Dance, B.A.

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All courses must be passed with a grade of 2.0 or higher to count towards the major.

The SUNY Potsdam Dance Program is housed in the Department of Theatre and Dance. A Bachelor of Arts degree is available to students who have a strong interest in dance and choose the dance major. Students may also choose to minor in dance, while pursuing another major or a double major. The goals for the B.A. program focus on preparing students for careers in the dance professions as artists and teachers, and to pursue graduate study. We strive to develop dance artists and educators who possess an integrated knowledge of the aesthetic, critical, historical, cultural, choreographic, and performance dimensions of the discipline of dance.

Through our close alignment with the Theatre Program, students broaden their experiences and expand their interests in such areas as acting, technical theatre, and design. Every two-three years the Department of Theatre and Dance joins the Crane Opera Ensemble for a musical production: Cabaret (2002), Working (2004), Urinetown-The Musical (2007), On the Town (2010), Ragtime (2013), and Return to the Forbidden Planet (2016).

Dance at SUNY Potsdam also allows for a wide variety of combinations of interdisciplinary work in such areas as theatre, arts management, music, psychology, community health, archeology, anthropology, history, business, and communication. These combined courses of study prepare students for further investigation and work in such fields as dance therapy, nutrition, fitness, dance ethnology, arts administration, and private studio ownership.

Students in the major program focus on two tracks: Technique and Composition. The dance curriculum is enriched through the study of such topics as improvisation, repertory, Laban Movement Analysis, dance education, history, Pilates-based conditioning, and yoga. Students’ technique levels are determined during a placement class.

Interested students, regardless of major, are also invited to join the Student Government Association organization, Dance Ensemble. Dance Ensemble sponsors student-choreographed productions, travel to the American College Dance Association Conference and other dance events.

Program Requirements

Required Courses: 17 Credits

DANC 211 - Dance Improvisation 3 Credit(s)
DANC 311 - Dance Composition I 3 Credit(s)
DANC 319 - Movement, Theory and Notation 3 Credit(s)
DANC 321 - Modern Dance II 4 Credit(s) and
DANC 322 - Modern Dance II 4 Credit(s)

Technique Requirements: 6 Credits

chosen from the following

Note: A maximum of 2 semesters of Intermediate Ballet may be counted towar the major.

DANC 234 - Intermediate Ballet 2 Credit(s)
or
DANC 235 - Intermediate Ballet 2 Credit(s)
DANC 421 - Modern Dance III 4 Credit(s)
or
DANC 422 - Modern Dance III 4 Credit(s)
DANC 441 - Modern Dance IV 4 Credit(s)
or
DANC 442 - Modern Dance IV 4 Credit(s)

Composition Requirements: 6 Credits

required

DANC 312 - Dance Composition II 3 Credit(s)
DANC 325 - New Repertory 1 Credit(s)

Remaining Credits Chosen From:

DANC 390 - Special Projects: Dance Composition 1-3 Credit(s)
@DANC 494 - Senior Choreographic Project 3 Credit(s)
or
Additional Credits of DANC 325

Enrichment Requirements: 6 Credits Minimum

chosen from the following

DRAM 206 - Fundamentals of Technical Theatre 4 Credit(s)
@DANC 223 - Costume Construction 4 Credit(s)
or
@DRAM 223 - Costume Construction 4 Credit(s)
@DANC 244 - Stage Management 3 Credit(s)
or
@DRAM 244 - Stage Management 3 Credit(s)
DRAM 251 - Foundations of Design for the Stage 3 Credit(s)
DANC 320 - 20th/21st Century Dance History 3 Credit(s)
DRAM 331 - Costume Design 3 Credit(s)
DRAM 333 - Stage Makeup and Mask Design 4 Credit(s)
DANC 355 - Lighting Design for the Stage 3 Credit(s)
or
DRAM 355 - Lighting Design for the Stage 3 Credit(s)
@DANC 450 - The Teaching of Dance 3 Credit(s)
@DANC 490 - Special Projects in Teaching 1-3 Credit(s)
MULH 110 - Music Through the Ages 3 Credit(s)

Required Cognate Courses: 10 Credits

Students who have completed either DRAM 206 or DANC 223 /DRAM 223 must complete 1 credit of DANC 207 / DRAM 207 and 2 credits of DANC 307 / DRAM 307 . If neither course was taken, students must complete 2 credits of DANC 207 / DRAM 207 and 2 credits of DANC 307 DRAM 307 .

DANC 101 - Introduction to Performance Studies 3 Credit(s)
or
DRAM 101 - Introduction to Performance Studies 3 Credit(s)
DRAM 235 - Introduction to Acting 3 Credit(s)
@DANC 207 - Technical Theatre Production I 1 Credit(s) and
@DANC 307 - Technical Theatre Production II 1 Credit(s)

Dance Majors are Required to:

Attend all dance auditions.
Perform in a minimum of one faculty or guest artist concert work.
Attend all workshops and classes of visiting guest artists.
Attend all required Department of Theatre and Dance productions.

Dance Major Policies on Student Grades and Performing:

Any student receiving a grade of 1.0 or less for any course offered through the Department of Theatre and Dance will be ineligible for casting in any student directed or choreographed production during the semester immediately following the semester in which the failing grade is issued. Eligibility in faculty directed or choreographed productions will be left to the discretion of the directing faculty member and the Department Chair.
To participate as a choreographer (DANC 390 or DANC 494 ) a student’s overall GPA must be at least a 2.0, and the GPA in dance courses must be at least a 2.3 during the semester preceding the concert.

Note(s)

An interview is recommended to declare a dance major. An audition is not currently required.
Appropriate technique levels for students are determined during a placement class. Only credit from the above-listed technique courses will be applied toward the fulfillment of the required technique track of the major. The focus of the technique track is modern dance. The academic adviser or program chair will determine applicable credit hours from other dance genres, such as ballet.
Students in the major are expected to focus their studies on technique and composition courses. They will continue their studies with enrichment courses in history, repertory, movement theory, and/or dance education.
A minimum of 16 credit hours for the major must be taken at the upper-division level.