- Overview
- Learning Outcomes
- Requirements
- Curriculum Details
Program Purpose
The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Dance program seeks to help professionally experienced dance artists who have been trained systematically at the undergraduate level either in Classical Chinese Dance or Classical Ballet to acquire artistry, knowledge, and competency to become lead or principal dancers, managers, college faculty, researchers, or scholars so they can help preserve, promote, and facilitate cross-communications between Classical Chinese Dance and Classical Ballet in diverse cultural settings.
Educational Objectives
The Master of Fine Arts in Dance program aims to:
- To help students develop advanced technical proficiency and artistry in dance that enables them to pursue professional careers in performance, choreography, teaching, and/or administration.
- To enable students to develop the ability to create original choreographic works in dance both independently and in collaboration with others, as well as to conduct investigative research in dance.
- To obtain requisite knowledge and skills for teaching and explaining dance in its cultural, historical, and aesthetic contexts through both verbal and written language to audiences with diverse backgrounds.
Faculty
Program Learning Outcomes
After completing this program, students will:
- Students will maintain technical proficiency while refining one’s expression in Classical Ballet and/or Classical Chinese Dance.
- Students will develop further insight into movement range, processes and mechanics, and movement principles in Classical Ballet and/or Classical Chinese dance.
- Students will choreograph works that embody one’s own artistic philosophy, style, and intellectual insight.
- Students will be able to resourcefully conduct research, and effectively utilize knowledge for investigative purposes and theoretical inquiry.
- Students will display extensive dance knowledge that encompasses the areas of history, theory, science, and education, and be able to describe their interrelation.
- Students will be able to articulate and defend one’s theoretical understanding and artistic views through lucid oral and written discourse.
Admissions Requirement
Institutional-wide Admission Criteria
- Completion of undergraduate degree
- Official Transcript: allow for evaluation of academic performance, relevant coursework, and overall readiness for college-level study.
- Personal Statement: helps reviewers understand the applicant’s motivations and aspirations to pursue the program of study.
- CV: presents the academic and professional history of the applicant
- Letters of Recommendation: Letters of recommendation from teachers, mentors, or professionals familiar with the applicant’s abilities and potential, and additional insights into the applicant’s character, work ethic, and potential for success in the program.
Program-specific Criteria
- Unless an in-person interview could be arranged, applicants must submit a 5-minute audition video file of the applicant performing ballet, classical Chinese dance, and/or another dance form. The video does not need to be recent—it can be a video from when the applicant was at the peak of his/her performance career. Recordings must be unedited and clearly labeled with the applicant’s full name and a list of the repertoire performed therein. Alternatively, applicants can also submit 10 dance photos of themselves.
- Applicants may be invited to campus for a live audition if deemed necessary. The live audition consists of a condensed class dance technique and lasts for approximately one and a half hours. If the applicant passes the first part of the audition, he or she will be asked to perform a short solo dance piece that the applicant has learned or choreographed. The solo should be accompanied by music that is playable from an MP3 player or similar device.
Specific admission criteria for the MFA in Dance program include:
- Prior systematic training in ballet, classical Chinese dance, and/or general dance competency
- Prior professional experience in dance performance, production, choreography, and/or dance teaching
- Experience or exhibiting keen interest in using the form of dance for cross-cultural communication.
Graduation Requirement
Students must complete all the required credits in the Studio Core Requirements, Academic Core Requirement, Free Electives, and the final Master’s Project with a minimum GPA of 2.5 in order to graduate.
Curriculum Overview
The MFA in Dance is a 60-semester credit curriculum with four major components: studio core requirements, academic core requirements, electives, and a capstone project with an optional thesis.
