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Dance Schools Degree & Certification

Dance schools offer students a platform to study and practice an area of study that utilizes the human body as an artistic medium, often set to music in order to convey information and emotion. Dancers will work as or under the supervision of choreographers, performing rehearsals until a given sequence or performance is ready for viewing.  Some dancers may work professionally as back up to stage performers or in conjunction with other performances.

Career Summary

MEDIAN SALARY

$53,610

PERCENT ABOVE NATIONAL
INCOME AVERAGE

30.85%

TOTAL SECTOR EMPLOYMENT

15,220

Degree Median Salary vs Adjacent Degree Types

Source: BLS, US Census, and IPEDS

2024 Best Dance Programs

The Dance Division of Julliard offers an undergraduate 4-year Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree program. Under this program, dancers train in ballet, modern and contemporary techniques and also required to include liberal arts curriculum. Every year, the Dance Division accepts 24 students. In the event that you are denied admission, you may apply again. However, after two unsuccessful attempts, you are no longer eligible to apply.   

Acceptance Rate

6.88

Student to Faculty Ratio

5:1

Columbia University’s dance degree is flourishing through the Barnard College Department of Dance. Barnard offers an interdisciplinary program which caters to the students’ needs at all four undergraduate colleges of Columbia University which are Columbia Colleges and Barnard, the School of General Studies and the School of Engineering. It incorporates dance in liberal arts setting of creative and intellectual exploration. This is achieved through focusing on studio courses, New York Live Arts, the Department's productions at Miller Theater, as well as a rich array of dance studies courses.        

Acceptance Rate

5.45

Student to Faculty Ratio

6:1

With a holistic approach, the Duke University Dance Program focuses on dance as an interdisciplinary perspective such as historical, cultural, aesthetic, literary, technological, musical, scientific and creative. It encourages students to be extraordinarily aware, creative and socially responsible persons. In other words, the students are developed into their potential for dance with the objective of serving the needs of society. With this, the curriculum is designed to address the varied levels of interest and experience in dance of the students resulting in encouragement in the inter- and multi-disciplinary activities. This will be an opportunity for them to come across global dance traditions and movement experimentation for inquiry, discovery and discourse.   

Acceptance Rate

7.6

Student to Faculty Ratio

6:1

Dancing is approached as a performance art which promotes self-expression and as an interdisciplinary art which embraces the study of diverse culture. Under the dance degree program, students can select either Performance Studies or Movement Studies as their area of expertise. Performance Studies concentrates on advanced-level technique, composition, and repertory and on their senior year, create an original choreographic/performance work for their senior outputs. On the other hand, Movement Studies concentrates on the interdisciplinary study wherein one examines the role of the body in the context of dancing and also in other discipline such as neuroscience, religious studies, or psychology and as a senior year output, complete a written thesis with options of including or excluding a performance.   

Acceptance Rate

7.4

Student to Faculty Ratio

7:1

The top ranked dance degree at Swarthmore College welcomes all students with major or minor in dance and with or without prior formal training. In fact, you are not required to have prior dance experience to take one of the dance studies or techniques classes. This only proves that Swarthmore is a global place of creativity, discovery, intellectual and artistic inquiry. With this, majors and minors in dance can receive a special scholarship to study specific styles with the best choreographers and master teachers in Philadelphia or to develop as art activists through immersion in a local or international community.   

Acceptance Rate

8.93

Student to Faculty Ratio

8:1

Students who wish to take dance major don’t need to audition because admission is done through the regular Northwestern Undergraduate application process. Once admitted, during the Wildcat Welcome, a placement class is held to determine the appropriate technique level for students to take. You will then study choreography and composition in depth as you are challenged to research, write and analyze the field of dance. Concurrently, you will continue to develop your dance skills with performance opportunities and technique class. In addition, the foundation of the dance program is contemporary modern dance including the vibrant Jump Rhythm Jazz style, along with ballet and tap.      

Acceptance Rate

9.05

Student to Faculty Ratio

6:1

Dance, whether an undergraduate major or minor, is incorporated in the Department of Performing and Media Arts. As an undergraduate major, you need to take courses under Design, Creative Authorship, Embodied Performance and History/Theory/Criticism rubric areas. You will gain practical experience in running, building and managing film shoots, dance concerts and theatre productions through our production laboratories. Ultimately, the synergies between the study and practice of dance and movement, live theatre and media arts will benefit our majors. As an undergraduate minor, the requirements are flexible yet guarantee an understanding of the fundamental elements of dance by taking courses that explore choreography, dance as a historical and cultural behavior.

