Dance Major

Dr. Kariamu Welsh

Department Chairperson

kariamu@temple.edu

Jillian Harris

Undergraduate Program Coordinator

jhdan2@temple.edu

www.temple.edu/boyer/dance

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance emphasizes modern dance technique, performance, choreography, and education. The program provides a two-year foundation for all undergraduate dance majors that supports the development of skill, strength and stamina. The two-year foundation program will be followed by two years of specialized study, during which students focus on either Performance & Choreography or Dance Education. Third and fourth year students in the Performance & Choreography focus will experience intensive training and will have an opportunity to audition for a student dance company that will prepare them to enter professional dance companies, create a company, or pursue an individual career in choreography. Third and fourth year students in the Dance Education focus will continue dance training and will experience intensive coursework in education and pedagogy, including opportunities to observe and work with dance teachers, that prepares them to teach in a variety of settings.

The degree program in dance aims to:

• Guide students toward a balance of cognitive, analytic, intuitive, and creative skills.
• Aid students in development of their creative potential through technique, choreography, performance, research, and other creative media.
• Educate students about the various forms and purposes of dance within their historical, social, and cultural contexts.
• Provide intensive training in a range of dance techniques and styles as represented by the faculty and selected guest artists.
• Prepare students for professional careers as performing artists, choreographers, teachers, scholars, and informed and responsible leaders in academic and other professional settings.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance is conferred upon a student by recommendation of the faculty and upon the satisfactory completion of a minimum of 124 semester hours of credit and completion of the required Dance and university requirements.

Dance Resources: The Dance Department, with its three studios, rehearsal room, Pilates and Dance Medicine Clinic, black-box theater, video library, and assorted classrooms, embraces a broad array of activities. The Philadelphia Dance Collection at Temple University (PDCAT) provides access to the dance legacy of the region through a permanent collection of multi-format archival resources related to the history of Philadelphia dance.

Special Opportunities: The Conwell Dance Theater season provides many opportunities for students to perform and choreograph.  A typical season features two student concerts, two Master of Fine Arts thesis concerts, two Bachelor of Fine Arts senior concerts, a faculty dance concert, and an alumni concert.  Added to this are performances by guest artists, repertory showings, and informal student choreography performances.  Recent guest artists have included Donna Uchizono; Sean Curren; Cornelius Carter; Ruth Andrien, former soloist with the Paul Taylor Dance Company; and Nina Watt, member of the José Limón Dance Company.

Summary of Requirements for the Dance Major

University Requirements

All new students starting in the 2010-2011 academic year and beyond are required to complete the university's General Education (GenEd) curriculum.

All Temple students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses as part of the major. See below for a list of the specific courses that are required for dance majors.

Theory - Required Courses

Technique Courses

Note on Required Dance Techniques:  First year dance majors are required to take four modern technique courses and two ballet technique courses.  Second year dance majors are required to take four modern technique courses.  Third and fourth year dance majors determine their technique requirements based upon their selected focus.  As a result of the different requirements for each focus, the minimum required hours is not a mathematical total of the courses listed above.

Choreography, Performance & Repertory Courses

University General Education - Required Courses

Dance and Other Electives

Remaining credits can be used for electives within the Dance Department or for courses in other academic areas.  Within the department, students can take dance technique courses listed below or dance academic courses.

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Dance - Suggested Semester-by-Semester Plan

Dance Foundation - Year One & Year Two

* These courses are offered in both the Fall and Spring semesters.

Performance & Choreography Focus - Year Three & Year Four

* These courses are offered in both the Fall and Spring semesters.

** Enrollment in Dance 4874: Dance Repertory III is by audition only.

Dance Education Focus - Year Three & Year Four

• The total number of credit hours may be greater for some students based on initial placement exams, transfer evaluations, individual curricular choices, and academic progress.
• Certain courses fulfill multiple requirements. In consultation with an academic advisor, students will be able to plan their curriculum more effectively.
• Students must fulfill the necessary prerequisites for any given course or course sequence. See the Prerequisite and Co-Requisite Policy in the university-wide Academic Policies section in this Bulletin.