MFA in Dance Curriculum
| Area | Credits |
|---|---|
| Studio Core Requirements | 22 |
| Concentration courses, one of | 22 |
| Classical Chinese Dance | |
| Techniques | 16 |
| Repertoire | 4 |
| Choreography | 2 |
| Classical Ballet | |
| Techniques | 16 |
| Repertoire | 4 |
| Choreography | 2 |
| Academic Core Requirements | 12 |
| Pedagogy | 2 |
| History and Theory | 4 |
| Dance Science | 3 |
| Research | 2 |
| Music | 1 |
| Graduate Electives Requirements | 20 |
| Studio Electives | >8 |
| Academic Electives | >8 |
| Master’s Project | 6 |
| Total Required Credits for Graduation | 60 |
Curriculum Details
| Code | Course Title | Credits | Prerequisite(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio Core | 22 | ||
| Choose one of the following concentrations: | |||
| Classical Ballet Concentration | 22 | ||
| DAB501R | Advanced Classical Ballet I | 8 | None |
| DAB601R | Advanced Classical Ballet II | 8 | DAB501R |
| DAB521R | Repertory I: Classical Ballet | 4 | None |
| DAB534 | Graduate Choreography I: Classical Ballet | 2 | None |
| Classical Chinese Dance Concentration | 22 | ||
| DAN501R | Advanced Classical Chinese Dance I | 8 | None |
| DAN601R | Advanced Classical Chinese Dance II | 8 | DAN501R |
| DAN521R | Repertory I: Classical Chinese Dance | 4 | None |
| DAN534 | Graduate Choreography I: Classical Chinese Dance | 2 | None |
| Academic Core | 12 | ||
| DAN511 | Dance Throughout the Ages | 3 | None |
| DAN512 | Dance Kinesiology | 3 | None |
| DAN531 | Advanced Pedagogy I | 2 | None |
| DAN545 | Integration of Dance and Music | 1 | None |
| DAN548 | Seminar: Dance in Cultural Context | 1 | None |
| LAS550 | Research Methodology in the Arts | 2 | None |
| Graduate Electives | 20 | ||
|
Studio Electives – select at least 8 cr from the following: (2 credits must be a studio fundamentals course NOT within the student’s concentration) |
|||
| DAN502R | Advanced Pointe & Partnering I | 4 (2 cr per sem) | Instructor Consent |
| DAN602R | Advanced Pointe & Partnering II | 4 (2 cr per sem) | DAB502R |
| DAN522 | Acting for Stage | 2 | None |
| DAB535 | Graduate Choreography II: Ballet | 2 | DAB534 |
| DAN535 | Graduate Choreography II: Classical Chinese Dance | 2 | DAN534 |
| DAN541 | Intermediate Techniques of Classical Chinese Dance I | 2 | None |
| DAN542 | Intermediate Techniques of Classical Chinese Dance II | 2 | DAB541 |
| DAB541 | Intermediate Techniques of Classical Ballet I | 2 | None |
| DAB542 | Intermediate Techniques of Classical Ballet II | 2 | DAN542 |
| DAN543 | Intermediate Techniques of Modern Dance I | 2 | Instructor Consent |
| DAN544 | Intermediate Techniques of Modern Dance II | 2 | DAN543 |
| DAB621R | Repertory II: Ballet | 4 (2 cr per sem) | DAB521R |
| DAN621R | Repertory II: Classical Chinese Dance | 4 (2 cr per sem) | DAN521R |
| Academic Electives – select at least 8 cr from the following: | |||
| DAN532 | Advanced Pedagogy II | 2 | DAN531 |
| DAN633 | Psychology in Dance Education | 2 | DAN531 |
| DAN646 | Topics in Dance Ethnography | 2 | None |
| DAN647 | Perspectives on Dance Aesthetics | 2 | None |
| LAS522 | Seminar in Performing Arts Management | 2 | None |
| LAS570 | Media Technology for the Arts | 2 | None |
|
Other Electives (may be credited toward studio/ elective credits, with Department Chair approval) |
|||
| DAN652 | Independent Study or Project | 2 | Department Chair approval |
| DAN661 | Internship | 4 | Department Chair approval |
| DAN662 | Graduate Practicum | 4 | Department Chair approval |
| Master Projects | 6 | ||
| DAN651 | Master’s Project | 6 | LAS550 |
| Total Credits Required for Graduation | 60 | ||
