B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography
The major in Dance Performance and Choreography leads to the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
Overall Goals for BFA Performance and Choreography
The B.F.A. Dance Performance major prepares students for entry into the professional world of dance as skilled technicians, creative artists and independent thinkers. The dance performance courses offers students the option of refining skills for the stage acquired in technique classes.
Towson University Dance students will:
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Synthesize expressive range, stylistic versatility and rigorous standards within healthy technical achievement and somatic understanding
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Analyze, intuit, deliver and evaluate the creative process for original dance choreography
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Demonstrate oral and written skills, critical thinking in aesthetic language, and historical/world view perspectives
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Recognize, choose and demonstrate leadership skills
Towson University Dance students are encouraged to:
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Develop an ability to creatively respond, both divergently and convergently, to changing environments
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Transition thinking from dance as hobby to a preparation for a lifetime in professional work
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Develop a unique artistic voice through dreaming, risking, envisioning and creating dance work with rigor
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Maintain a healthy, toned and energized physique, with somatic approach that supports dynamic alignment, reducing risk, increasing health and longevity of the dancer
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Study dance history with a world view for understanding and appreciation of all people
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Regularly engage as a whole person in physical, artistic and intellectual strategies that facilitate an appreciation of dance as an expressive, scholarly and progressive art form
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Cultivate themselves as intelligent audience members who respect the art form and become lifetime arts advocates.
Towson University dance student is asked to engage and deliver by:
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Demonstrating kinesthetic understanding of dynamic alignment
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Exploring dancing as dynamic movers through a variety of somatic practices
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Describing and assessing one’s creative process to promote creativity, innovation, imagination and collaboration
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Implementing choreographic tools (e.g. movement invention, use of metaphor, collaboration, use of time, space, shape …)
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Demonstrating disciplined, diligent work ethic, with an open mind, and mutual respect in the classroom.
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Developing personal strategies for motivation, confidence, teamwork, creative problem solving and other life skills that transfers to other disciplines and future ambitions
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Receiving and providing critical feedback (nonverbal, oral and written) to reflect embodied cognition
The B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography requires a total of 80 units. All majors are required to successfully complete audition and jury as well as complete 15 points in performance credit as milestones for graduation. Students in the major must complete 63 units of required DANC courses, 3 units of THEA, 12 units of DANC electives, and the performance requirements outlined below. A grade equivalent of 2.50 or higher is required for all courses in the major.
Code | Title | Units |
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Required Courses for all Majors | ||
DANC 126 | MUSICAL CONCEPTS FOR DANCERS 1 | 3 |
DANC 216 | SOPHOMORE CREW 1 | 1 |
DANC 223 | LEVEL I BALLET 1 | 2 |
DANC 224 | LEVEL I BALLET 1 | 2 |
DANC 227 | LEVEL I MODERN 1 | 2 |
DANC 228 | LEVEL I MODERN 1 | 2 |
DANC 235 | DANCE COMPOSITION I 1 | 3 |
DANC 245 | SCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR MOVEMENT I 1 | 3 |
DANC 250 | METHODS OF TEACHING DANCE: TECHNIQUE | 2 |
DANC 263 | DANCE DESIGN AND PRODUCTION | 3 |
DANC 316 | JUNIOR CREW | 1 |
DANC 321 | RESPONDING TO DANCE | 3 |
DANC 335 | DANCE COMPOSITION II | 2 |
DANC 336 | DANCE COMPOSITION III | 2 |
DANC 345 | SCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR MOVEMENT II 1 | 2 |
DANC 346 | SCIENTIFIC BASIS OF ANALYSES OF MOVEMENT III | 1 |
DANC 436 | DANCE COMPOSITION IV: FOR THE PROSCENIUM | 2 |
DANC 437 | DANCE COMPOSITION V: FOR THE CAMERA | 3 |
DANC 480 | SENIOR PROJECT: SEMINAR | 2 |
DANC 491 | SENIOR PROJECT: CONCERT/LECTURE DEMONSTRATION | 3 |
THEA 101 | ACTING I | 3 |
Level II Technique Courses 2 | ||
DANC 323 & DANC 324 | LEVEL II BALLET and LEVEL II BALLET | 6 |
DANC 327 & DANC 328 | LEVEL II MODERN and LEVEL II MODERN | 6 |
Level III Technique Courses 2 | ||
A total of 9 units must be taken in Level III courses. | 9 | |
LEVEL III BALLET | ||
LEVEL III BALLET | ||
LEVEL III MODERN | ||
LEVEL III MODERN | ||
Electives | ||
Of the 12 total units of electives required, all must be from DANC. | 12 | |
For Performance majors, at least 6 units of electives must be in Modern Repertory, Ballet Repertory or Dance Company. | ||
Total Units | 80 |
1 | Foundational courses |
2 | Students are required to master each level of ballet and modern dance before progressing to the next level. |
When courses are repeated, content will be changed with each offering of the course.
