Dance

We teach and inspire our dance students by sharing rigorous scholarship, unique studio process, and transformative live performances. Our primary focus in the classroom, in rehearsal, and in live performance is to give student artists opportunities and support to grow and succeed.

Our students engage in studio and theory classes, create, produce, and perform in fully staged
dance works, and gain the skills necessary for a diverse range of career opportunities.

As a dancer at Converse, you will have the opportunity to perform in the Dance Converse ensemble, showcasing the talents of our student dancers and choreographers.

Every year, Dance Converse explores a new theme tied to the School of the Arts’ artistic theme for the year.

Dance courses may be taken as electives by anyone interested in dance, or you may choose to minor in dance.

In introductory technique courses, you’ll improve your technique in specific genres, enhance your visual skills, spatial awareness, rhythm, and creativity. In intermediate courses, you will continue to build on these skills, and begin to focus on techniques necessary for the particular genre being studied. In advanced level courses, you’ll gain a deeper understanding and exploration of a genre. You’ll also gain experience through improvisation, compositional studies and different styles within the genre.

Sample Courses

• Alexander Technique
• Composition
• Ballet
• Tap
• Jazz
• Modern Dance

Major in Dance

The flexibility of Converse’s 39-credit hour major supports opportunities to double major or minor in another discipline within the liberal arts degree framework of Converse.

Students will engage in studio and theory classes, create, produce, and perform in fully staged dance works, and gain the skills necessary for a diverse range of career opportunities. Majoring in dance will prepare students for careers in performance, choreography, education, arts administration, dance medicine, and other fields that value collaboration, critical thinking, leadership, and creative problem solving skills.

Minor in Dance

As a Dance Minor at Converse, you will take a minimum of 18 hours, with Composition History of Dance being 6 of those credit hours. With the remainder of the hours you are encouraged to take a variety of technique classes in jazz, ballet, tap and modern dance. You will have the chance to set your own choreography for performance through your Junior and Senior projects.

You must audition and be accepted into the dance minor. Auditions are held in both fall and spring semesters.

View the Dance Minor requirements.

Studying dance will prepare students for careers in performance, choreography, education, arts administration, dance medicine, and other fields that value collaboration, critical thinking, leadership, and creative problem solving skills.

• Dancer
• Choreographer
• Educator (children’s theater, high school, college)
• Dance Therapist
• Production Manager