The B.F.A. with a major in Dance prepares students for a broad range of opportunities, including performance, choreography, teaching, arts administration, and dance/movement therapy. The Dance program at VSU offers numerous productions throughout the year, providing students with significant performance and choreography experience. Graduates learn a host of life skills, including collaboration, working to deadlines, self-discipline, patience, perseverance, analytical skills, and critical thinking.
Audition Requirements
All students who intend to pursue the B.F.A. with a major in Dance must audition for the purpose of admission into the program. Auditions are regularly hosted on campus, across the region, and at national professional conferences.
Grade Point Average Requirement for the BFA with a Major in Dance
Students entering the University directly from high school must maintain a GPA of 2.0 or better on all course work undertaken in order to continue as Dance majors. If in any given semester a student's overall GPA falls below 2.0, the student will have one semester (fall or spring) to bring it back up to or above 2.0. If the overall GPA remains below 2.0 for two consecutive semesters, the student will be requested to change majors. Any student who fails to respond to that request will automatically be transferred to an undeclared major status.
Students who enter the University as transfer students who wish to continue a major in Dance must have a GPA of at least 2.0 on all course work undertaken. Upon acceptance as a major, a student must maintain an overall 2.0 GPA as described above.
Students changing majors from another program within the University must also have at least a 2.0 overall GPA to transfer to the Dance major, and they will be subject to the same maintenance requirements already described.
Selected Educational Outcomes
- Students will articulate a cultural and historical perspective appropriate to dance performance, pedagogy, and choreography.
- Students will demonstrate dance and related skills, based on the career goals of the individual student: teaching, performance, and/or choreography.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to interact and problem solve with colleagues as group participants and leaders.
- Students will demonstrate knowledge of professional opportunities for employment.
Examples of Outcome Assessments
Concluding curricular experiences for the dance student will include:
- Exhibiting advanced performance and choreographic skills.
- Participation in professionally oriented dance and theatrical productions.
- Developing materials geared to individual students’ professional career goals for post-graduation plans.
Requirements for the B.F.A. degree with a Major in Dance
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Curriculum | 60 | |
| Core Curriculum Areas A-E (See VSU Core Curriculum) | 42 | |
| Theatre and Dance students are advised to take either THEA 1100 or DANC 1500 in Area C. | ||
| Core Curriculum Area F | ||
| THEA 1100 & DANC 1500 | Theatre Appreciation and Introduction to Dance 1 | 6 |
| THEA 1000 | Voice and Diction | 3 |
| THEA 2730 | Theatrical and Film Makeup | 2 |
| DANC 1600 | Ballet I | 2 |
| DANC 1700 | Modern Dance I | 2 |
| DANC 2800 | Jazz Dance I | 2 |
| DANC 2920 | Dance Improvisation | 1 |
| A minimum grade of “C” is required for all Area F courses in the Communication Arts Department. | ||
| Senior College Curriculum | 60 | |
| THEA 2750 | Basic Technical Theatre and Stage Lighting | 3 |
| DANC 2600 | Ballet II | 3 |
| DANC 2700 | Modern Dance II | 3 |
| DANC 3600 | Ballet III | 3 |
| or DANC 3700 | Modern Dance III | |
| DANC 3800 | Jazz Dance II | 3 |
| DANC 4800 | Jazz Dance III | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 2 | |
| Tap Dance I | ||
| Aerial Dance Arts | ||
| Dance for Camera | ||
| DANC 2910 | Social Dance | 1 |
| or DANC 3930 | Ballroom Dance | |
| DANC 3500 | Dance Pedagogy | 3 |
| DANC 3000 | Dance Composition | 3 |
| DANC 3100 | Choreography | 3 |
| DANC 3410 | Dance History | 3 |
| DANC 3200 | Dance Ensemble | 6 |
| DANC 3420 | Music Analysis for Dancers | 2 |
| DANC 4010 & DANC 4020 | Dance Kinesiology and Conditioning and Wellness for Dance | 5 |
| DANC 4600 | Ballet IV | 3 |
| or DANC 4700 | Modern Dance IV | |
| THEA 4790 | Portfolio and Resume Presentation | 2 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Human Communication | ||
| Introduction to Mass Media | ||
| Guided electives | 6 | |
| Total hours required for the degree | 120 | |
| 1 | If students take THEA 1100 or DANC 1500 in Area C of the Core Curriculum, they should take another Area C elective here. |
