B.F.A. in Dance

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Overview

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) program with specializations in Performance and Choreography, is designed for students who wish to prepare intensively for careers in those areas. The courses required in addition to the core are primarily in Dance. The B.F.A. program allows for a few free electives in other areas. Admission to the B.F.A. program with a specialization in Choreography is by faculty approval only.

The B.F.A. program with a specialization in Performance does not require additional faculty approval beyond the required audition for admission to the Dance major; students should declare their intention to pursue this specialization during spring quarter of their sophomore year.
 

Admission

In addition to meeting the general requirements for admission to UCI, applicants must demonstrate technical and creative promise. The Department holds annual entrance auditions for potential freshmen and transfer students during the winter quarter prior to the fall quarter when entrance is anticipated. First-year students wishing to major in Dance must be at technique level II in at least one of the three major genres (ballet, modern, jazz).

Placement auditions for admitted students are held during Welcome Week to determine levels of technical ability for placement in courses. It is suggested that transfer students wishing to pursue a B.A. in Dance complete, in addition to their general education requirements, one course in choreography, two courses in dance technique, and one course in music for dancers prior to transfer to UCI.

Transfer students wishing to pursue the B.F.A. must declare their intention in writing at the time of their entrance audition and demonstrate technique and/or choreography levels appropriate to their year. It is suggested that transfer students complete, in addition to their general education requirements, one course in choreography, two courses in dance technique, one course in music for dancers, and one course in dance performance prior to transfer to UCI.

Students deficient in level of performance or academic preparation should be prepared to extend their studies beyond the normal four-year program in order to meet the requirements for graduation.
 

Coursework

Individual academic plans for Dance majors are shaped by each student’s interests, goals, and prior preparation. These plans are developed in close consultation with your academic counselor and the Dance Department Undergraduate Advisor.

Courses for Dance majors include:

• Studio Courses
  • Ballet technique (four-five levels)
  • Jazz technique (three-four levels)
  • Hip Hop
  • Modern technique (four levels)
  • Tap technique
  • Partnering
  • Repertory (ballet, modern)
  • Improvisation
  • Choreography
  • Video for Choreography
• History, Dance Studies, Theory, and Music
  • Dance History (two Levels)
  • Critical Issues in Dance
  • Music for Dancers
• Wellness and Dance Science
  • Pilates Program for Dancers
  • Kinesiology for Dancers
  • Injury Prevention/Technique Analysis
• Elective Courses
  • Arts Management
  • Senior Seminar
  • Embodiology
  • Lighting for Choreography

Please consult the UCI General Catalogue for details about the general education, degree, and graduation requirements.
 

Learning Outcomes

• Recognize and perform the vocabulary of several dance genres.
• Apply the principles of dance choreography to their own creative process.
• Demonstrate an introductory level understanding of music notation and the principles of Laban Movement Studies.
• Apply the science of human kinesiology to dance.
• Recognize major figures in the history of dance, classify different dance genres, and distinguish between historical eras of dance.
• Write about dance, describing, interpreting, evaluating and contextualizing dance performance and practice.
   

Career Opportunities

Careers in dance require excellent training and extraordinary discipline, tenacity, and dedication. Graduates of the Department have an excellent record of placement in the many fields of dance. Some have become professional dancers in ballet companies (including the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and Joffrey Ballet); in modern dance companies (including Hubbard Street Dance Company, MOMIX, and Martha Graham Dance Ensemble); in touring companies (including Wicked, Newsies, Dirty Dancing, The Lion King, Fame: The Musical, Carousel, and Cirque du Soleil); and in films, television, and theatre.

In addition to training for professional dance performance and choreography, the major in dance serves as a basis for graduate study or job opportunities in fields such as dance history, dance science, dance pedagogy, dance reconstruction, dance criticism, dance video, and technology. Related fields, such as arts administration, law in relation to the arts, arts therapies, design and production, and music also offer positions for graduates. Students who are interested in a career in athletic training, physical therapy, or dance science will find a major in Dance, with related course work in chemistry, physics, biology, and mathematics, to be excellent preparation for further study.

UCI Dance graduates are known for their professional excellence and adaptability. They perform with leading ballet companies such as the San Francisco Ballet, Frankfurt Ballet, and Stuttgart Ballet; with celebrated modern dance companies including Bella Lewitzky, Lar Lubovitch, and Bat-Dor; and in major musicals from Jerome Robbins’ Broadway to the original cast of A Chorus Line. Their artistry extends to film, television, and theater stages worldwide. Others shape the field through careers in education, anthropology, medicine, law, psychology, and beyond—demonstrating the transformative reach of a dance education at UCI.
 

How to Apply

To apply for admission to the UCI Dance Department, first visit the UCI Admissions website for complete details on application procedures and fees. You must apply online to the University of California by December 2nd.

In addition to submitting your application to the UC Admissions Office, you must complete a dance audition in order to be considered for the program. Please visit the Dance Auditions page for more information on audition dates and requirements for undergraduate dance programs.

Parent/Supporter Information Session

Information will be offered in-person the day of the audition at 8:30 am. This is a presentation followed by a Q&A session led by Kelli Sharp, Dance Department Chair, and Amy Kim, Director of Student Affairs for the Claire Trevor School of the Arts. It will also include current Dance majors to respond to questions about student life in the Dance Department and University.

Please direct all inquiries to dance@uci.edu

Incoming Freshmen Students

As well as satisfying University of California subject requirements for undergraduate admission (consult the UCI General Catalogue for details), applicants to the Dance department must demonstrate technical accomplishment and creative promise to succeed in the major. You are encouraged to develop abilities in one or more dance techniques such as ballet, modern/contemporary, jazz, hip hop and ethnic dance forms. The department holds annual entrance auditions for potential freshmen during winter quarter prior to acceptance to the Dance Department in the ensuing fall quarter. Additionally, placement examinations are required of all entering dance majors. Placement examinations are given during Welcome Week in fall quarter and determines which levels of ballet, modern/contemporary, jazz and hip hop classes the student will take.