The certificate in Dance provides a general, core curriculum in dance for students pursuing other majors and fields. This 19-credit program is designed to give students a solid foundation in contemporary dance practice and theory. Students take a variety of movement, somatic, and creative practice courses such as hip-hop, contemporary dance, ballet, movement analysis, improvisation, dance composition, as well as dance history.

Undergraduate students in good academic standing, with a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher, may declare this certificate.

Students must meet with the dance certificate advisor to discuss their intention to pursue the certificate. Students will enroll in two semesters of dance technique and apply for admission to the Dance Certificate at the end of the second semester. Students intending to pursue the Dance Certificate should visit the School of Education's Certificate Programs page to complete the declaration form.

Course Requirements

The Dance Certificate requires the following course distribution for a minimum of 19 credits.

Contemporary Dance Technique and Theory

Select 6 credits from the following:

DANCE 111 Contemporary Dance Technique and Theory I1-3
DANCE 112 Contemporary Dance Technique and Theory II1-3
DANCE 211 Contemporary Dance Technique and Theory III1-3
DANCE 212 Contemporary Dance Technique and Theory IV1-3
DANCE 311 Contemporary Dance Technique and Theory V1-3
DANCE 312 Contemporary Dance Technique and Theory VI1-3

Ballet Technique

Select 2 credits from the following:

DANCE 125 Ballet Technique I1-2
DANCE 126 Ballet Technique I-B1-2
DANCE 225 Ballet Technique II1-2
DANCE 226 Ballet Technique II-B1-2
DANCE 325 Ballet Technique III1-2
DANCE 326 Ballet Technique III-B1-2

Additional Techniques

Select 2 credits from the following. Students may also select from Additional Techniques workshops listed under DANCE 110 Workshop in Dance Activity or DANCE 560 Current Topics in Dance: Workshop .

DANCE 110 Workshop in Dance Activity (Hip Hop)1-2
DANCE 110 Workshop in Dance Activity (Tai Ji)1-2
DANCE 116 Workshop in World Dance2
DANCE 118 African Dance1
DANCE/​ASIAN AM  121 Asian American Movement3
DANCE/​THEATRE  218 African Dance Performance2
DANCE/​AFROAMER/​MUSIC  318 Cultural Cross Currents: West African Dance/Music in the Americas3
DANCE/​FOLKLORE/​THEATRE  321 Javanese Performance2
DANCE/​FOLKLORE/​THEATRE  421 Javanese Performance Repertory2

Additional Required Courses

DANCE 131 Somatic Theory and Practices2
or DANCE 157 Introduction to Movement Analysis
DANCE 156 Movement as Material Through Improvisation2
DANCE 255 Movement Composition for the Performing and Visual Arts2
DANCE 265 Dance History I: Western Theatrical Dance from the Renaissance through the 1920s3
or DANCE 365 Dance History II: Directions and Issues of Contemporary Dance

Certificate COMPLETION REQUIREMENT

This undergraduate certificate must be completed concurrently with the student’s undergraduate degree. Students cannot delay degree completion to complete the certificate.

  1. Demonstrate technical specificity, musicality and artistic confidence in ballet and contemporary dance techniques through sequenced skill level progressions.
  2. Recognize, identify and embody a wide range of somatic theories and practices and produce work investigating its impacts and uses in contemporary dance as practice.
  3. Demonstrate an intermediate level of contemporary dance literacy and artistry.
  4. Develop and practice vocabulary and methodology for analyzing and discussing dance in performance and historical contexts and begin to respond critically and thoughtfully to dance scholarship.

Information about faculty, staff, and other contributors to the Department of Dance can be found on the department's website.