Dance (DANC)

Dance and Movement I is the first of four progressive one-credit studio courses that develop movement technique, body awareness, coordination, and performance readiness. Each level builds physical skills, musicality, stamina, and stage presence required for performance careers. Level I establishes the foundation. Students build alignment, core support, and body awareness, and they learn to move with control and clarity before they are asked to move with speed. The course develops the vocabulary a working performer is expected to walk into a room already holding: basic ballet and jazz technique, isolations, turns, and the ability to pick up and retain a combination taught at tempo. Musicality is trained alongside technique, since the singers in this room must be able to count, hold a phrase, and move in time while producing sound. The course is built for singers and actors who move, as well as for trained dancers, and it meets students where they are. Progress is measured against each student's own starting point as well as against the standard, and the studio operates as a place where visible effort and honest correction are the norm.

Exciting content coming soon. [This 1 credit hour course may be taken up to three times for credit.]

This course is designed to introduce students to the history of dance from origins in ancient civilizations through European, Asian and Afro-Caribbean contributions, culminating with the study of social movements and the emergence of ballet and modern dance in America and Europe just prior to the advent of postmodern dance in the late 1950s. This course provides a wide anthropological and expressive overview of the evolution of this uniquely human form of expression. Lectures are supplemented with a variety of presentations along with explanations of influential sociological occurrences and at least one in-studio movement experience.

This performance course provides students with beginning-level dance technique in jazz styles. Students are introduced to challenging choreography, rhythm work, combinations, ethnic and multicultural movement, and criticism and critique.

In this beginning-level course, students are introduced to the fundamental principles of basic ballet technique and the basic components of a classical ballet course. Principal areas of development include basic ballet positions, musicality, terminology and anatomical principles.

With a click of the heel, students learn how to capture an audience’s attention through the art of tap dance. Students are introduced to challenging choreography, rhythm work, combinations, audition technique, and criticism and critique. Students explore the many styles and cultural history of tap dancing on Broadway and beyond as well as acquire the terminology associated with this popular form of dance and entertainment.

Exciting content coming soon. [This 1 credit hour course may be taken up to three times for credit.]

Audiences love a show-stopping number. In this course, students study American musical theater dance styles for stage and screen, exploring the diverse history of the genre and the prominent choreographers who contributed to its unique styles. In addition to performing excerpts from various productions, students analyze the techniques and terminology employed by professional performers.

Exciting content coming soon. [This 1 credit hour course may be taken up to three times for credit.]

Musical theater stars need to be prepared for the demands of today’s performance industry. Students explore jazz from classic theatrical styles to contemporary commercial forms seen on Broadway, film, television, and social media. Through intensive choreography and training, students build the versatility, stamina, and movement needed for competitive auditions and professional work. Students gain hands-on experience navigating rehearsals and auditions while mastering diverse stylistic forms.

In this course, students elevate their performance skills in the art of ballet. Tailored for trained dancers, this course delves into the intricacies of developing healthy alignment, anatomical principles, musicality, and overall artistry. Through exploration of various ballet techniques and variations from around the world, students cultivate an appreciation for dance as both a physical and mental discipline.

From Broadway auditions to on-camera work, performers today must move with precision, style, and confidence. As dance-driven storytelling dominates pop culture and social media, musical theater choreography has become a vital language across entertainment platforms. Students develop versatile, audition-ready pieces by integrating advanced choreography with acting and singing. Students perform across multiple musical theatre styles with authenticity and expressive storytelling and refine their craft through rehearsal, feedback, and ensemble collaboration to meet professional standards for stage and screen.

This studio/lecture course involves the creation of dance work. Students are introduced to a cache, or "tool kit," of devices that enable them to discover and manipulate effective form and movement for successful dances. The tools are derived from the descriptive vocabulary of devices from the Harvard Music Dictionary; modes of creation of dance from the study of basic shape, form and effort (from the German Bauhaus School and Rudolf Laban's studies); and devices from the instructor's own repertoire. The course is supplemented with research into the artistic process of renowned choreographers from a wide range of dance idioms.

Five, six, seven, eight! Since the early 20th-century, Broadway choreographers have used the art of dance to further plot development, illuminate character, and intensify emotional content. In this course, students analyze the history of musical theater as they examine the transformational impact of prominent Broadway choreographers. They experiment with a range of genres and demonstrate their skill through musical theater dance performances and mock auditions.