Undergraduate Academic Programs

Degree Programs

Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology (BSK), Dance Major

Description of Program

The Department of Kinesiology offers a Bachelor of Science in Dance. The major consists of 70 credits, and the curriculum includes dance technique, repertory, improvisation, composition, pedagogy, history, music, production, movement analysis, injury prevention, and Pilates certification. In addition, students take a strong science core, and complete requirements in arts and humanities. Modern dance and ballet are requirements in the dance major curriculum, and students can also elect to study jazz, musical theatre, tap, dances of the African Diaspora, hip-hop, and social dance. Students have technique classes and repertory rehearsals daily, as well as work in improvisation, composition, and choreography several days a week. The dance major is a program rich in artistic integrity and disciplined dance training, and also provides a strong academic and theoretical core that is essential to producing wholly integrated artists and successful dance professionals. An audition is required for acceptance into the Bachelor of Science in Dance offered by the Department of Kinesiology.

Admission

Admission to Indiana University

Apply online for undergraduate admission to Indiana University at http://admit.indiana.edu/.

International transfer applicants to the School of HPER, whose primary language is not English must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A minimum TOEFL score of 550 on the paper- based test, or 213 on the computer-based test, or a 79 on the Internet-based test, is required for direct admission to the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation. For students from countries where the TOEFL is not available, other evidence of English proficiency may be considered. All entering international students whose primary language is not English will be required to take the Indiana University English language examination before registering for course work. Appropriate remedial English courses may be prescribed on the basis of test results.

All entering international students whose primary language is not English will be required to take a special examination in English with IU prior to registering.  Prepared by IU and designed to test a student’s ability to use English in an academic setting, the exam consists of three parts: an essay on a general topic, a listening comprehension exercise, and a grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension section.  There is little that one can do to prepare for this exam other than to continue using written and spoken English at every opportunity. 

International students whose primary language is not English must agree to take any English language courses prescribed from the results of this examination. Fees for special part-time English courses are the same as for other courses; however, credits earned do not meet degree requirements.  If the results of the proficiency examination indicate that full-time work in English is required, the student will be assigned to the Intensive English Program (IEP). 

Students enrolled in IEP do not take academic courses until they achieve adequate English proficiency.  If a student has serious doubts about English ability and is not financially prepared to undertake the additional time and expense of an intensive English program here, the student should consider completing English study in the student’s home country.  In addition, the student may consider delaying admission to a future session.

Admission to the Dance Program

An application and audition are required for admission to the Department of Kinesiology's major in dance at Indiana University. Applicants may visit www.indiana.edu/~kines/undergraduate/dance_audition.shtml for information about the program and to complete and submit an online application. A paper application packet may be obtained from the Department of Kinesiology. Please contact:


Mildred Perkins, Undergraduate Secretary
School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation 112
1025 E. Seventh Street Bloomington, IN 47405
Phone: (812) 855-6172
Fax: (812) 855-3193
mlperkin [at] indiana [dot] edu

Please submit paper application materials to the above address. All application materials for the dance major must be received at least two weeks prior to the audition date. Applicants who meet this requirement will receive a confirmation letter prior to the audition. This letter must be presented at the time of the audition.

Please report to Room 161 in the HPER Building at 9:00 a.m. on the date of the audition. A campus map will accompany your confirmation letter. Auditionees will have the opportunity to observe a modern dance technique class from 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. The audition will begin promptly at 11:30 a.m. with a two-hour technique class. The class will consist of a ballet barre and several modern dance combinations. Box lunches will be served from 1:30-2:15 p.m. Students should then be prepared to show a 1.5 minute solo in the modern dance genre. Solos may be choreographed by the performer, or by another dance professional. Following the audition the auditionees may elect to view repertory rehearsals from 3:30-6:30, at which time there will be a question and answer session for students and their parents. Letters indicating audition results will be sent approximately two weeks following the audition.

Please note: All students must officially apply and be accepted to Indiana University Bloomington before being admitted to the Department of Kinesiology dance major. Students may audition for the major prior to official admission to IU. Additionally, in adherence to university policy, students who pass the audition process and are admitted to Indiana University Bloomington must successfully complete 26 credit hours and have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 in order to be officially accepted into the dance major.

Questions concerning the dance major and audition dates may be directed to:
Elizabeth Shea
Coordinator, IU Contemporary Dance Program
School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation
Indiana University
HPER 112
1025 E. Seventh Street
Bloomington, IN 47405
Phone: (812) 855-7020
Fax: (812) 855-3193
Email: eshea [at] indiana [dot] edu

Degree Requirements

The four-year dance curriculum combines a rigorous general-education component with technical training and professional experience. Students admitted to this program are selected from a pool of applicants. Application includes an audition. Graduation requirements include:

  • completion of general education requirements.
  • completion of dance major requirements.
  • a minimum of 124 successfully completed credit hours which count toward the degree program.
  • a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA.
  • a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA in a combination of ANAT-A 215 and courses with the following department code-prefixes: HPER-A, HPER-D, HPER-K, and HPER-P. 
  • No Pass/Fail except for free electives.
General Education (20 – 39 credits)

All undergraduate students who matriculate as degree-seeking students at IU Bloomington in or after the summer term of 2011 must complete the IU Bloomington campus-wide general education common ground requirements. Such students must visit the 2011-2012 General Education Bulletin to view these requirements.

