The curriculum of the Dance department is designed to be a basis for graduate study or careers in the areas of choreography, performance, teaching, dance administration and movement science.
The dance major has three tracks to choose from: a traditional, disciplinary performance-based focus, an interdisciplinary dance studies concentration, or an individually designed major. The dance major and minor may be either disciplinary or interdisciplinary, depending on the courses selected.
If you'd like to view a full listing of our course options in Dance or any other subject, please visit the Online Course Catalogue.
disciplinary, 12 courses
DAN 105; DAN 200; DAN 225; DAN 300; DAN 325; DAN 210, DAN 212, or DAN 214; two technique (DAN) courses at the intermediate or advanced level; a dance ensemble course (DAN 140); two additional DAN electives or approved courses outside the department; and the dance senior seminar, DAN 460.
interdisciplinary, 12 courses
DAN 105; DAN 225 or DAN 325; DAN 210 and DAN 212 or DAN 212 and DAN 214; one other 200-level DAN elective; two technique (DAN) courses at the intermediate or advanced level; AEP 335, The Arts and Human Development, EDUC 295, Theatre and the Child, EDUC 301, Drama in Developmental Context, or an arts-related bidisciplinary (BIDS) course; DAN 460, the dance senior seminar; and three courses outside the department approved by the major adviser.
disciplinary, 6 courses
DAN 105; DAN 210 or DAN 212; DAN 200 or DAN 300; two technique (DAN) courses at the intermediate or advanced level; and two additional dance (DAN) courses.
interdisciplinary, 6 courses
DAN 105; DAN 210 or DAN 212; DAN 225 or DAN 325; two technique (DAN) courses at an intermediate or advanced level; and two additional dance (DAN) courses or courses outside the department approved by the adviser.
Our students choose from a variety of introductory and advanced courses, each designed to provide students with a solid foundation in the technical, theoretical and historical aspects of dance. Beginning to advanced technique courses are offered in Modern, Ballet and Jazz.
Below, you'll find a sampling of some of our most popular classes, as well as suggestions for making Dance a part of your larger interdisciplinary experience at Hobart and William Smith Colleges.
Learn advanced technique and technical execution with emphasis on integrating dynamic placement, musical phrasing and complex turns, jumps and balances. Then discover the communicative relationship between the mind and body, which allows us to perform specific functions in PEC 152, Mind/Body/Performance.
Explore the art and craft of making dances with a focus on group choreography and aspects such as devloping a unique movement vocabulary, group compositions, site-specific work and choreographic process and documentation. Further develop your composition skills by enrolling in WRRH 100 Writer's Seminar and refine the expression of your own ideas, positions and interpretations.
Learn the practices and principles of teaching dance while you explore the specific concerns of the dance classroom such as injury prevention, the use of imagery and composition of movement material, as well as formation of curriculum and lesson plans. Since you're interested in teaching, why not enroll in EDUC 083-07, Teaching the Arts, and examine the artistic development of students from the preschool age through high school and discover methods for teaching the arts at all grade levels.
