AUDITION INFORMATION | FINANCIAL AID | UNDERGRADUATE ONLINE FORMS

 

Undergraduate Program

 

The Department of Dance at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign offers undergraduate students the best of both worlds: a small, intimate department—60 undergraduates and 14 graduates—set in a large, world-class university. Dance majors are able to pursue professional dance training while earning a degree from a major institution of learning. The 8 to 1 student-faculty ratio provides students with the attention they need for artistic development. At the same time, the wider university environment provides diverse course offerings, excellent library and sports facilities, and the cultural life that a university community of 37,000 can offer.

We are the only Dance Department in the state of Illinois that offers both BFA and MFA degrees. Our nationally recognized faculty, state-of-the-art facilities, exciting array of guest artists, and diverse performance opportunities are among the reasons our department has consistently
been ranked as one of the top 10 programs in the nation. The university community also has a rich resource in the Krannert Center for the
Performing Arts, one of the midwest's leading presenters of music,
theatre, and dance.

 

Summer High School Dance Intensive
COME DANCE WITH US THIS SUMMER!
University of Illinois Summer High School Dance Intensive 2008
June 15 - 22, 2008

Daily classes include modern, jazz, ballet, composition, & repertory.
Stay at the Busey Evans and dine at Illinois Street Residence Halls located on campus and near all dance studios. View the Summer Intensive schedule.

This week long intensive will begin on Monday morning and will end with an informal showing on Sunday.
Cost for the Intensive, including room and board, is $575.

To reserve a space at the Intensive, please register by May 23, 2008. You can enroll by printing the Registration/Application and the Activity Waiver (both available on the Undergraduate Online Forms page) and send them, along with a non-refundable check payable to the

University of Illinois
907 1/2 West Nevada St.
Urbana, IL 61801

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
For more information please contact Sonia Warfel.

 

The Program
The University of Illinois Dance Department is one of the oldest, most respected programs in the United States. Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance, the Department has also consistently been included in the listing of Top Ten dance departments in Dance Teacher Magazine, and works performed by UIUC dance majors have been recognized annually at regional and national festivals of the American College Dance Festival Association. Jack Anderson, dance critic for the New York Times, praised the University's dancers for "the freshness of their dancing" after their New York City debut in May, 1993.

The faculty of eight full-time and six part-time members are nationally-recognized practicing artists and/or scholars. Between eight and ten re-nowned choreographers and performers from all over the country come to campus as guest artists each year, offering diverse viewpoints and providing contacts for students in the professional dance world. In addition, profes-sional touring companies brought to campus by the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts offer week-long residencies. Undergraduate students also work closely with the graduate students enrolled in the MFA program, many of whom are returning professionals.

Program Catalogs: The Undergraduate Program Catalog and Course Catalog can be purchased by contacting the Illini Union Bookstore | 809 South Wright Street | Champaign, Illinois 61820 | Telephone: 217 333-2050 | www.union.uiuc.edu/iubstore

 

Bachelor of Fine Arts Curriculum in Dance
The BFA curriculum in Dance is an intensive program of study for the dedi-cated student, with concentration in the areas of technique (modern and ballet), improvisation/composition, and performance. Additional course work and curricular experiences are required in the areas of history, dance and movement sciences, music theory and literature, teaching, repertory,
and production.

Program requirements include a minimum of seven technique classes per week (ballet and modern dance), per semester. Two additional courses in other dance forms are required. Technique placement is assigned by the faculty. Major students must achieve the advanced technical level in modern dance and the intermediate level in ballet for two semesters prior to graduation. The improvisation/composition sequence consists of a minimum eleven hour course work requirement culminating in the production of a shared senior project concert. A minimum of six credit hours is required in performance/repertory. The curriculum includes up to twenty-two hours
of electives.

Assessment of majors is continuous throughout the program. A 2.75 GPA in professional course work and a 3.0 cumulative average in studio classes is required of all BFA candidates. Transfer students may complete degree requirements in a three-year period, contingent upon prior completion of general education requirements and the fulfillment of the advanced technique requirement.

The degree awarded is a Bachelor of Fine Arts, so a substantial portion of the curriculum focuses on the studio component, along with an emphasis on academic work. A total of 130 credit hours is required for the degree:

• 34–36 credit hours in general education courses
• 79 credit hours in dance courses, including studio courses and
    dance academics
• 17–19 credit hours in electives

As a dance major, you will have quite a full schedule. At the same time,
there are enough elective hours to allow for course work in other areas of interest.

