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Archived
November 25, 2014

 

Dance

 

College of Liberal & Creative Arts

Interim Dean: Daniel Bernardi

 

School of the Arts
Music and Dance

CA 141
Phone: 415-338-1431
Web Site: musicdance.sfsu.edu

Chair: Dee Spencer
Dance Coordinator: Yutian Wong
Undergraduate Advisors: Performance/Choreography: Tadio, Whipp, Wong

 

Faculty

Professor: Whipp
Associate Professor: Tadio
Assistant Professor: Wong
Lecturers: Diamond, McCarthy

 

Programs:

B.A. in Dance

Minor in Dance

Minor in World Music and Dance

Subject Matter Program in Physical Education-Concentration in Dance
(coordinated with Department of Kinesiology)

 

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Program Scope

The focus of the dance program in the School of Music and Dance is to study dance as an art form. The Bachelor of Arts in Dance provides professional preparation in dance and an opportunity to study dance performance, choreography, teaching, and dance theory. The goal of the program is to help students develop strong foundational skills and knowledge necessary for a variety of professional careers. SF State dancers have established their own companies, performed with professional companies, developed careers in K-12 education or supplemented their education for work in private dance or Pilates studios. Graduates have also successfully completed graduate dance studies at major institutions. Students with a major other than dance should investigate both the Minor in Dance and the Minor in World Music and Dance.

 

The B.A. is organized into three components: Core, Dance Technique, and Emphasis Electives. Majors must complete a 17-unit core covering basic studies, the body as instrument, and aesthetics and history. Choices are available in the core to gear the student toward their chosen emphasis.

 

Technique electives offer the student a variety of styles and can be repeated for credit to optimize conditioning and development of expression. A minimum of 12 units of technique classes must be chosen, with 9 units selected from numbers above 200. The faculty recognize that most major students surpass the minimum technique credit level. Students must audition for placement into technique level and can progress to the next level with the consent of the instructor. Students in choreography and performance commonly study two technique areas each semester or study dance conditioning or Pilates in conjunction with technique.

 

Individualized emphasis electives should be chosen according to career goals in consultation with an advisor. These courses have been chosen and optimally organized for students who wish to pursue dance performance and choreography. Upper division technique courses may be repeated in the emphasis of performance/choreography or musical theatre up to a maximum of 6 units. Three units may be elected from another area of the university with consent of the major advisor. Students should consider the following as culminating experiences in the major: DANC 461 Advanced Choreography and Production or DANC 399 University Dance Theatre.

 

Dance Program Concerts

The dance program produces three concerts annually: The New Moves Student Choreography Showcase, Village Dancers Children's Concert, and the University Dance Theatre.

• The New Moves Choreography Showcase debuts the work of advanced choreography students. The performance emphasizes the creative process of students experimenting with contemporary choreography and movement exploration. Many lower division majors and minors audition the first week of the fall term to perform in this show.
• The Village Dancers Children's Concert is created by students pursuing dance education. This concert features student choreography performed by children involved in SF State’s after-school dance programs.
• The University Dance Theatre is a year-long repertory course for the advanced and versatile dancers. UDT is considered to be the pre- professional performance training company. Acceptance in the company is by audition-only. UDT work with faculty and guest choreographers to learn repertory during the fall semester. The company performs on tour throughout the academic year culminating in the mainstage production in McKenna Theatre and at the American College Dance Festival.

 

Facilities

Dance facilities are presently located in three different buildings on campus. The two primary dance-teaching spaces are GYM 146 and Fine Arts 203. Adjacent to the large gym studio is a rehearsal room GYM 123. Locker rooms are available adjacent to the Fine Arts studio or in the gymnasium. Both lockers rooms require a small usage fee. Dance concerts are primarily held in McKenna Theatre, a 700-seat house in the Creative Arts Building. Informal performances are presented in Knuth Hall and in FA 203.

 

Career Outlook

Career options for dance majors are very diverse. Majors graduating from this program move into a variety of dance-related areas including: performance; choreography; musical theatre work; and teaching in public schools, private studios, and community centers. Other dance-related careers include the completion of certification programs in Pilates/dance conditioning and other somatic practices. SF State’s graduates have also been accepted into graduate schools for MFA and doctoral work. Individuals also apply their knowledge and skills gained from the study of dance to careers in arts administration and other related work in non-profit organizations.

 

The San Francisco Bay Area has a very active and vibrant dance, music, and theatre community with many performance ensembles, training centers, concerts, and arts service organizations. There are many ways for graduates to become involved in this larger dance and arts community.

 

Teaching opportunities are available throughout the region in private and public schools, private studios, and recreation centers. The State of California requires a teaching credential for employment in the public schools and views dance as a subject area in the field of physical education. To earn a credential, students must follow the subject matter program in physical education with a concentration in dance, a program developed from the B.A. in Dance and from courses in kinesiology. Consult a dance advisor and the SF State Bulletin Index for credential information.

 

Complementary Studies

Bachelor of Arts students must complete at least twelve units of complementary studies outside of the primary prefix for the major. (Note: Students may not use an alternate prefix that is cross-listed with the primary prefix for the major.)

 

Students who complete two majors or a major and a minor automatically complete the complementary studies requirement. Additional ways to complete complementary studies for students in the Dance major can, with the approval of a Dance Program advisor, satisfy Complementary Studies in the major with 12 units in a single foreign language of their choosing, 12 units from courses taken in a study abroad program, 12 units of courses taken as partial completion of a second major, minor or certificate, or 12 units of courses in related disciplines.

 

Related disciplines typically include theater, music, cinema, broadcast and electronic communications, creative writing, journalism, kinesiology, physical education, health education, holistic health, biology, elementary education, English, history, anthropology, business, and journalism. The dance program allows up to 12 units of dance-related disciplines to count toward the dance major.

 

Bachelor of Arts in Dance

The Bachelor of Arts in Dance is designed to provide training in dance with an opportunity to emphasize dance performance, choreography, or teaching. The major is organized around a 20-unit core, a minimum of 12 technique units, and 13 units of emphasis electives. Emphasis area courses in dance, music, and other related fields should be chosen according to career goals in consultation with an advisor. New majors and minors must take the placement audition on the advising day at the beginning of each semester and/or designated days during each semester. It is mandatory that students consult with their advisor on a semester basis and maintain a grade point average of 2.0.

 

Dance (B.A.) — Minimum 45 units

Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated.

* Students in the Performance/Choreography Emphasis will typically select from DANC 304, DANC 350, and DANC 430. Students in the Musical Theatre Emphasis will typically select from MUS 612, TH A 300, and TH A 403. Students in World Cultures will typically select DANC 350 and MUS 612.

 

Minor in Dance

The dance minor consists of a core curriculum of three courses (7 units) plus 17 units taken from a list of electives on advisement. A total of 12 units in the minor must be upper division. Students seeking the minor in dance must take the placement audition for the study of technique and pass into the next higher level of technique with permission of the instructor. Other dance courses not on this list may be used as electives. Students should take special care to follow prerequisites for upper division courses: DANC 304, 340, 434, and 461. For specific dates and times of the placement audition, please contact the School of Music and Dance at 415-338-1431 or musicdance.sfsu.edu.

 

Dance, Minor — 24 units

Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated.

 

Minor in World Music and Dance

Consult Minor in World Music and Dance for information on World Music and Dance.