BA in Dance

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Bachelor of Arts, Major in Dance  

The dance major is a liberal arts degree that takes a broad approach to studying dance as a/an:

  • movement practice
  • performance activity
  • choreographic enterprise
  • social practice, a cultural practice
  • creative endeavor
  • subject of scientific inquiry
  • subject of historical inquiry
  • agent of sociopolitical change

The curriculum includes study in a variety of genres, including African and Afro-Diasporic dance, Western concert dance, somatic practices, and social dance. Embodied learning is brought into dialogue with artistic, scientific, and humanistic modes of inquiry throughout the curriculum, which is designed for students with varied backgrounds and interests. Students have opportunities to engage in academic or creative research, perform, choreograph, and contribute to community projects. Dance majors can elect to pursue an honors track. 

Course Planning

A number of the courses required in the dance major are offered every other year. Students are encouraged to meet quarterly with the Dance Advisor to plan a successful progression of the course work.

Dance Major Requirements Update

The Dance Major Requirements have recently been updated. The previous Dance Major Requirements still apply to students who joined the dance major prior to Autumn of 2026.

Dance Major Requirements for Students declaring a Dance Major in Autumn 2026 and beyond

The dance major can be completed with a minimum of 56 total credits. At least 25 of the credits applied to the major must be at the 300 or 400- level. 

Academic Courses 

Must take all of the following Core courses. (25 cr):

At least two additional Dance Studies Courses:

  • Dance 150 Introduction to Dance Studies (3 cr)
  • Dance 232 Somatic Movement Education (1-3cr)
  • Dance 343 Hip Hop, Street, and Club Dance Culture (3cr) 
  • Dance 345 Contemporary Dance Histories (3-5cr)
  • Dance 365 Screendance Making (3-5cr)
  • Dance 366 Dance Making: Special Topics (3/5cr)
  • Dance 420 Dance Aesthetics (3cr)
  • Dance 490 Special Studies in Dance (1-5cr)
  • Dance 340 Dance, Gender, and Sexuality (3/5cr) 
  • Dance 355 Dance Power, and Globalization (5cr) 
  • Dance 357 Afro-Latine Dance Traditions (3/5cr) 
  • Dance 480 Career Explorations for Dance Majors (3cr) 

Dance Electives (3-7 credits): to reach minimum 38 credits in core, dance studies, and dance electives

All of the dance studies courses listed above can count towards the dance elective, as can the following:

Dance Practice/ Technique

Must have at least 18 credits representing at least 4 different movement idioms. 

African Dance
  • Dance 280 African Dance Techniques (2-3cr)
  • Dance 380 Intermediate African Dance Techniques (2-3cr)
Afro-Peruvian Dance
Capoeira 
Commercial Dance 
Contemporary Ballet
  • Dance 103 Intro to Contemporary Ballet (2-3cr)
  • Dance 107 Contemporary Ballet Technique I (2-3cr)
  • Dance 201 Contemporary Ballet Technique II (2-3cr)
  • Dance 301/302/303 Contemporary Ballet Technique III (2-3cr)
Contemporary Modern 
  • Dance 102 Intro to Contemporary Modern (2-3cr)
  • Dance 104Contemporary Modern I (2-3cr)
  • Dance 204 Contemporary Modern Technique II (2-3cr)
  • Dance 304Contemporary Modern Technique III (2-3cr)
Folk- Social Dance 
Improvisation
  • Dance 245 Improvisation in Postmodern and Contemporary Dance (2-3 cr)
  • Dance 375 Intermediate Improvisation: Contact Improvisation and Dancing Together (2-3 cr) 
Jazz 
  • Dance 110 Jazz Technique I (2-3cr)
  • Dance 210 Jazz Technique II (2-3cr)
  • Dance 310 Jazz Technique III (2-3cr) 
Low Fly
Somatic Movement 
Salsa & Latin 
  • Dance 236 Salsa and Afro-Caribbean Social Dance (2-3cr)
  • Dance 336 Intermediate Salsa and Afro-Caribbean Dance(2-3cr)
Street & Club Dances
  • Dance 186 Fundamentals of Groove (2-3 cr)
  • Dance 286 Special Topics in Street & Club Dances  (2-3cr)
  • Dance 386 Intermediate Street and Club Dance Techniques (2-3cr)
Swing Dance
Tango 
Tap Dance
  • Dance 125 Tap Technique I (2-3 cr)
  • Dance 255 Tap Technique II (2-3 cr)  
  • Dance 325 Tap Technique III (2-3 cr)
Courses that Rotate Practices/Techniques 

What is the difference between “Academic” and “Practice/Technique” courses? 

The majority of Department of Dance courses involve multiple modes of engaging in study of dance, including reading, writing, viewing, discussing, creating, researching, and movement practice. Courses in which more than 50% of the learning is accomplished through movement practice are categorized as “Practice/Technique;” whereas courses in which at least 50% of the learning is accomplished through learning modalities such as reading, writing, creating, and research are categorized as “Academic.” We recognize that the division of our courses into two broad categories is imperfect, as there is much overlap between modes of dance study in courses throughout the curriculum.

Substituting Courses Outside the Department of Dance for Dance Major Requirements

(updated January 24, 2022)

The Department of Dance may offer some flexibility to students to substitute courses taken outside the Department of Dance to satisfy dance major requirements.  Students are advised to plan their degree with a limited number of potential substitutes. The department will apply reasonable, case-by-case limits on the number of non-dance courses accepted toward dance major requirements. All substitutions should be requested in advance to ensure the student can accurately plan their degree. Please see the Dance Advisor for more information. 

Petition Process to Consider Other Courses 

A student may submit a petition to the Dance faculty to consider a course offered outside the Department of Dance to substitute for a Dance B.A. requirement, including an elective.

Students should meet with the Dance Advisor before preparing a petition. 

Petitions must clearly state:

  1. Student’s name and UW email address,
  2. Which requirement is being petitioned,
  3. A justification for why the original requirement cannot be reasonably met,
  4. The proposed alternative, and
  5. An explanation of how the proposed alternative meets the learning objectives of the original requirement (100-300 words).

To file a petition, the student must complete this form, which will go to the Dance Advisor and appropriate faculty for review.  During the academic school year, it may take up to two weeks for a decision to be made.  During the summer as well as winter or spring breaks, it may take longer and will depend on faculty availability. The Dance Advisor will notify the student of the outcome of their petition in writing via their UW email address.

Petitions should be submitted as early as possible to ensure appropriate time for consideration, notification, and (if necessary) alternative planning.  Please note that filing a petition is not a guarantee that it will be approved. Students are always encouraged to develop backup plans.

 

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