Dance

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced dancer, take individual dance classes or pursue a minor, Union is the ideal place to embrace the art of dance. You will thrive in a collaborative, close-knit learning environment with professional dance faculty who emphasize discipline, experimentation and creativity for all students.

Curriculum

Our multifaceted program offers various levels of technique classes in modern, ballet, jazz, hip hop and more. Students gain an in-depth understanding of how the body moves while obtaining an increased understanding of proper alignment and flexibility. Academic courses range from dance history, physical theater and choreography to Dance for the Camera. Students can also pursue dance projects or an independent study that culminates in a research presentation or performance.

Performances

With five performances, the Winter Dance Concert is a showcase of original choreography based on conceptual themes. It’s held in Yulman Theater at the end of winter term. In the spring, the ever-popular Lothridge Festival of Dance is performed in the Nott Memorial during Steinmetz Symposium, a day devoted to research and creative projects. Bringing together the campus community as it celebrates diversity, the festival features choreography by faculty and dance minors, as well as numerous student dance groups, such as Bhangra, LatinX, African and Step Dance, Hip-Hop, KPop and the Dance Team.

Facilities

The Henle Dance Pavilion, a 7,000-square-foot facility overlooking Jackson’s Garden, is a center for classes, rehearsals, workshops, performances and other events. It features a 2,200-square-foot dance studio and 1,000-square-foot lobby that doubles as rehearsal space. The 20-foot ceilings in both spaces safely permit lifts and aerials. The pavilion also includes a costume shop, faculty offices, meeting rooms, gallery and storage space.

Residences and fellowships

The Dance Program schedules workshops, master classes and dance residencies taught by major dance companies and artists throughout the year. Among those who have appeared as guests artists are Edward Villella, Jacques d’Amboise, and members of Paul Taylor 2, Limon Dance Company, Ephrat Asherie Dance and 10 Hairy Legs and Bridgman/Packer Dance. Each fall, the Stephanie C. Davis Dance Residency brings in world-class companies that offer master classes, lecture-demonstrations and performances. Troupes have included Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal, Rioult, David Dorfman Dance, Camille A. Brown Dancers, Kun-Yang Lin Dancers, Koresh Dance Company, Ballet Hispánico and Philadanco! The annual Edward Villella Dance Fellowship has supported students’ study with companies and professional groups all over the world, from the Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn to the Kyoto Art Center in Japan.

Study abroad

Our faculty-led mini-term on the Indonesian island of Bali gives students a chance to study dance with performing arts masters and learn gamelan (percussion instruments), visit cultural and arts venues, and attend rituals and professional performances.