Acceptance Rate

10.85

Student to Faculty Ratio

9:1

The dance curriculum for both classroom and studio work, is created with the approach on dance as a global phenomenon and a form of expression hence, it must address and integrate the students’ culture and individual differences. It encourages all students in all class levels to identify movement as a vital element of one’s identity aside from developing their capacity to move and think creatively. For dance majors, they may give importance to modern dance or ballet training but both major and minor must study dance composition. With regards to admission, no more than 20 students are accepted for most dance courses and the program also offers a B.A. in dance and minor in dance. If you have significant dance training prior to admission, you may double-major in dance and some other field.

Acceptance Rate

13.85

Student to Faculty Ratio

7:1

Located in the world dance capital, the Barnard College Department of Dance forge partnerships with the cultural institutions in New York City hence, connecting students with the professional world. With this, technique courses are offered for students of all levels of expertise. In the event that other courses both majors and non-majors, may want to audition for its productions, the doors are open for them. Both major and minor in dance should be able to attain critical thinking, writing, and reading skills to dance-related texts and choreography among others.

Acceptance Rate

11.77

Student to Faculty Ratio

9:1

Being a member of The Claremont Colleges system, a seven-college consortium, Claremont McKenna College’s dance program is exhibited through The Claremont Colleges Theatre Program under the direction of the Pomona College Department of Theatre and Dance. The latter serves as the theatre program for Claremont McKenna College, presenting four major productions and a dance concert each year in the modern Seaver Theatre Complex. By means of the fusion of body, mind, and spirit, theatre and dance celebrate the community of world cultures. Students from all majors and non-majors serve as performers and production personnel and sometimes the department co-sponsors a student-generated production.

Acceptance Rate

10.3

Student to Faculty Ratio

8:1

Students who wish to pursue dance as their major, the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts to selected undergraduates. The selected undergraduates are housed in the state-of-the-art Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center. At the latter, they are presented with individual classes in technique, choreography, performance, production, theory and history. If you wish to take the minor in Dance, you get to receive exclusive ticket offers to performances, and access the professional development opportunities.

Acceptance Rate

11.42

Student to Faculty Ratio

9:1

Whether you want to major, joint major, minor or just merely taking courses in dance, these options are available through the Dance Program of the Department of Theatre and Dance. Middlebury offers a lot of opportunities for you. For entry-level dance course, no previous experience is required, and a lot of beginners discover a love for dance in this course. For advanced beginning dance, those with previous dance training may take this course. All in all, the approach is on contemporary dance or movement techniques, performance, composition and general dance studies.  

Acceptance Rate

15.36

Student to Faculty Ratio

8:1

The core of the curriculum of the Dance and Movement Studies Department is the creative process which will equally focus on performance and scholarship. In addition, it also considers dance’s creative, technical, historical and scientific elements. As to theory-based courses, human body will be explored from the physiological, anthropological, psychological and even philosophical point of view. Basically, dance courses covers a range of styles and disciplines.

Acceptance Rate

16.39

Student to Faculty Ratio

9:1

Under the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture, the Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance (WACD) offers a four-year undergraduate degree of B.A. in Dance. Throughout their studies, students enroll in a four-term sequence in dance composition, to participate in the creation of their own dances, work as dancers in the creation of new works by faculty members and visiting artists. Students of B.A. in Dance take courses in the study of scholarly discourse of the body and dance and how it is interpreted and communicated outwardly and interpersonally, locally and globally. Consequently, WACD created world-class scholars of the body-based arts; launched social activists, curators, documentarians, and cultural scholars; and trained the next generation of choreographic innovators.

Acceptance Rate

12.32

Student to Faculty Ratio

18:1

Within the setting of liberal arts education, a major and minor in dance integrating theory and practice is offered at the Department of Theatre and Dance. With this, students get to delve into the theory and cultural context of performance and dance. It also welcomes the students’ original choreographic work and provides a venue for performance at all levels of experience. This kind of approach will build a solid and versatile technique in dancing. If you are seeking a degree or selecting dance as an elective, you can still get these courses under the dance program.     

