York University
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
Joellen Meglin, Ed.D., Temple
University.
Karen Bond, Ph.D., University of Melbourne.
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Merián Soto, M.A., Columbia
University.