 

Performing
There are a wide variety of performance opportunities available for dance majors at the University of Illinois, ranging from concerts presented on a proscenium stage at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts to informal concerts presented in our dance studio/theater.

The Department has developed a rich tradition of producing significant and varied dance repertory including works by resident faculty and guest choreographers, as well as reconstructions of dance classics, produced in the Colwell Playhouse Theatre in two yearly concerts. Recent concert highlights include the first University performance of Twyla Tharps' The Fugue; the Midwestern premieres of Nijinsky's original choreography for L'apres-midi d'un Faune, and Martha Graham's Panorama; José Limòn's Concerto Grosso and A Choreographic Offering; Paul Taylor's Esplanade, Doris Humphrey's Soaring, Alwin Nikolais' Sanctum and Tensile Involvement; Tally Beatty's Mourner's Bench, and works by Ralph Lemon, Bebe Miller, Doug Elkins,
Lynn Dally, Beverly Blossom, Bill Young, Joe Goode, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Tere O'Connor, and Susan Marshall.

There are two performances presented yearly in Krannert's more intimate Studio Theater: a showcase of graduating MFA candidates' thesis works, and
a juried concert of choreography by dance majors.

The resident lecture-demonstration company, ...Ready, Set, Dance! performs in community schools. Incorporating a wide range of dance styles including ballet, modern, jazz, and ethnic dance, participants experience the challenge of performance for diverse populations in a variety of settings.
Additional performing opportunities are provided in concerts presented by faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate seniors in our dance studio/theatre. In addition, dance majors perform in composition showings each semester, in site-specific works, and at regional and national college dance festivals. Opportunities for performance in musicals, revues, plays, operas, and contemporary music concerts are ongoing.

 

Facilities
The performance component of the Department is housed in the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, utilizing the exceptional performing, production, and teaching resources of this facility. One of the two spacious dance studios in the Center doubles as a performance space, with state-of-the-art lighting and audio equipment.

Additional facilities, including three custom-designed studios, offices, and a physical therapy room, are located in two newly constructed buildings in close proximity to the Krannert Center.

Filling a two-block area of the University of Illinois' east campus, the
Krannert Center for the Performing Arts is one of the leading cultural centers and educational facilities in the country. The complex includes four theatres, scenic and wardrobe shops, audio, video, and rehearsal studios; classroom space for dance, music, and theatre; a cafe and a gift shop. The Center is the main performing laboratory for students and faculty in the performing arts and the hub for outside cultural events in dance, theatre, music, mime,
and opera.

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

If I want to be a professional dancer, why go to college?

The advantages are many. In addition to rigorous technical training, dance majors have the opportunity to develop their own creative voices and to experiment consistently with the craft of composition. The ability to improvise and create movement is especially important today, since so many contemporary choreographers use creative input from their dancers in their choreographic process. It's true that many outstanding dancers begin working professionally in their late teens, especially ballet dancers. However, the number of dancers who join companies or form their own companies after earning a college degree in dance has been increasing dramatically over the past twenty years. If you read dancers' bios in concert programs, you'll notice that most of the dancers in modern companies have graduated from university dance programs.

The breadth of dance studies offered in a university program prepares you to function in a variety of artistic roles. You will:

• gain performing experience in diverse venues under the direction of
   faculty, student choreographers, and guest artists
• become familiar with the historical and cultural dimensions of dance
• form and defend value judgments about dance
• gain an understanding of your body and learn how to maximize your    physical potential and work efficiently
• develop skills in production and teaching
• pursue individual areas of interest through internships, independent study    projects, and general education courses

Basically, a university dance program provides the breadth of experience necessary to develop your full artistic and humanistic dimensions.

 

What is unique about the UIUC Dance Department?

• Faculty who are actively involved as choreographers, writers, performers,    or composers, and have been cited for the excellence of their teaching.
• World-class performance facilities and concert series at Krannert Center
    for the Performing Arts (KCPA).
• The broad repertoire and reputation of excellence in Department of Dance
   performances.
• Interdisciplinary activity including site-specific performances and cross-
    listed courses; opportunities for creative collaborations with students in     other disciplines; and a close working relationship with the School of Music     and Department of Theatre.
• Consistent recognition for choreography and performance at regional and
    national festivals of the American Dance Festival Association.

 

What are some related fields that I might consider in the future?