Acceptance Rate

12.14

Student to Faculty Ratio

10:1

The Bachelor of Arts Major in Dance and Performance Studies curriculum treats of equal importance the performance and choreography of contemporary dance and the study of theater and dance theory, culture, history, and literature. The training and academic courses are geared in the direction of the student who is interested in learning about dance from multiple perspectives. Whether you are taking a major or minor in Dance and Performance Studies, you will have the same opportunity to study with faculties known nationally and internationally for their scholarly research and creative work. In fact, a lot of graduates are now working in professional dance companies.  

Acceptance Rate

16.25

Student to Faculty Ratio

20:1

The University of Michigan, under its School of Music, Theatre and Dance, offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a Minor in Dance. The curriculum lay emphasis on technique, performance, and composition, and dancers are developed to engage in the transformative experiences of dancing and dance making. This is the place to be for students seeking for a career in terms of choreography and performance. To top it off, through the school’s EXCEL program (Excellence in Entrepreneurship Career Empowerment & Leadership), students receive exceptional entrepreneurial and career planning support.

Acceptance Rate

22.91

Student to Faculty Ratio

11:1

With a global perspective, the Weslyan University Dance Department offers a contemporary program with its core is the creative act of its students. It will expand the knowledge and expression of human experience and at the same time believing in the intellectual and creative potential of each student. As a Major, the dance program take up various classical forms from Ghanaian, Javanese, Bharata Natyam, ballet and vernacular forms of hip hop, jazz and Eastern European social dances to practices that bring together tradition and experimentation into contemporary forms. Within that training, students engage in a range of approaches to practicing, making, and analyzing dance.

Acceptance Rate

16.48

Student to Faculty Ratio

8:1

Students who major or minor in dance, are given opportunities to participate in the three basic areas of technique, choreography and analysis, and performance. The main objective is to understand that the art of dance is a contribution to the liberal arts education, and to link practice and theory by embodied learning. Specifically, to include the development of a trained and articulate body and somatic research. Ultimately, the recognition of Dance Studies as a mode to understand current issues and arts from a global perspective.

Acceptance Rate

19.13

Student to Faculty Ratio

9:1

The Emory Dance Program offers a top ranked Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance and Movement Studies. Based on the primary tenets of modern dance, the program puts emphasis on performance and choreography. The tenets value innovation, individualism, and interdisciplinary approaches to the arts. It encompasses total examination of the self— kinesthetic, emotional and intellectual.  To learn more about the dance program at Emory University, reach out to the admissions team today and request information from the school. 

Acceptance Rate

15.6

Student to Faculty Ratio

9:1

Performance Art can mean many things across various university Theatre and Dance Departments.  At Tulane University, the undergraduate degree in dance is a highly competitive, sought after program.  At the start, fundamental practical skills are learned including design, acting and techniques on movement for preparation of advanced seminars which combine theatre and dance. In the classroom setting, classics of dramatic literature and dance history are introduced with lectures from internationally renowned artists. Regular opportunities for academic travel are also available for students to experience off-campus performances.       

Acceptance Rate

12.87

Student to Faculty Ratio

8:1

University of Richmond offers qualified students an exceptional theatre and dance major.  In addition to the dance major, UR offers a dance minor in addition to dance courses for interested students. The program approaches dance as an interdisciplinary art form that takes in elements of music, design, theatre and the visual arts in a variety of cultural contexts. Whether you want to study dance as another form of liberal art or to aspire as a professional dancer, all the needed instruction is available. When it comes to ballet, composition, modern and repertory, solid foundation is needed to build strong technique and artistic expression.    

Acceptance Rate

28.33

Student to Faculty Ratio

8:1

Scripps College offers students access to a major in dance under the College of Arts and Sciences.  Registered students are expected to commit to experimentation and creation of original work in this highly regarded program. There will be a lot of venues and opportunities for student, faculty and visiting artist performances. During the fall and spring semester, students present Fall Forward and Spring Back. These will showcase the students’ choreography in hip-hop to ballet to contemporary and jazz styles.

Acceptance Rate

32

Student to Faculty Ratio

10:1

The Kenyon College Department of Dance, Drama and Film has produced performers and dancers on the stages of the Bolton and Hill theaters and on the floor of the Shaffer Dance Studio, respectively. Dance students learn the historical roots of performance through a thought-provoking and rewarding course of study. All courses involve reading and critical writing and for all majors, the Senior Capstone involves a project wherein there are written examination and oral discussion of the project. This formula has launched several generations of students into successful careers, with stars of stage and screen, founders of dance companies, counted among the ranks of the program’s alumni.

