Purpose

The B.F.A. Major in Dance trains exceptional students who seek a professional career in dance within the context of an outstanding liberal arts education offered by Indiana University. Admission to the B.F.A. program is by audition, typically prior to the beginning of the freshman year. The major includes dance technique, repertory, improvisation, composition, pedagogy, history, music, production, movement analysis, injury prevention, and Pilates certification. In addition, students take a strong academic core, completing requirements in arts and humanities. The dance major is a program rich in artistic integrity and disciplined dance training, but also provides a strong academic and theoretical core which is essential to producing wholly integrated artists and successful dance professionals. An audition is required for acceptance into the dance major offered by the Department of Theatre, Drama, and Contemporary Dance. All majors are performing members of the Indiana University Contemporary Dance Theatre, and perform in the faculty/guest artist concert as well as dance in student works. Seniors produce a concert each fall. Students can find other performing opportunities with the opera, musical theatre program, the African American Dance Company, and Bloomington's local modern dance company, Windfall Dancers. Dance majors also have opportunities to perform nationally and internationally at various festivals and conferences.

Requirements

Credit Hour and Residency Requirements, students must complete the following requirements:

1. Theoretical Foundations. Complete requirements a–e below:
   1. THTR-D 231 Introduction to Dance Studies
   2. THTR-D 332 Twentieth-Century Concert Dance
   3. ANAT-A 215 Basic Human Anatomy
   4. Choose one course from the following:
      • THTR-T 120 Acting I: Fundamentals of Acting
      • MUS-Z 111 Introduction to Music Theory
   5. Choose one course from the following:
      • AAAD-A 320 Black Dance History
      • ANTH-E 460 The Arts in Anthropology
      • ANTH-E 463 Anthropology of Dance
      • ANTH-E 464 Body, Power, and Performance
2. Contemporary Practices. Complete all of the following eight (8) courses:
   • THTR-D 108 Dance Practices I
   • THTR-D 112 Dance Practices II
   • THTR-D 211 Dance Practices III
   • THTR-D 212 Dance Practices IV
   • THTR-D 311 Dance Practices V
   • THTR-D 312 Dance Practices VI
   • THTR-D 411 Dance Practices VII
   • THTR-D 412 Dance Practices VIII
3. Supporting Technique. Complete 21 credit hours selected from the following courses:
   • THTR-D 302 A Somatic Approach to Contemporary Ballet Practices (repeatable)
   • THTR-D 341 Cultural Choreographies (repeatable)
   • THTR-T 301 Musical Theatre Dance Styles I
   • THTR-T 302 Musical Theatre Dance Styles II
   • THTR-T 311 Introduction to Movement for the Theatre
   • THTR-T 410 Movement for the Theatre I
4. Dance Theory and Dance Making. Complete all of the following courses:
   • THTR-D 121 Improvisation for Contemporary Dance I
   • THTR-D 161 Improvisation for Contemporary Dance II
   • THTR-D 301 Contemporary Dance Workshop (*complete 3 times for a total of 3 credit hours)
   • THTR-D 221 Approaches to Dance-Making I
   • THTR-D 222 Approaches to Dance-Making II
   • THTR-D 361 Indiana University Contemporary Dance Theatre (*complete 4 times for a total of 4 credit hours)
   • THTR-D 351 Dance Pedagogy
   • THTR-D 421 Choreographic Performance Project
   • THTR-D 441 Dance Production I
   • THTR-D 461 Methods of Movement Analysis
   • THTR-D 462 Senior Dance Summary
5. Professional Studies. Complete one course from the following:
   • SPH-A 387 Management of Dance Injuries
   • THTR-D 480 Advanced Choreographic Investigations
   • THTR-D 483 Topics in Dance
   • THTR-D 484 Professional Body Work Certification (complete 3 credit hours for Pilates; 4 credit hours for yoga)
   • THTR-X 476 Practicum in Community Dance Partnerships