Elective courses may be concentrated in a particular area with the idea of future work at the graduate level. Some fields that may interest dancers are:

• Dance Therapy
• Somatics (such as Alexander Technique, Pilates, Feldenkrais)
• Physical Therapy
• Teaching: university, studio, and public school
   (K-12 certification requirements vary from state to state)
• Dance Notation
• Dance History and Criticism
• Arts Administration

 

Why is the University of Illinois listed as a "Best Buy" in Money Magazine?

Money Magazine described U of I as "a huge school boasting an enormous range of academic and social opportunities at a bargain price." The 1995 U.S. News and World Report ranked U of I "No. 1" as the best value in the nation. Fiske Guide to Colleges gives U of I a five-star rating for academics:
"The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a giant among academic institutions, ranking among the world's great universities."
Cost of attendance: tuition and other charges for the 2005-2006 academic year:

	Illinois Resident	Non-Resident
Tuition* & fees	$ 8,994	$22,720
Books & Supplies	950	950
Housing and Meals	7,176	7,176
Other Expenses	2,480	2,810
Total	$19,240	$33,656

*Add $500 per year for first year students, freshmen & transfers.

 

What are some of your alumni doing now?

A recent survey of UIUC dance alums indicates that 78 percent of our graduates are employed as dance professionals (artistic directors, choreographers, performers, teachers), 9 percent are employed in a related field, and 13 percent are working outside the field.

Recent graduates have danced in companies such as Trisha Brown Dance Company (New York), Margaret Jenkins Dance Company (San Francisco), Hubbard Street Dance Company (Chicago), ODC (San Francisco), Jan Erkert Company (Chicago), Joseph Holmes Company (Chicago), Murray Louis Dance Company (New York), Toronto Dance Theatre, and Repertory Dance Theatre
(Salt Lake City).

Many of our graduates are professors at universities, have formed their own dance companies, teach in public schools or studios, work as dance therapists, dance and choreograph for musical theatre, and dance in regional companies throughout the United States.

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BFA Curriculum Requirements for Graduation
Effective Fall 2002

GENERAL EDUCATION | 34 to 36 hours plus foreign language requirement

COMPOSITION (4 to 6 hrs)
I: Rhetoric, as place; Speech Com. 111 &112; or ESL 114-115
II: Requirement satisfied by Dance 340

HUMANITIES AND THE ARTS (6 hrs)
2 courses from the Distribution List

SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES (6 hrs)
2 courses from the Distribution List

NATURAL SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY (6 hrs)
2 courses from the Distribution List

QUANTITATIVE REASONING I (3 hrs)
1 courses from the Distribution List

QUANTITATIVE REASONING II (3 hrs)
1 courses from the Distribution List

CULTURAL STUDIES (6 hrs)
1 courses from the Distribution List in Western
1 courses from the Distribution List in Non-Western U.S. Minority

 

FOREIGN EDUCATION REQUIREMENT

Three years of high school required; if deficient, 1 semester of college language equals 1 year of high school language.

 

PROFESSIONAL COURSES IN DANCE | 79 Hours

TECHNIQUE: (32 hrs minimum: a minimum of 4 hrs each semester in residence, totaling at least 7 classes per week)
Modern Technique (DANC 160/161/260/261/360/361)–18 hrs
Ballet (DANC 166/167/266/267/366/367)–8 hrs
Elective in Modern, Ballet, or Jazz (160/161/260/261/360/361/166/167/266/267/366/367/110/410)–6 hrs

ADDITIONAL DANCE FORMS (2 courses {2–4 hrs} required)
Jazz Dance (110/410)
Tap Dance (415)
Theatre Dance (412/413)

IMPROVISATION/COMPOSITION: (11 hrs)
Improvisation I and II (DANC 162, 163)
Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced Composition (DANC 262, 263, 362)
Senior Project (DANC 499)

DANCE ACADEMICS (22 hrs)
Orientation to Dance (DANC 150)
Music Theory and Music Literature for Dancers (DANC 268, 269)
History OF Dance I and II (DANC 440, 441)
Dance Kinesiology and Somatics (DANC 445)
Teaching Workshop (DANC 450)
Senior Career Seminar (DANC 495)

PERFORMANCE: (6 hours); maximum of 16 credits counts towards degree
Performance Practicum (DANC 220/221/222/223/420/421/422/423)
Repertory (DANC 435)

PRODUCTION: (6 hrs)
Production in Dance (DANC 175)
Production Practicum (DANC 131/231/331/431)–1 hr per academic year