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Undergraduate Performance and Production Opportunities

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Opportunities to Perform  

Students in the Department of Dance have multiple opportunities to be involved in performances on campus and in the community. In the UW Department of Dance, there are four concerts that are produced by the Department, all of which are ticketed events for the public.  

Department of Dance Concert and Audition Information

Chamber Dance Company (CDC) 

(October performance; no audition)

The Chamber Dance Company's mission is to identify, produce, and archive modern dance works of significance that have rarely been seen by Northwest audiences. Composed primarily of graduate students, CDC is an integral part of the nationally recognized MFA degree at the UW. 

UW Dance Presents (UWDP)

 (January performance; September/ October audition)

Showcasing original choreography by our internationally recognized faculty and visiting artists, this concert presents performances by the department faculty, students, and guests. 

Dance Majors Concert (DMC)

(March performance; November audition) 

The Dance Majors Concert is a platform for students to express their creative voices through every aspect of dance- from choreography to lighting, to costuming. Dance majors who have taken 3 dance-making classes (specified below) have the opportunity to choreograph on and collaborate with other undergraduates for this annual performance.

MFA Dance Concert

(May performance; February/ March audition)

The MFA Dance Concert premieres work that is choreographed by our MFA candidates on our undergraduate dancers. 

Auditions

For UW Dance Presents, Dance Majors Concert, and MFA Dance Concert, a call for auditions goes out a few months before the concert date by email to the dance majors and minors listserv, as well as to students enrolled in dance courses. Announcements are also made during class and flyers are posted outside of the studios in Meany Hall. Audition calls will additionally be posted online on the Department of Dance website under events, as well as on the department Facebook and Instagram social media pages. 

CDC does not issue a call for auditions. Occasionally, undergraduate dance students are invited to perform by the CDC Director, Rachael Lincoln .

*Note: Performing in Department of Dance concerts are opportunities for students taking classes in the Department of Dance during the quarter in which the concert is rehearsed or performed. Exceptions may be considered by an email petition directed to the Artistic Director of the concert. 

Other Campus Opportunities

There are also numerous student organizations across campus that have dance activities and more performance opportunities, including the Department of Dance affiliated groups, The Arts Diversity Council (ADC) and Dance Student Association (DSA). Visit their websites for more information, including information on how to get involved.  For information about other UW student groups, visit the Registered Student Organization (RSO) website. Some popular dance-related RSOs that many Department of Dance students participate in include the Hip Hop Student Association (HHSA), Swing Kids, Aura Dance Company, the Salsa Club, and many many more!  

Off-Campus Opportunities 

In addition, students are often notified of auditions and opportunities outside of the university with local organizations and companies such as the Seattle Opera, Seattle Theatre Group, and the Village Theatre among others via the dance majors listserve and flyers posted outside of the dance studios in Meany Hall. 

Opportunities to Choreograph 

Dance Majors Concert (DMC) - Dance majors who have completed Dance 166 and two-quarters of either Dance 266 and/or Dance 366, or have equivalent experience that is approved by petition submitted to the dance faculty, are eligible to choreograph for the Dance Majors Concert.  Students must also have either a full-time faculty or graduate student mentor who has agreed to supervise their choreography. DMC choreographers are responsible for: 

  1. Meeting regularly with the DMC Artistic Director, who is a Department of Dance faculty member
  2. Securing a faculty or graduate student mentor by the deadline specified by the Artistic Director; please allow plenty of time for this as faculty and graduate students are busy and may need several days to respond to your request; please allow yourself time to approach more than one person if the first person you ask is not available 
  3. Auditioning and casting performers 
  4. Developing movement ideas with performers through studio rehearsals 
  5. Collaborating with other DMC choreographers to develop poster/postcard/program designs, press release materials, and advertising campaigns, and coordinating the opening night reception. 
  6. Collaborating with composers, designers and the production crew to develop visual and aural presentations through meetings as well as studio, technical and dress rehearsals.
  7. Obtaining music licensing if the performance is streamed
  8. Other duties as required by the Artistic Director 

*Note on faculty and graduate student mentorship: Mentorship typically involves a faculty member or a graduate student working with a choreographer throughout their process. Levels of involvement range greatly, but at minimum the mentor attends an in-process rehearsal and gives feedback. Some mentors attend several rehearsals (or are sent videos of work-in-process) as well as a spacing and/or lighting rehearsal. It is the choreographer’s responsibility to initiate the relationship and ask for what would serve them (other than the minimum engagement).

Opportunities to Participate in Production

Dance students also have opportunities to participate in the production crew for a CDC, UWDP, DMC, and MFA concert as:

  • light board operator
  • sound board operator
  • stagehand
  • stage management

 Students earn credit for participating in production by registering in Dance 271: Dance Production Crew and earning a grade of Credit. Note that to be a stage manager, prior production crew experience is required.  Students majoring in Dance are required to take at least 1 credit of Dance 271 as outlined here.  

Receiving Credit for Dance Concert Performance, Choreography, or Production:

  • Students can earn 1 credit per production as a performer in a Department of Dance production by registering for Dance 370: Dance Performance Activities and earning a grade of Credit.  
  • Students may earn 2 credits for choreographing for a Dance Majors Concert by registering for Dance 470: Choreographic Practice and earning a grade of Credit. 
  • Students may earn (1-3) credits for participating in production by registering in Dance 271: Dance Production Crew and earning a grade of Credit. 

To register for Dance 370 or 470, email the Dance Advisor at danceadv@uw.edu. Production Schedules for all Department of Dance productions are posted on a bulletin board near 265 Meany Hall and at the Production Schedule page.

For more information about dance production and Dance 370 and Dance 271, see here.

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