Dance majors?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My dancer will not be majoring in dance. Dance is an activity, not a future.

There are so many different ways to keep dance in their life in college and beyond.

They could minor, join an on campus group or company, do Dance team.

There are schools that give money for talent even without a major-wake, Bucknell and sacred heart in ct come to mind. My daughter got some extra money at Randolph for dance talent that stacked with other scholarships/incentives.

There are schools out there that have special programs with local ballet companies. West Chester in PA has a certificate program with Brandywine Ballet. Dickinson works with CPYB. UNC-Charlotte has a program with Charlotte Ballet. Greensboro Ballet has a special program for local college students to train with them.

Student could also choose to take classes at local studios. Boston and NYC are full of them. I just read about a student at American taking some extra dance at Washington Ballet.

Again, this is all a very personal decision. Dance is what got my daughter into college. She doesn’t intend to make her money from performance in her future. Maybe she will teach for fun. She hopes to go the dance science route and do therapy/training work with dancers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My dancer will not be majoring in dance. Dance is an activity, not a future.

That’s easy to say when you have a mediocre dancer. Talented dancers have more options.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have experience with George Mason’s dance program? I saw a performance at the Center for the Arts last spring and was impressed with the caliber of dancers and choreography I saw. Truly exceptional. DD doesn’t want to stay so close to home, and the campus is a bit dull, but the dance program seemed very strong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have experience with George Mason’s dance program? I saw a performance at the Center for the Arts last spring and was impressed with the caliber of dancers and choreography I saw. Truly exceptional. DD doesn’t want to stay so close to home, and the campus is a bit dull, but the dance program seemed very strong.

GMU has an excellent well regarded dance program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have experience with George Mason’s dance program? I saw a performance at the Center for the Arts last spring and was impressed with the caliber of dancers and choreography I saw. Truly exceptional. DD doesn’t want to stay so close to home, and the campus is a bit dull, but the dance program seemed very strong.

GMU has an excellent well regarded dance program.

This. But incredibly intense and quite hard to double major

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My dancer will not be majoring in dance. Dance is an activity, not a future.

That’s easy to say when you have a mediocre dancer. Talented dancers have more options.

Cruise ships?

[Anonymous]

I was a dance major at Shenandoah and still use my degree everyday. I would encourage her to thing of what she ultimately wants to do and find a school that can help her achieve that. George Mason is excellent.

For example Shenandoah is now much more commercial based - which means graduates head to LA or NYC for jobs in entertainment. Some schools are still traditionally modern/contemp. based with the focus to join a modern company.

Several people I graduated with have used their degree in different ways - like attending PT school and becoming a dance therapist or a PT for a company. A lot minored in business and work in the arts/ art management at places like the Kennedy center etc.

I helped to develop the state standards for dance education and still work in public schools as a dance educator and am hired by various studios as a guest choreographer. There are a lot of dance careers that are not sorely a "ballerina"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Muhlenberg College in PA is worth a look. Strong arts, including dance. Students can major or minor in dance and it’s a liberal arts school so many other majors to choose from.

This is a big favorite on the Dance Parent Board.

The most difficult to please child on that board finally landed there and stayed to finish.

Ha ha, this made me laugh. "The most difficult to please child."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What schools is she considering?

If Indiana (Jacobs School of Music) is on the list and she has a realistic chance of getting in there, then yes, it’s a very good idea.

Even the next tier down, as in Oklahoma or Butler, possibly a good idea. Below schools at that level for the dance department, I wouldn’t encourage my child to major in dance.

She’s interested in Towson, Pace University, VCU, Temple, and Spelman.

VCU, Pace and Temple all have great performing arts programs. I'm a VCU grad with friends who went to Temple. Also lived in NYC, so know Pace. I am from theatre, so not dance specific, but I know dance was strong at VCU. You might consider Muhlenberg as a BA alternative as the other 3 are all BFA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My dancer will not be majoring in dance. Dance is an activity, not a future.

That’s easy to say when you have a mediocre dancer. Talented dancers have more options.

Cruise ships?

That’s one path. Other grads I know have been hired by professional companies including Mark Morris, Elizabeth Streb, Nederlands, Pilobolus, and Martha Graham Company. Some are running their own companies or studios. Others are teaching in private studios, or go on for MFAs and teach in universities as adjunct or tenured faculty members. A few have managed to balance high level careers while dancing in well regarded local companies part-time. It’s not an easy path and requires sacrifices, but dancers who are driven, disciplined, and talented can make it work. Those who have potential but can only see one path flame out and those who lack talent or drive give up. The others just keep working and evolving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have experience with George Mason’s dance program? I saw a performance at the Center for the Arts last spring and was impressed with the caliber of dancers and choreography I saw. Truly exceptional. DD doesn’t want to stay so close to home, and the campus is a bit dull, but the dance program seemed very strong.

It is an excellent program as long as you don't want to perform ballets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My dancer will not be majoring in dance. Dance is an activity, not a future.

There is nothing wrong with a double major. Most students in my dance program had double majors. Most are doctors and laywers now.
Others opened studios or become college dance professors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have experience with George Mason’s dance program? I saw a performance at the Center for the Arts last spring and was impressed with the caliber of dancers and choreography I saw. Truly exceptional. DD doesn’t want to stay so close to home, and the campus is a bit dull, but the dance program seemed very strong.

It is an excellent program as long as you don't want to perform ballets.

Ballet dancers usually study with companies rather than at college. They may go later, but ballet is just a younger more vocational focus. Modern and jazz totally different. Friend of mine was in tech and started dancing modern in his 30s. Was an athlete on hs and college. Ended up dancing professionally with Martha Graham.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was a dance major at Shenandoah and still use my degree everyday. I would encourage her to thing of what she ultimately wants to do and find a school that can help her achieve that. George Mason is excellent.

For example Shenandoah is now much more commercial based - which means graduates head to LA or NYC for jobs in entertainment. Some schools are still traditionally modern/contemp. based with the focus to join a modern company.

Several people I graduated with have used their degree in different ways - like attending PT school and becoming a dance therapist or a PT for a company. A lot minored in business and work in the arts/ art management at places like the Kennedy center etc.

I helped to develop the state standards for dance education and still work in public schools as a dance educator and am hired by various studios as a guest choreographer. There are a lot of dance careers that are not sorely a "ballerina"

I really liked ShenCo (only an hour from home), but my daughter was intimidated by the other dancers who came to the Major for a Day program she attended and decided not to apply. Too bad because I know she really liked the instructors that she had met through various programs, including High School Dance Festival.

They actually have a really great PT program and lots of the dancers try to double to go that route. As my daughter had that dance science interest, I thought that was going to be a big selling point.

Oh, well - she's happy with where she landed and that is all that matters. But yes, Shenandoah is a sought after program. I know several who picked it over places like Point Park

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My dancer will not be majoring in dance. Dance is an activity, not a future.

That’s easy to say when you have a mediocre dancer. Talented dancers have more options.

Cruise ships?

I think this would be such a cool experience. If only for a couple years! No idea if my child will even try, but...seriously, fun!