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

  1. Students will articulate a cultural and historical perspective appropriate to dance performance, pedagogy, and choreography.
  2. Students will demonstrate dance and related skills, based on the career goals of the individual student: teaching, performance, and/or choreography.
  3. Students will demonstrate the ability to interact and problem solve with colleagues as group participants and leaders.
  4. Students will demonstrate knowledge of professional opportunities for employment.

Examples of Outcome Assessments

Concluding curricular experiences for the dance student will include:

  1. Exhibiting advanced performance and choreographic skills.
  2. Participation in professionally oriented dance and theatrical productions.
  3. 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

Core Curriculum60
Core IMPACTS (See VSU Core Curriculum)42
Theatre and Dance students are advised to take either THEA 1100 or DANC 1500 in Arts, Humanities, & Ethics area.
Core Field of Study
THEA 1100
DANC 1500
Theatre Appreciation
and Introduction to Dance 1
6
THEA 1000Voice and Diction3
THEA 2730Introduction to Theatrical Makeup, Wig, and Costume Technology2
DANC 1610Ballet I2
DANC 1700Contemporary Dance I2
DANC 2800Jazz Dance I2
DANC 2920Dance Improvisation1
A minimum grade of “C” is required for all Area F courses in the Communication Arts Department.
Senior College Curriculum60
THEA 2750Basic Technical Theatre and Stage Lighting3
DANC 2600Ballet II3
DANC 2700Contemporary Dance II3
DANC 3600Ballet III3
or DANC 3700 Contemporary Dance III
DANC 3800Jazz Dance II3
DANC 4800Jazz Dance III3
Select one of the following:2
Tap Dance I
Aerial Dance Arts
Dance for Camera
DANC 2910Social Dance1
DANC 3500Dance Pedagogy3
DANC 3000Dance Composition3
DANC 3100Choreography3
DANC 3410Dance History3
DANC 3200Dance Ensemble3
DANC 3420Music Analysis for Dancers2
DANC 4010
DANC 4020
Dance Kinesiology
and Conditioning and Wellness for Dance
5
DANC 4600Ballet IV3
or DANC 4700 Contemporary Dance IV
DANC 4790Dance Portfolio and Resume Presentation2
Guided Electives in DANC6
Guided electives6
Total hours required for the degree120
1

If students take THEA 1100 or DANC 1500 in Area C of the Core Curriculum, they should take another Area C elective here.