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The Dance Major
The Dance Department offers a performance and a non-performance concentration. Whether concentrating in performance or non-performance, all dance majors must take the following core courses:
DAN 191
DAN 291
DAN 292
DAN 260
DAN 261
DAN 262
DAN 265
DAN 393
DAN 390
DAN 250, 251 or 255
Dance majors must complete an internship at the 300 level or a dance-related international experience.
All dance majors have the opportunity to perform in and present choreography. During the semester in which a student performs, they must be enrolled in a dance technique class.
Performance Concentration -- Audition Required
All students majoring in dance with a concentration in performance must first audition for the concentration and then fulfill the following requirements:
A total of 43.5 credits within the major.
A minimum of 12 credits of dance technique.
Completion of DAN 311 and 321 in both modern and ballet dance technique, respectively.
Dance education certification requires courses in dance and education determined by the Maryland State Department of Education. All courses must be completed for certification. Please refer to the Education Department listings for the courses necessary for certification. In addition to the core courses listed above, the following courses are required for dance education with certification:
DAN 190
DAN 140
DAN 293
DAN 294
DAN 361
DAN 131 or PE 108
Non-Performance Concentration -- No Audition Required
All students majoring in dance with a non-performance concentration must fulfill the following requirements:
A total of 40 credits within the major.
DAN 218 and 221 in both modern and ballet dance technique, respectively.
A minimum of six credits of dance technique.
Six credits in one of the areas of study listed below.
Please note: the courses listed under each area of study are those that the student must take beyond the core courses required for all dance majors in order to fulfill the six credits.
Choreography
DAN 361 DAN 384
Dance History and Criticism
Students must select six credits from the following, excluding the dance history course taken as part of the major requirement:
DAN 131 and 231 ENG 203 ENG 208 PHL 201
DAN 250 DAN 251 DAN 255
Dance Therapy
DAN 296 DAN 297
The American Dance Therapy Association guidelines for successful entry to graduate school are used to determine the course of study for the specialized area of dance therapy. Students interested in a specialized area should see an adviser in the Dance Department for further information.
Dance Administration
MGT 170 MGT 370 MGT 375
Students wishing to pursue the Arts Administration concentration should refer to the Economics Department for the required course of study.
Dance Science
Students must select six credits from the following courses:
BIO 104 BIO 105 BIO 210 BIO 214 BIO 260
CHEM 107 CHEM 341 CHEM 111 and 112 CHEM 151 and 152
PHY 115 PSY 114
Students wishing to pursue the biological sciences major with a concentration in dance science should refer to the Biological Sciences Department for course of study.
Dance and Theatre
Students must select six credits from the following courses:
THE 101 or 102 THE 120 THE 140 THE 228 THE 231
Writing Proficiency in the Major
Students are required to take DAN 390 and achieve a grade of B- or better in order to be granted writing proficiency in the major. In order to achieve writing proficiency, students are expected to master the ability to:
• Write grammatically correct, syntactically sophisticated sentences and construct cohesive, effective paragraphs consistently and spontaneously;
• Research and integrate information from multiple sources; and
• Provide substantial and appropriate support for theses and propositions and demonstrate the correlating ability to develop and write well-reasoned arguments of merit to the field of dance studies.
Qualifications Required to Graduate with Departmental Honors
Students may qualify for honors in the Dance Department if they achieve a grade point average of at least 3.67 in all courses taken in the major. Students opting to pursue honors must demonstrate a superior grasp of their course of study to a full-time member of the faculty by either an academic thesis or a theoretical grounded body of creative work which includes substantial written documentation.
Multiple Failed Courses
It is the department’s policy that students majoring in dance must receive at least a C- in every course taken toward the completion of the major.
Dance Major and Minor Review
Each year students will participate in a ballet and a modern dance technique class that will determine the ability of the student to achieve the required level of technique to complete the dance major or dance minor. Students struggling with the technical requirement of the department may be advised to find an alternative major, while continuing their studies in the Dance Department.
Progression Through Dance Technique Levels
A percentage of the grading of each dance technique course will reflect the student’s ability to achieve technical competencies as stated in the competency skills for the course. The specific technical skills for each level must be achieved before a student may progress to the next level of technique. Students who receive an A for the technical grade component of the course will be eligible for promotion to the next level of technique.
Repeatable Dance Technique Courses
The following courses are repeatable up to six credits:
DAN 131 DAN 231 DAN 295