Dance

Faculty

Professor

Kathleen Klein, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Jin Young Lee, 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.

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 is open to all PBA students regardless of major. Dance majors and minors are required to participate in all productions.

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 and Placement Examination

Admission to programs of study in the Department of Dance is by audition only. Students auditioning for the Department of Dance must attend an intermediate ballet or modern class, prepare a two-minute composition (with or without music), prepare a written essay and complete an interview with the dance faculty.

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 declare a major in the Department of Dance during the period of the grant and maintain a 3.0 grade point average in all dance courses attempted at Palm Beach Atlantic University. PBA dance grade point averages below 3.0 will result in a reduction in dance scholarships. Scholarship recipients are required to audition for Dance Ensemble every semester and participate fully if selected. For further information, contact the Dance Chair. Students seeking dance scholarship should audition prior to April 1st.

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 3.0 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 completed by the end of the fourth semester, 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. Every attempt will be made to counsel a student into a more suitable major in the event that he or she is unable to meet the standards of the department.

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 seven (7) credit hours. Majors may not use transient study to fulfill courses in the Dance Core or Major Requirements and Electives.

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 graduation project under the supervision of a major professor and committee selected from the dance faculty. Length, 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 faculty has approved the student’s graduation project.

Concert Attendance Requirements

All dance majors are required to attend at least 10 dance or music performances each year of full time enrollment (a total of 40 over the course of the four-year degree, pro-rated for transfer students and students graduating midyear). Attendance at off campus concerts presented in professional arts venues are encouraged to be used to meet a portion of the annual required performances, but must be approved by the student’s advisor. Performances in which a student is required to participate for ensemble course credit will not be accepted for concert attendance credit.

Students who fail to meet concert attendance requirements during any year of enrollment must make up the required number during the subsequent semester. Students who fail to meet the departmental requirement for concert attendance by the end of their senior year will not be approved for graduation.

Dancers’ Seminar

All majors and minors are required to enroll in DAN 0110 - Dancers’ Seminar every semester. This one-hour weekly class provides the performance laboratory for students to present works in progress and offers them the opportunity to share current events in the dance field with their peers.