Undergraduate Programs

Undergraduate Programs

The Department of Dance offers curricula leading to bachelor of arts (B.A.) or bachelor of science (B.S.) degree. The goal of the department is to provide comprehensive dance training within the liberal-arts framework of the university. The serious study of dance involves intellectual, artistic, and physical development. The Department of Dance emphasizes all three areas of growth, a commitment made possible by the breadth of its curricular offerings and the depth of faculty expertise.

Facility with oral and written communication is one goal of a liberal-arts education. Therefore, dance majors pursue a course of study to acquire a firm intellectual grasp of the theoretical, historical, and creative forces that shape dance as an art form.

Dance, unique in that it is also a physical form of communication, requires continual experience in its technical foundations. Students are expected and encouraged to experience a variety of forms of dance training and idioms. Production and pedagogy are also integral to the undergraduate core, because many students find careers in theater and teaching.

Admission

Students eligible for admission to the university may apply to be admitted as dance majors. Entering freshmen should have a basic knowledge of dance and music as art forms and technical training in dance. Transfer students must meet any deficiencies in lower-division dance course work by proficiency examination or by completion of the core course at the first opportunity.

Students are placed in levels of modern and ballet technique according to skill. Each term students are reviewed to ensure that they are in the most advantageous level for their abilities. Dance majors are expected to take a modern and ballet course every term.

Candidates for the bachelor's degree with a major in dance must satisfy general university requirements, select appropriate courses in related areas, and complete dance course requirements with a grade of C- or better. The faculty regularly review students for evidence of satisfactory progress toward fulfilling degree requirements. Students who receive grades lower than a C- or I (incomplete) or Y in dance courses are placed on departmental probation and must repeat or complete the course with a minimum grade of C-. Students placed on departmental probation have one term to achieve the goals they agreed upon with their academic advisors. While students are on probation they receive guidance to help them achieve satisfactory progress toward the degree.

All courses required for a dance major or minor must be taken for letter grades when that option is available. A grade of P must be earned in courses designated pass/no pass (P/N) only. The P/N option should be exercised sparingly by students who plan to pursue a graduate degree in dance.

Advising

Students admitted as majors or minors must meet with a dance faculty adviser prior to registration each term. These meetings inform students about prerequisites and progress toward the degree. Appointment schedules for advising are posted by each adviser. Students must have a signed advising contract in their departmental academic file before they may register each term.

Placement of Majors and Minors

Placement classes are held the week before fall-term classes begin and during spring term. Faculty adjudicators observe and place students according to the student's knowledge and skill level. Entering freshmen planning to attend IntroDUCKtion in July should attend the spring-term placement class. Incoming students who register in the fall should attend the placement class during Week of Welcome. Students who want to enter professional-level (DAN) technique courses winter or spring term should request a placement decision. More information is available from faculty members. Write, call or email the department office for dates of placement classes.

Honor Society and Scholarships

Pi Delta, the University of Oregon's chapter of Phi Beta, is a professional fraternity for the creative and performing arts. The Department of Dance awards yearly Lotta Carll scholarships to talented student performers and choreographers. Lotta Carll was a founding member of the Phi Beta patrons, an active alumni group that meets regularly. Recipients of the Lotta Carll scholarships are required to perform a short piece at the annual meeting of the Phi Beta members.

Dr. Kenneth Singer and Georgianne Teller Singer have endowed the Georgianne Teller Singer Dean's Fellowshiip in Dance, an annual award to one or more outstanding graduate students.

Fees

Majors in the School of Music pay a term fee of $75. In the Department of Dance, this fee helps to pay expenses associated with dance studio activities, such as class accompaniment and unusually demanding maintenance of the facilities and studio theater. This fee exempts dance majors from paying the per-course fee for DANC courses when they are taken for credit.