Undergraduate students who matriculate as degree-seeking students on the IU Bloomington campus in the summer or fall terms of 2010, or the spring term of 2011, must complete the School of HPER general education requirements which are described below. Unlike the 2011-2112 Bloomington campus-wide general education requirements, the 2010 School of HPER general education requirements do not include a residency requirement, nor do they restrict the use of extended-term, independent study or correspondence courses.

2010 School of HPER General Education Requirements

English Composition (0 to 3 credits required, C- minimum required in the course used to satisfy this requirement)
Complete one of the following options:

  • CMCL-C 110 Writing the World (3 cr.)
  • ENG-W 131 Elementary Composition 1 (3 cr.)
  • ENG-W 170 Introduction to Argumentative Writing: Projects in Reading and Writing (3 cr. - this topic only)
  • ENG-W 131 EX Elementary Composition by Examination (0 cr.)

Mathematical Modeling (3 to 4 credits required)
Complete one of the following options:

  • MATH-A 118 Finite Mathematics for the Social and Biological Sciences (3 cr.)
  • MATH-D 116 AND MATH-D 117 Introduction to Finite Mathematics I-II (4 cr.)
  • MATH-M 118 Finite Mathematics (3 cr.)
  • MATH-S 118 Honors Finite Mathematics (3 cr.)
  • MATH-V 118 Finite Mathematics with Applications: Finite Mathematics for the Social and Biological Sciences (3 cr.)
  • MATH-V 118 Finite Mathematics with Applications: Finite and Consumer Mathematics (3 cr.)
  • MATH-J 113 Introduction to Calculus with Applications (3 cr.)
  • MATH-M 119 Brief Survey of Calculus 1 (3 cr.)
  • MATH-M 211 Calculus I (4 cr.)
  • MATH-M 213 Accelerated Calculus (4 cr.)

Note: The course(s) used to satisfy the mathematical modeling requirement may NOT also be applied to the natural and mathematical sciences requirement.

Natural and Mathematical Sciences (5 to 6 cr.)

Complete either six credits of acceptable natural and mathematical sciences (N&M) courses, or a single, approved, five-credit N&M course with a substantial laboratory component. The course used to satisfy the mathematical modeling requirement may NOT also be used to fulfill this requirement. Visit the list of acceptable natural and mathematical sciences (N&M) courses for choices and more information.

Arts and Humanities (6 credits required)     
Complete six credits of acceptable arts and humanities (A&H) courses.

Social and Historical Studies (6 credits required.)
Complete six credits of acceptable social and historical studies (S&H) courses.

World Languages and Cultures (0 to 14 cr., most commonly 6 credits)
There are three options for completion of the world languages and cultures requirement.

Major (84-86 cr.)

Kinesiology Core Courses (61 cr.)
Complete the following Courses:

  • HPER-D 100 A Somatic Approach to Ballet Practices (2 cr.)
  • HPER-D 100 A Somatic Approach to Ballet Practices (2 cr.)
  • HPER-D 100 A Somatic Approach to Ballet Practices (2 cr.)
  • HPER-D 100 A Somatic Approach to Ballet Practices (2 cr.)
  • HPER-D 100 A Somatic Approach to Ballet Practices (2 cr.)
  • HPER-D 100 A Somatic Approach to Ballet Practices (2 cr.)
  • HPER-D 102 Body Conditioning for Dancers (1 cr.)
  • HPER-D 111 Core of Dance Techniques I (3 cr.)
  • HPER-D 112 Core of Dance Techniques II (3 cr.)
  • HPER-D 121 Techniques of Movement Improvisation (1 cr.)
  • HPER-D 161 Foundations of Modern Dance (2 cr.) (P: D 121)
  • HPER-D 200 Dance in Elementary Education (1 cr.) or HPER-D 351 Teaching of Modern Dance (1 cr.) (P: D 211)
  • HPER-D 201 Modern Dance Workshop I (1 cr.)
  • HPER-D 201 Modern Dance Workshop I (1 cr.)
  • HPER-D 201 Modern Dance Workshop I (1 cr.)
  • HPER-D 211 Advanced Modern Dance Technique I (3 cr.) (P: D 112)
  • HPER-D 212 Advanced Modern Dance Technique II (3 cr.) (P: D 211)
  • HPER-D 221 Dance Composition I (2 cr.) (P: D121)
  • HPER-D 222 Dance Composition II (2 cr.) (P: D221)
  • HPER-D 261 Indiana University Dance Theatre (1 cr.)
  • HPER-D 261 Indiana University Dance Theatre (1 cr.)
  • HPER-D 261 Indiana University Dance Theatre (1 cr.)
  • HPER-D 311 Theory and Practice of Dance Technique (3 cr.) (P: D 212)
  • HPER-D 312 Theory and Practice of Dance Technique II (3 cr.) (P: D 311)
  • HPER-D 332 Twentieth Century Concert Dance (3 cr.)
  • HPER-D 353 Musical Resources for Dance (2 cr.)
  • HPER-D 411 Senior Seminar in Modern Dance Technique I (2 cr.)
  • HEPR-D 412 Senior Seminar in Modern Dance Technique II (2 cr.)
  • HPER-D 421 Choreographic Performance Project (2 cr.) (P: D 222)
  • HPER-D 441 Dance Production I (2 cr.)
  • HPER-D 461 Methods of Movement Analysis (1 cr.)
  • HPER-D 462 Dance Summary (2 cr.) (senior dance majors only)
Additional Required Courses (23-25 cr.)
Complete the following courses:
  • HPER-A 387 Management of Dance Injuries (3 cr.)
  • HPER-P 205 Structural Kinesiology (3 cr.) or ANAT-A 215 Basic Human Anatomy (5 cr.) +(N&M)
  • HPER-P 409 Introduction to Exercise Physiology (3 cr.) (P: P 205 or ANAT-A 215 and PHSL-P 215)
  • HPER-P 452 Motor Learning (3 cr.)
  • PHSL-P 215 Basic Human Physiology (5 cr.) +(N&M)

