Department of dance

Dance Performance Major (B.F.A.)

with Optional K-12 Teacher Certification Requirements

Degree Requirements

The B.F.A. in Dance Performance requires a total of 119 units, and the B.F.A. in Dance with K-12 Certification requires 135 units. All majors are required to complete 15 units in performance credit as a milestone, jury and crew requirements, and CORE requirements.

Learn more about the CORE Curriculum.

Dance Courses for All Majors (65 units)

Foundation Year:
DANC 216   1   Crew I
DANC 223   4   Ballet I (2 in fall and 2 in spring)
DANC 227   4   Modern I (2 in fall and 2 in spring)
DANC 235   3   Composition I  (CORE 4)
DANC 245   3   Scientific Bases for Movement Analysis I
DANC 345   3   Scientific Bases for Movement Analysis II

DANC 220   3   Using Information Effectively in Dance
DANC 263   3   Dance Design and Production
DANC 316   1   Junior Crew
DANC 321   3   Responding to Dance (CORE 9)
DANC 323   6   Level II Ballet (3 per sophomore semester)
DANC 327   6   Level II Modern (3 per sophomore semester)
DANC 335   3   Composition II
DANC 336   3   Composition III
DANC 423   3   Level III Ballet
DANC 427   3   Level III Modern
DANC 436   2   Composition IV: For the Proscenium
DANC 437   2   Composition IV: For the Camera
DANC 480   2   Senior Seminar I
DANC 481   3   Senior Seminar II

Interdisciplinary Courses for All Majors (6 units)

DANC 126   3   Music for Dancers (Foundation Year)
THEA 101   3   Acting I

Dance Electives (12 units) ~ For Performance Majors Only, Not K-12 Option

• Performance majors must take a total of 9 units of Level III and must include courses in both ballet and modern.
• Additional technique classes are taken after completing major requirements. At least 6 units of electives must be in Modern Repertory, Ballet Repertory or Dance Company.

Select from the following:
DANC 101   3   The Alexander Technique (CORE 5)
DANC 105   3   Movement Skills for Men (CORE 5)
DANC 109   2   Jazz Dance I
DANC 209   2   Jazz Dance II
DANC 111   2   Tap Dance I
DANC 211   2   Tap Dance II
DANC 201   2   Developmental Movement
DANC 251   3   Methods of Teaching Dance
DANC 310   2   Jazz Dance III
DANC 341   2   Pointe Technique I
DANC 342   2   Pointe Technique II
DANC 351   3   Teaching Dance Technique
DANC 370   1-3   Special Topics in Dance
DANC 383   3   Modern Dance Repertory
DANC 384   3   Ballet Repertory
DANC 451   3   Dance Education and Public Policies
DANC 481   3   Dance Company
DANC 492   1-3   Practicum in Dance Technique
DANC 495   1-6   Independent Study in Dance

Other Electives (3 units) ~ For Performance Majors Only, Not K-12 Option

Professional Education Courses (33 units) ~ For K-12 Option Only
PSYC 201   3   Educational Psychology
DANC 201   3   Developmental Movement
DANC 251   3   Methods of Teaching Dance
SPED 301   3   Introduction to Special Education K-12
ELED 324   3   Integrated Reading K-12 Certification
DANC 391   6   Student Teaching in Elementary School
DANC 392   6   Student Teaching in Secondary School
EDUC 401   3   Foundations of Education
DANC 451   3   Dance Education and Public Policies

DANC 493   1   Pro-Seminar in the Teaching of Dance*
* To be taken concurrently with DANC 391 and DANC 392.

Requirements for the Core ~ For K-12 Option Only

PSYC 101   3   Psychology (CORE 6)

COMM 131  3   Fundamentals of Speech Communication (CORE 5) 

Performance Requirements for All Majors

Dance majors must fulfill the Performance Requirements of the degree for graduation.

• Performance Credit Form (Word)

Performance Credit Allotment Criteria:

• Students may not be credited in a section in which they are enrolled.
• Students must accumulate 15 performance credits to receive the B.F.A.
• Six of these credits must come from Dance Company or Repertory classes
• Six of these credits must come from the Composition series, including Composition II, IV, V or the Senior Seminar or Concert
• The remaining three credits may come from the composition sequence or from performance in Inertia, DMPP, ACDF or individual work with a TU Dance Faculty member
  

Work will be credited as follows:

• Students may receive a maximum of three credits per project for working with a choreographer in Composition IV, V or the Senior Seminar for an entire semester.
• Students may receive one credit per project in courses which include three projects, like Composition III.
• Students may receive one credit per project in courses or activities which require approximately one month of rehearsal, like the Senior Concert.
• The instructor for each course will determine how these criteria apply to his/her assignments and activities.

Juries Requirements for All Majors

As a mechanism for assessing progress toward the degree, all dance majors will be evaluated by a jury of faculty members at the end of the spring term of the sophomore year. The jury will consider a video portfolio of each student. Written and verbal assessment will be given to each student in relation to the expected student outcomes of the program. Special note: All majors are required to be enrolled in a ballet and modern class each term prior to their scheduled jury.

Crews Requirements for All Majors

All dance majors are required to register for and complete both a Sophomore Crew (DANC 216) and Junior Crew (DANC 316). These assignments are made annually by the department. Successful completion of one crew course is a requirement prior to registering for DANC 480. Both crew courses and DANC 263 are required for graduation with the B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Education (K-12).

Department of Dance
Center for the Arts, Room 1002
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Phone: 410-704-2760
Fax: 410-704-3752
E-mail: spink@towson.edu