Dance, B.F.A.

UNC Greensboro Dance: Thinking Bodies/Dancing Minds

Within the UNC System, the UNC Greensboro School of Dance is known as the training ground for the contemporary “thinking dancer,” who values the rigors of both physical, creative, and academic dance studies.  The School of Dance prepares students for successful and productive lives as dance artists, educators, and scholars at the state, regional, national, and international levels. Course work in Contemporary dance, African dance, Jazz dance, Ballet, choreography, and performance are central in the curriculum.

Program Distinctions

UNCG is the only university in the North Carolina system that offers graduate degrees in Dance, and the only program where graduate students with initial Dance K-12 teaching licensure can earn advanced dance teacher licensure. 
UNCG Dance faculty, 50% of whom are faculty of color, are active professionals in the dance field. Professor Robin Gee curates the annual Greensboro Dance Film Festival and also curates national and international Dance Film festivals.  Associate Professor B.J. Sullivan is known internationally for her Safety Release Technique. Other Dance faculty bring professional experience and innovative pedagogical approaches that reflect the depth and breadth of School of Dance faculty expertise.

• Accreditations and affiliations include:
  • UNCG is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance.
  • American College Dance Association
  • National Dance Education Organization
  • N.C. National Dance Education Organization
  • Dance Studies Association

• Facilities include seven studios, a fully-equipped dance theater, a screen dance editing classroom, dressing rooms, and an interior garden courtyard reserved for dance students. 
• Live accompaniment is provided for many technique classes.
• To connect you to the profession, the schools regularly bring in guest teachers and  choreographers. Recent guests include: Camille A. Brown, Kristin Daniel, Gerri Houlihan, Juel D. Lane, Helen Simoneau, and Maleek Washington.

The Student Experience

• A variety of internships are available in schools and community dance settings.
• Students can participate in the community outreach program, Dancers Connect.
• The school produces 10–12 concerts each year with many opportunities for undergraduate dancers to perform. Typically, choreography by undergraduate students is showcased in three to four concerts each year.
• Students have opportunities to participate in Prime Movers, a social and educational group responsible for annual concerts of student work, and other Dance student groups such as the Delta Chi Xi Honorary Dance Fraternity.
• An arts-based living community, “Studio 91” in Cone Residence Hall, features music, theater, and dance practice rooms; music composition computer lab; drawing lounge; and arts-related programs and events.
• Study abroad opportunities are plentiful, including several semester-long exchange programs that offer strong dance programs, such as the Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts, University of Malta, Zhejiang Conservatory in Hangzhou, China, and the University of Cape Town in South Africa.
• Short-Term Faculty Led study abroad programs are also offered in Italy and London. 

SCHOOL OF DANCE CURRICULUM

• Four levels of Contemporary dance, three levels of Ballet, three levels of Jazz, three levels of African dance, one level of hip-hop, two levels of tap, and dance for musical theatre.
• Classes in improvisation, global dance forms, performance/repertory, choreography, dance history, screen dance, dance production and technology, body sciences and somatic practices for dance, dance entrepreneurship, administration, and dance education.

After Graduation

• Students go on to successful careers in performance and choreography positions, as well as arts administration and teaching in school or community settings.
• Graduates of the program have also pursued careers in lighting and costume design for dance, dance science/medicine, dance history, dance notation, graphic design for dance, dance photography, writing about dance, and dance technology.
• Potential career paths for graduates include:
  • Professional Dancer
  • Studio Owner
  • Dance Teacher
  • Personal Trainer
  • Choreographer
  • Yoga or Pilates Instructor
  • Costume or Clothing Designer
  • Dance Company Administrator
  • Dance Photographer/Videographer