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.