Select 6 additional credit hours from the following courses:

  • AAAD-A 100 African American Dance Company (2 cr.) (repeatable) or AAAD-A 221 Dance in the African Diaspora (3 cr.) or dance advisor approved AAAD Topics Course
  • HPER-P 224 Teaching of Dance Activities (2 cr.)
  • HPER-D 100 A Somatic Approach to Ballet Practices (2 cr.)
  • HPER-D 200 Dance in Elementary Education (1 cr.) or HPER-D 351 Teaching of Modern Dance (1 cr.) (P: D 211)
  • HPER-D 201 Modern Dance Workshop I (1 cr.)
  • HPER-D 261 Indiana University Dance Theatre (1 cr.)
  • HPER-D 331 Dance: Expression and Art Form (3 cr.)
  • HPER-E Elective Dance (1-6 cr.) (Must have a GPA grade; see dance advisor for options)
  • HPER-P 445 Special Topics in Kinesiology (3 cr.) (may be repeated)
  • HPER-P 495 Laboratory Teaching in the Physical Education Program (1 cr.) (P: D 200 or D 351)
  • MUS-J 100 Ballet Elective /Secondary (2 cr.) (may be repeated)
  • THTR-T_ Any dance advisor-approved theatre class(es)

+ Courses followed by a N&M notation apply toward completion of both the major requirement and the general education, natural and mathematic sciences requirement.



Suggested Courses for the First-Year Dance Student
Fall Semester (17 cr.)
HPER-D 102  Body Conditioning for Dancers (1 cr.)
HPER-D111  Core of Dance Technique I (3 cr.)
HPER-D121  Techniques of Movement Improvisation (1 cr.)
HPER-D261  Indiana University Dance Theater (1 cr.)
HPER-D100   A Somatic Approach to Contemporary Ballet Practices (2 cr.)
ENG-W131  English Composition or ENG W170 Argumentative Writing (3 cr.)
Arts and Humanities (3 cr.)
Mathematical Modeling (3 cr.)

Spring Semester (17 cr.)
HPER-D112  Core of Dance Technique II (3 cr.)
HPER-D161  Foundations of Modern Dance (2 cr.)
HPER-D201  Modern Dance Workshop (1 cr.)
HPER-D100   A Somatic Approach to Contemporary Ballet Practices (2 cr.)
CMCL-C121 Public Speaking (3 cr.)
HPER-P205 Structural Kinesiology or ANAT A215 Human Anatomy (N&M) (3-5 cr.)
Dance Elective(s) (1-3 cr.)

Special Opportunities

All dance majors are performing members of the Indiana University Dance Theatre, and perform in faculty/guest artist concerts as well as 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. Additionally, students are encouraged to pursue special areas of interest, such as dance in technology and dance scholarship and creative activity (through the Hutton Honors College).

Careers

The Department of Kinesiology also offers several minors which nicely compliment the dance major, such as Fitness Instruction and Sports Marketing and Management.  Other areas of professional preparation include pre-dance therapy, pre-physical therapy, and Pilates certification. Minors or certifications in Business and Arts Administration (SPEA), or the Liberal Arts Management program may also be of interest. Graduates of the dance major are working in many diverse venues as performers, teachers, choreographers, company managers, art administrators, artistic directors, university professors, and dance educators within public school systems.

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