Performance Requirements for Majors
To fulfill performance requirements for graduation, all dance majors must audition for the TU Dance Company a minimum of two times during their tenure at Towson and fulfill one of the following options:
Option A
- 3 units of either TU Dance Company or Ballet or Modern Repertory.
- 12 additional performance points earned by Composition III and IV student dance projects.
Option B
- Exceptions for transfer students by approval of the department chair.
Completion of Option A or Option B completes the performance milestone requirements.
Performance Milestone for Majors:
To fulfill the Performance Milestone for graduation, all dance majors must:
Complete 9 performance points in extracurricular activities:
6 points must be earned by participating in student dance projects for a class in which you are not enrolled. Approved courses are Composition III, IV, V, and Senior Seminar Projects.
3 points may be earned by additional composition work, form the above list, for a class in which you are not enrolled, or from a performance in Inertia, DMPP, ACDA, or an individual work approved by a Towson university Faculty Member.
Juries
As a mechanism for assessing progress toward the degree, all Dance majors will be evaluated by a jury of faculty members during the spring term of the sophomore year. The jury will consider a video portfolio of each student. Written and verbal assessment will be given to each student in relation to the expected student outcomes of the program.
Special note: All majors are required to be enrolled in a ballet and modern class each term prior to their scheduled jury and during their senior year.
Suggested Four-Year Plan
Freshman | |||
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Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
DANC 2161 | 1 | DANC 1261 | 3 |
DANC 2231 | 2 | DANC 2241 | 2 |
DANC 2271 | 2 | DANC 2281 | 2 |
DANC 2451 | 3 | DANC 2351 | 3 |
TSEM 102 | 3 | DANC 3451 | 2 |
Core 3 (Mathematics) | 3 | ENGL 102 | 3 |
Core 6 | 3 | ||
Orientation | 0 | ||
17 | 15 | ||
Sophomore | |||
Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
DANC 263 | 3 | DANC 316 | 1 |
DANC 335 | 2 | DANC 336 | 2 |
DANC XXX:: BALLET TECHNIQUE II | 3 | DANC XXX:: BALLET TECHNIQUE II | 3 |
DANC XXX:: MODERN DANCE TECHNIQUE II | 3 | DANC XXX:: MODERN DANCE TECHNIQUE II | 3 |
Elective - Company or Repertory | 3 | Core 5 | 3 |
Core 13 | 3 | ||
Elective - Company, Repertory or Performance | 3 | ||
14 | 18 | ||
Junior | |||
Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
DANC 321 | 3 | DANC 437 | 3 |
DANC 436 | 2 | DANC XXX:: BALLET/MODERN DANCE TECHNIQUE | 3 |
Core 7 | 4 | Core 8 | 4 |
Elective - Company, Repertory or Performance | 3 | Core 14 | 3 |
Elective - Company, Repertory or Performance | 3 | ||
12 | 16 | ||
Senior | |||
Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
DANC 480 | 2 | DANC 491 | 3 |
DANC XXX:: BALLET/MODERN DANCE TECHNIQUE | 3 | DANC XXX:: BALLET/MODERN DANCE TECHNIQUE | 3 |
THEA 101 | 3 | Core 12 | 3 |
Core 10 | 3 | Elective - Company or Repertory | 3 |
Core 11 | 3 | University Elective (if necessary to satisfy the 120 units required to graduate) | 3 |
14 | 15 | ||
Total Units 121 |
1 | Foundational courses |
See the requirements tab for Milestones and additional requirements.