Dance majors graduate with the life skills needed to prepare them for positions in the professional dance performance world, graduate study, or related careers in which creativity, communication skills and collaborative abilities are essential.
Dance majors graduate with the life skills needed to prepare them for positions in the professional dance performance world, graduate study, or related careers in which creativity, communication skills and collaborative abilities are essential.
Our dance program is made up of physically active thought-provoking courses and ample opportunities to perform and choreograph. Students studying dance at HPU will gain a valuable foundation in many areas of dance with the freedom to explore all areas of interest with the support of caring faculty mentors. We want you to find your artistic voice, and we encourage our students to add a dual major or minor that complements and enhances their interests and goals. You will experience small class sizes with one-on-one attention, access to guest artists who set choreography for our concerts and offer master classes, and an active production schedule to hone your skills.
Working as a Company
We operate under a “Company Philosophy” where we view our entire department as a working Theater & Dance company. This means that all members work on every production in some capacity, providing a multiplicity of skills such as how to light a dance piece, working with costume designers, and understanding how professional dance and theater are produced. These experiences make our graduates highly marketable and versatile artists. The department produces four theatrical mainstage productions and two dance concerts each year, with ample student produced work and other focused performance opportunities. Students choreograph their own work for the Spring Dance Concert, have the opportunity to create dance films, and present their work/research at national collegiate dance and undergraduate research conferences and festivals.
A Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from High Point University will allow a student to undertake an experiential education grounded within the liberal arts environment created at High Point University. Each dance major will complete a challenging 44 credit-hour core of physically active and thought-provoking courses, providing them with a valuable foundation in many areas of dance. The Department encourages each student to choose a minor that will allow them to explore in greater depth the potential field of dance where their individual passions lie. Ultimately, the Dance major combined with a minor or dual major provides students with a solid foundation in dance techniques and academics while nurturing exploration of a secondary area of study.
Adding a minor or another major in addition to Dance allows a student to tailor their studies for a specific career trajectory. The Dance major curriculum offers an in-depth analysis of dance as art, as an expression of culture, and as a dialogue of the human condition.
The focused course work is designed to:
- foster capable, expressive, and meaningful moving artists
- encourage students to find and cultivate their own artistic voices by constructing, developing, and designing a final thesis project
- identify, engage, and employ cultural dance practices in constructing a sophisticated perspective
- collaborate with other artists and their audience
Degree Requirements | Credits |
---|---|
Major Requirements | 44 |
University Core Requirements | 36-44 |
Electives | 40-48 |
Total | 128 |
Minor Requirements | Credits |
---|---|
Core Requirements | 21 |
Studio Requirements | 2 |
Total | 23 |
Course | Course Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
DNC 1200 | Exploration of Modern Dance | 4 |
DNC 2100 | Ballet Dance | 4 |
DNC 2200 | Jazz Dance | 4 |
DNC 2800 | Dance and New Media | 4 |
DNC 3800 | Dance Composition | 4 |
DNC 4800 | Thesis/Final Project | 2 |
THE 1100 | Theater Participation | 4 |
THE 2010 | Fundamentals of Design and Theater Architecture | 4 |
THE 4520 | Developing an Artistic Career and Practice | 2 |
TECHNIQUE/STUDIO COURSES - Students may take 8 credits of any combination of the following courses, but at least 2 must be at the 3000 level. | ||
DNC 2001 | Contemporary Dance Studio I | 1 |
DNC 3001 | Contemporary Dance Studio II | 1 |
DNC 2101 | Ballet Dance Studio I | 1 |
DNC 3101 | Ballet Dance Studio II | 1 |
DNC 2201 | Jazz Dance Studio I | 1 |
DNC 3201 | Jazz Dance Studio II | 1 |
ELECTIVES- Select four credits from the following list: | ||
THE 1200 | Fundamentals of Acting | 4 |
THE 1710 | Lighting and Sound Crafts: Theory and Practice | 4 |
THE 1720 | Stagecraft: Theory and Practice | 4 |
THE 1730 | Costume Crafts: Theory and Practice | 4 |
THE 1740 | Make-up Crafts: Theory and Practice | 4 |
DNC 2300 | Tap | 4 |
DNC 3900 & THE 4510 | Dance Pedagogy combined with Theater Arts Administration (2 credits for each course) | 4 |
Course Descriptions |
Course | Course Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
DNC 1200 | Exploration of Modern Dance | 4 |
DNC 2100 | Ballet Dance | 4 |
DNC 2200 or DNC 2300 | Jazz Dance or Tap Dance | 4 |
DNC 2800 | Dance and New Media | 4 |
DNC 3800 | Dance Composition | 4 |
THE 1100 | Theater Participation | 1 |
Studio Requirements - Select 2 from the list below for a total of 2 credits | ||
DNC 2001 | Contemporary Dance Studio I | 1 |
DNC 2101 | Ballet Dance Studio I | 1 |
DNC 2201 | Jazz Dance Studio I | 1 |
DNC 3001 | Contemporary Dance Studio II | 1 |
DNC 3101 | Ballet Studio II | 1 |
DNC 3201 | Jazz Dance Studio II | 1 |
Combining Dance with a minor or other areas of study will provide support for careers in areas such as:
- Dance studio ownership or operation (Entrepreneurship Minor)
- Dance Therapy (Psychology Minor); Entertainment (Theater Minor)
- Dance criticism (Writing Minor and/or Communications Minor)
- Arts Management (Non-Profit Leadership and Management Minor and/or Theater Minor)
- Costume, Lighting or Scenic Design for dance (Theater Minor)
- Dance Medicine (Athletic Training, Exercise Science)
- Dance Photography (Photography Minor)
- Dancer/Singer
- Character Performer at Walt Disney World
- Future dance teachers can broaden their potential market if they possess skills in Sign Language, or teaching students with physical or developmental challenges (Special Education Minor).
- Dance studio ownership or operation (Entrepreneurship Minor)
- Dance Therapy (Psychology Minor); Entertainment (Theater Minor)
- Dance criticism (Writing Minor and/or Communications Minor)
- Arts Management (Non-Profit Leadership and Management Minor and/or Theater Minor)
- Costume, Lighting or Scenic Design for dance (Theater Minor)
- Dance Medicine (Athletic Training, Exercise Science)
- Dance Photography (Photography Minor)
- Dancer/Singer
- Character Performer at Walt Disney World
- Future dance teachers can broaden their potential market if they possess skills in Sign Language, or teaching students with physical or developmental challenges (Special Education Minor).