Dance

Faculty

Professor

Kathleen Klein, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Jinyoung Lee Hanley, M.A.

Artist in Residence

Eileen Hebron, B.A.

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of the Department of Dance is to develop dancers whose creative expression combines artistic beauty with Christian character. Graduates are expected to demonstrate a mastery of a variety of dance techniques, display articulate verbal and non-verbal communication, understand dance from a historical and cultural perspective, and perform with a unique artistic voice. The successful student combines these competencies to prepare, present and teach dance in a professional manner.

Programs of Study

The Department of Dance offers programs leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree. The Bachelor of Arts degree is intended for those students who seek a thorough grounding in dance technique, including opportunities for performance experience, within the traditional, broad-based liberal arts curriculum. The B.A. program with a major in dance offers emphases in dance performance/choreography or dance pedagogy. The department also offers a minor in dance. Unless specified in the course description, all courses offered in the Department of Dance are open to qualified students regardless of their major. Some applied dance courses and ensembles require an audition before students may be admitted. Students are encouraged to consult a dance advisor for information about specific course offerings.

Admission Requirements

In addition to University application procedures, prospective students seeking to major in dance must file an application with the School of Music and Fine Arts. Application materials must include a letter of recommendation from a high school dance teacher or other dance professional familiar with the student’s work. Approval for study in the program is based on several factors, including an audition, interview, written essay and review of previous work. All prospective students must complete a live audition and interview with the dance faculty prior to the semester of initial enrollment. If a student lives too far from an audition site for a live audition to be practical, a DVD or YouTube link may be submitted for provisional consideration, to be followed up by a live audition and interview when the student arrives on campus. Application materials should be received and auditions completed at least six weeks before the student’s first term as a dance major to ensure a place in required courses.

Auditions for the Department of Dance include intermediate ballet and modern dance classes. Additionally, students will perform a two-minute choreographed solo (any style) and complete an interview with the dance faculty. For more information, please click here https://www.pba.edu/academics/schools/music-fine-arts/dance-application-process.html.

Scholarship Information

The University offers scholarships in varied amounts to a select number of highly talented and promising students each year. These scholarships are available through a competitive process that includes an interview and an audition with the dance faculty of the University.

Students who accept these grants-in-aid must fulfill the following criteria:

Enrollment as a full-time student pursuing a major in the Department of Dance
Maintain a 2.75 overall grade point average for all courses taken at Palm Beach Atlantic University
Enrollment each semester in Dance Ensemble
Participate in the Student Choreography Showcase each semester
The award may not exceed eight (8) semesters without special permission

Failure to meet these requirements may result in loss or reduction of any dance scholarship. For further information, contact the Dance Chair. Students seeking dance scholarships should audition prior to April 15th.

Review of Satisfactory Progress

All dance majors will have their progress in all work in the major area of study reviewed annually, and must maintain a 2.75 grade point average in all dance courses attempted at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Admission to upper-level study is determined on the basis of the student’s cumulative GPA in dance courses, the recommendation of the student’s advisor, and the satisfactory completion of an interview with the Dance faculty committee. The faculty reserves the right to dismiss any student from a major in dance if he or she fails to meet departmental standards in that area of study. Decisions to dismiss a student from a major will be reviewed automatically by the Executive Committee of the School of Music and Fine Arts, and a student may make appeal to the Dean. In the event that a student is unable to meet the standards of the department, every attempt will be made to counsel that student into a more suitable major.

Residency Requirement

All dance majors must complete a minimum of two years in full-time residence at PBA, including the senior year. Transfer students will not be admitted beyond the first semester of the junior year. Dance technique credits transferred from another institution toward a major or minor may not exceed eight (8) credit hours. Majors may not use transient study to fulfill courses in the Dance Core or Major Requirements and Electives.

Dance Productions

The Department of Dance presents at least two fully-produced dance concerts and several student showcases each academic year. Productions range from classical to contemporary in nature, in order to give the student an opportunity to work in various dance genres. Participation in productions requires an audition and is open to all PBA students regardless of major. Dance majors are required to participate in productions, which may include Dance Ensemble Concerts, Senior Dance Concerts, Student Choreography Showcases, and other dance concerts pre-approved by the Chair of the Department. At a minimum, all majors must participate in:

Two performances performed as a dancer
Two performances created as a choreographer (which may include the audition for Student Choreography Showcase)
Two performances documented in a printed concert program

Dance Ensemble Requirements

The School of Music and Fine Arts is committed to ensemble performance as a primary means of instruction in dance. All dance majors must earn a minimum of 4 semester hours in DAN 1501 - Dance Ensemble or DAN 3501 - Dance Ensemble while enrolled at PBA.

Dance Ensemble Retreat Attendance

All students enrolled in PBA Dance Ensemble are required to attend an annual retreat. PBA Dance Ensemble retreat is generally held the week before fall semester.

Senior Graduation Project

All students are required to present a senior dance concert as part of their senior graduation project. The content and type of the project will be tailored to the individual student’s needs and interests. Students must register for DAN 4120 - Senior Graduation Project after the professor has approved the student’s graduation project.

Backstage Requirements

Students will gain experience working as backstage crew and production assistants experience in the following courses, which are required for all dance majors:

DAN 1113 Dance Production
DAN 3473 Creative Dance Practices I
DAN 4473 Creative Dance Practices II
DAN 4121 Senior Project

It is recommended that students take only one of these courses per semester. All dance majors are required to complete a minimum of two backstage and/or production assistant assignments per semester. Additionally, it is the responsibility of the student to track and record their participation and involvement for submission in their annual student evaluation. Examples of tasks include, but are not limited to:

Load-in and strikes
Programing of the performances
Coordinating music
Creating a master cue sheet
Sign-in and -out
Stage manager
Backstage crew

Concert Attendance Requirements

All dance majors are required to attend at least eight (8) performances each year of full time enrollment (a total of 32 over the course of the four-year degree, and pro-rated for transfer students and students graduating midyear). Attendance at off campus concerts in professional arts venues are encouraged to be used to meet a portion of the annual requirement, but must be approved by the student’s advisor.

The requirements for concert attendance are as follows:

At least six (6) out of the eight (8) yearly performances attended must be dance concerts
A minimum of three (3) dance performances at professional theatres (Provision of ticket and program required)
Attendance at tech/dress rehearsals and smaller venues are allowed (Provision of date/place/name/photo of the event required)

Dancers’ Seminar

Dance students and faculty gather for one hour a week to relay and discuss pertinent information about the program and the current state of dance in culture and society. Students share their choreographic works-in-progress and receive critical feedback from classmates and faculty. Auditions for Student Choreography Showcase may be held during this class. All declared dance majors must take DAN 0110 - Dancers’ Seminar every semester. All declared dance minors must take the course every semester until they complete their minor requirements.