Acceptance Rate

34.09

Student to Faculty Ratio

10:1

New York University (NYU) is a highly regarded university located in New York city that is known for academics such as engineering, science, and mathematics. A highly popular but less known program at NYU is the introduction to modern dance.  Students can elect dance within the Department of Music and Performing Arts at NYU.  Students that graduate from this top-tier program at NYU are postured for a variety of careers in the field of performing arts.  Specifically, the dance education certification can set up students to work in K-12 programs through ABT ballet careers. 

Acceptance Rate

16.2

Student to Faculty Ratio

9:1

What is Involved in Dance Classes?

A college degree in dance will look different from school to school but there are similarities across programs that can help you understand what is involved in earning a dance degree and the accreditation MSCHE acceptance rate. A common set of expectations from dance program to dance program include:

  1. Investing time in class to learn dance techniques, composition, production, rhythmic analysis, history, choreography, and dance theories
  2. Helping to organize and produce dance performances including stage set-up, music, lighting, and costumes
  3. Spending time in the studio dancing and rehearsing
  4. Training your body and mind to adapt to different dance techniques
  5. Devoting time to learn about nutrition & injury prevention
  6. Developing a healthy self-image on and off stage

What Can I Do with a Dance Degree?

College dance degree programs are often associated with the creative, physical expression of dance; however, students will spend substantive time learning much more than just how to dance. Dance majors will take classes to study the history of dance, theories of dancing, and the science of dance. By investing in more than studio time dancing, students will be prepared to extend their passion from dance to choreography, dance therapy, dance notation, administration, kinesiology, ethnochoreology, exercise physiology, and dance education. Dance students working towards a degree will likely earn a BA (Bachelor of Arts) or BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) at the completion of the program.

Popular Types of Dance Class Forms

There are dozens and dozens of different types, genres, and styles of dance. As a dance aficionado, you will recognize most of the styles on the list but understand that each style or type will have variations based on interpretation and regional flair. The list below is intended to be a primer of dance genres and associated dance classes in school. It is important to note this is not intended to be an exhaustive list of dance schools course offerings for prospective college dance students but a primer in dance.

Ballet Acro

Hip-hop Lyrical

Country / Line Swing

Postmodern Concert

Ballroom Flamenco

Improv Dance-off

Traditional Jazz Freestyle

Pointe Classical

Highland Street

Tap Folk

Disco Pogo

Modern Salsa

Ethnic (Irish, Latin, Indian, Greek, Native American, African, etc.)

Dancers Education & Dance School Cost

Individuals typically begin an education in dance at an early age that continues into post-secondary study, including bachelor and master level degrees, often as a fine art degree. Individuals will study a variety of classes related to the field, including styles, choreography, traditions, history and more. Some individuals may choose a secondary area of study to allow for employment after one’s dance career may have ended.

A curriculum may include:

  • Exercise and Flexibility
  • Stretches and Warm Ups
  • Types of Dance Classes
  • History of Dancing
  • Choreography Classes

Schools for dance are available throughout the country.  That being said, though some dance classes have a higher amount of prestige than others due to particular instructors or connections to dance programs and opportunities outside of the school. Individuals should consider what kind of career they wish to pursue, including the type or types of dances that they intend to study, and find the school that has the best program for that chosen field.  Dance school cost will vary by school and classes taken from the university.  Get your arms around the overall cost by reaching out to the admissions team at the school.

Dance School Resources

The National Dance Association is an organization dedicated to the advancement of dance education in the United States, as well as advocating the healthier aspects of dance for individuals of all ages.  NDA can help you get started at a variety of universities or studios by setting up an account building a solid profile.  You may elect to take a trial class or jump directly in dance classes depending on your motivation, timing, and resources.  Classes may begin at the beginning of a traditional school year or on a rolling basis.  Check with each school to ensure you understand the class schedule and curricular expectations.

Careers to Become a Dancer

Growth in the field of dance is expected to remain steady over the next decade, with most positions coming from replacement and retiring of older dancers. Current trends in dance companies have resulted in reduced growth in that field, though the increase in dance opportunities outside of such companies has increased resulting in the creation of new opportunities. Older or more experienced dancers may choose to enter the field of choreography as well, where experience as a dancer can prove particularly useful.

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