BA in Dance

The Dance Major at Hunter College nurtures individual creativity, disciplined practice, and rigorous scholarship in the context of a strong liberal arts education. Courses focus on a broad range of topics in the field, taught by recognized artist/teachers active in the New York City dance community. The Dance Program's broad-based curriculum maintains an emphasis on modern dance with three major areas of study:

• Technique (modern, ballet, traditional, folk)
• Creative theory and performance (improvisation, composition, production, repertory, Lecture/Demonstration Touring Company)
• Theoretical and scientific aspects of dance (musicianship for dancers, dance history, theory and practice of teaching, anatomy and kinesiology, movement re-education)

Major (34 credits) A placement audition is required of all incoming majors and minors as well as of all second-year majors. Performance, choreography, and technical production requirements are to be fulfilled before graduation. These requirements include:

• Performance in at least two (2) concerts
• Choreography of at least two (2) works (one may be open composition)
• Production crew work on two (2) concerts

The following 34-credit curriculum is required of all majors:

• DAN 151 Folk Forms of Dance I 
• DAN 210 Contemporary Dance Technique I
• DAN 213 Basic Musicianship for Dancers
• DAN 220 Contemporary Dance Technique II
• DAN 221 Improvisation as a Creative Process I
• DAN 232 20th Century Dance History
• DAN 245 Ballet I
• DAN 310 Contemporary Dance Technique III
• DAN 320 Contemporary Dance Technique IV
• DAN 321 Composition I
• DAN 324 Production I
• DAN 345 Ballet II
• DAN 350 Anatomy and Kinesiology for Dancers
• DAN 422 Choreographic Projects
• DAN 440 Lecture/Demonstration Touring Group

The undergraduate advisor suggests the appropriate sequence of electives for the career specialization the student chooses.

Model Course Sequence: BA in Dance

Fall Semester - Sophomore Year

• Dan 210 – Contemporary Technique 1 – Beginning Intermediate Level (Placement Audition Required)
• Dan 221 – Improvisation as a Creative Process 1 (offered fall only)
• Dan 213 – Basic Musicianship for Dancers (offered fall only)
• Strongly Recommended:
• Dan 145 – Fundamentals of Ballet – Advanced Beginning Level (Preparation Course for Ballet 1)
• Production Hours – ½ production hours earned from Informal Showing**

Spring Semester - Sophomore Year

• Dan 220 – Contemporary Technique 2 – Intermediate Level (Placement Audition Required)
• Dan 321 - Composition 1 (offered spring only)
• Dan 245 – Ballet 1 – Intermediate Level (Placement Audition Required)
• Production Hours – ½ production hours earned from Spring Dance Concert**

Fall Semester - Junior Year

• Dan 151 – Folk Forms – Level 1 (offered fall only)
• Dan 310 – Contemporary Technique 3 – Advanced Intermediate Level (Placement Audition Required)
• Dan 232 – 20th Century Dance History 
• Dan 422 – Choreographic Projects – Fall & Spring (credit for 1 semester only)
• Dan 440 – Lecture Demonstration Touring Group (offered fall only)
• Performance Requirement – Fall & Spring
• Strongly Recommended:
• Dan 441 - Repertory 1 - Audition Required

Spring Semester - Junior Year

• Dan 320 – Contemporary Technique 4 – Advanced Level (Placement Audition Required)
• Dan 324 – Production 1 (offered spring only)
• Dan 345 – Ballet 2 – Advanced Intermediate Level (Placement Audition Required)
• Dan 350 – Anatomy and Kinesiology for Dancers (offered spring only)
• Dan 422 – Choreographic Projects – Fall & Spring (credit for 1 semester only)
• Performance Requirement – Fall & Spring (continuation from Fall semester)
• Dan 432/433 – Repertory 1 or 2 – Audition Required

Fall Semester – Senior Year ***

• Auditing any Technique Class is mandatory
• 2nd Choreographic Project – Fall & Spring
• Performance Requirement – Fall & Spring
• Dan 432/433 – Repertory 1 or 2 – Audition Required

Spring Semester - Senior Year ***

• Dance Seminar – Seniors Only (offered spring only)
• Auditing any Technique Class is mandatory
• 2nd Choreographic Project – Fall & Spring
• Performance Requirement – Fall & Spring
• Dan 432/433 – Repertory 1 or 2 – Audition Required

Model Course Sequence for Transfer Dance Majors

Entering in the Spring Semester

Spring Semester - Sophomore Year

• Dan 210 – Contemporary Technique 1 – Beginning Intermediate Level (Placement Audition Required)

Fall Semester - Junior Year

• Dan 220 – Contemporary Technique 2 – Intermediate Level (Placement Audition Required)
• Dan 145 – Fundamentals of Ballet – Advanced Beginning Level (Preparation Course for Ballet 1 - Recommended for majors)
• Dan 232 – 20th Century Dance History (offered fall only)
• Dan 221 – Improvisation as a Creative Process 1 (offered fall only)
• Performance Requirement – Fall & Spring
• Production Hours – ½ Production Hours earned from Fall Informal Concert**

Spring Semester - Junior Year

• Dan 213 – Basic Musicianship for Dancers (offered every other year)
• Dan 310 – Contemporary Technique 3 – Advanced Intermediate Level (Audition Required)
• Dan 321 - Composition 1 (offered spring only)
• Dan 245 – Ballet 1 – Intermediate Level (Audition Required)
• Performance Requirement – Fall & Spring
• Production Hours – ½ Production Hours earned from Spring Dance Concert**
• Strongly Recommended:
• Dan 432 – Repertory 1 – Audition Required

Fall Semester - Senior Year

• Dan 151 – Folk Forms – Level 1 (offered every other year)
• Dan 320 – Contemporary Technique 4 – Advanced Level (Audition Required)
• Dan 422 – Choreographic Projects – Fall & Spring (credit for 1 semester only)
• Dan 440 – Lecture Demonstration Touring Group (offered fall only)
• Performance Requirement – Fall & Spring

Spring Semester – Senior Year

• Dance Seminar – Seniors Only
• Dan 324 – Production 1 (offered spring only)
• Dan 345 – Ballet 2 – Advanced Intermediate Level (Audition Required)
• Dan 350 – Anatomy and Kinesiology for Dancers (offered every other year)
• Performance Requirement – Fall & Spring (Continuation from Fall Semester)
• Dan 432/433 – Repertory 1 or 2 – Audition Required

** Required Production Hours for majors are completed when serving on crew for both Fall Informal Showing and Spring Dance Concert or 2 Spring Concerts.
*** Any Fall semester courses that were not taken prior to this semester must be taken.
*** Any Spring semester courses that were not taken prior to this semester must be taken.