My dd would really like to find a Dance BFA program in Dance Performance and Choreography at a school that has strong academics. She is very clear that she wants to go the BFA route, but she does NOT want a strict conservatory program–she wants a full, well-rounded college education. It seems like it is challenging to find programs that offer BOTH high level dance training and excellent academics.
We have a number of schools on our radar, but would love further input.
You may want to look at the program at Fordham (Lincoln Center campus)
On our list. But oh so hard to get in to!! I heard Ailey has 800 applicants for 25-30 spots this year.
NYU/Tisch
Rutgers/Mason Gross
University of Michigan
UC-Irvine
Fordham/Ailey
Southern Methodist University
Same as my son. He applied for USC and NYU/Tish. Just had his audition with USC. 600+ applicants, 110 or so passed pre-screening and auditioned. They are taking 24-26.
What grade is your daughter in?
She is 16/a junior but planning a gap year before applying, so we still have some time to figure this out.
We’ve pretty much ruled out NYC/Tisch (even if she could get in) because she doesn’t want a purely conservatory program. USC is too far away for her (we are on the east coast).
We are planning visits to Eugene Lang/New School and Sarah Lawrence on a trip to NYC this spring. The academic bent of their dance major looks great to dd but she wants to check out the classroom/technique aspect in particular.
I’d suggest UC Irvine, as UC schools have good rigor, but if USC is too far then UCI will be too.
Thanks but yes, west coast schools are not in play for us at the moment. I’m honestly kind of relieved, since at least then we can cross a few off of our list.
What kind of dance? Focus on ballet or contemporary dance?
Florida State University and U of Indiana have strong programs, I believe.
I’m not sure why you see a distinction between a BFA program and a conservatory. Both BFAs and conservatory programs are 5 day a week dance programs with limited academics. They are designed for preprofessional dancers. The BA degree would allow a dance major room for academics. Or a double major. See this article.
http://www.danceinforma.com/2012/12/05/to-bfa-or-ba-that-is-the-question/
We’ve looked at a few programs. Emory, Skidmore, William & Mary, FSU, VAssar, Mt Holyoke, Richmond. You have to look at the curriculum and what kind of dance classes are offered. Ballet modern etc. also what are the demands of the dance performances. D said seeing bunheads on the Emory campus made her happy.
@threegirlpileup @inthegarden yes I forgot Indiana. Also FSU, Maryland (BA) VCU Butler
It may depend to on career goals. The bfa programs are audition based and highly competitive. A BA in dance working with a fabulous department can train you for running a studio, being in the business etc. also if interested in dance therapy Shenandoah has both bfa and BA in dance. Their bfas go into performance careers and the bas go on to dance related careers in business or medicine. BAs can perform at a high level in college. Shenandoah does a great “dance day” with both academic advice and classes. It was a terrific introduction into the world of dance education. You can also talk to the other parents about where they are looking.
She is looking for a program with an emphasis on contemporary and choreography where she can also take classes in pedagogy.
When I make the distinction between a “strictly conservatory” and other BFA programs, it’s that she doesn’t want a program that is only performance-oriented (the choreography component is very important) and where she can take a decent number of academic classes–which seems to vary a lot. Some BFA programs (George Mason is one I’m thinking of off the top of my head) specifically describe themselves as combining strong studio training with a liberal arts education, and seem to prioritize growing well-rounded artists.
We are assuming that most BA programs will not have enough studio dance at a level to keep her happy–but at the same time we’ve heard the same can be true of some BFA programs! So it does seem that we have to look at each program individually. We’re going to have a gander at Sarah Lawrence and the New School this spring when we are in NYC to get a feel for the dance programs there.
If NYC is an option, I want to suggest looking at and/or attending the Dancing Through College and Beyond program put on each fall by Dancewave (http://www.dancewave.org/DTCB). It is a college dance fair and it draws in many different programs (BFA, BA) and some offer the opportunity to audition that weekend if you’re a senior in HS. At the very least it is a mostly one stop shop to talk with representatives about the programs, their training and what their alumni are doing. We attended this past fall and my dd also knocked out a few of her auditions. Well worth it for her!
With regard to academics, we found the BFA programs to differ a lot in their attitude to double majors, for example Oklahoma and Utah were very encouraging, Indiana and Chapman not so much. But it was very hard to figure that out beforehand, and in several cases we didn’t really get a good sense of the dance department’s attitude to doing more than just the BFA until the auditions and accompanying Q&A. I would ask beforehand about double majors, but don’t be surprised if the statements at the audition don’t exactly match up. Chapman was a good example, my sense was only a few specific double majors like teaching were common.
One college did warn everyone during their Q&A that the biggest academic challenge they face is that all students have to pass a math course equivalent to High School Algebra II in order to graduate (indicating that quite a few dancers fail to do that first time). So there is clearly a wide range of academic ability/interest within the program.
My son only auditioned for NYU and USC. USC encourages student to pursue double majoy. NYU is neutral, told my son 3% of students pursue and it generally takes 1 more year. Dance BFAs finish in 3 years including 2 summers. Double majors students generally finish in 4 years.
I have to say I would be concerned about the overall academics in a school in which passing the equivalent of high school Algebra 2 was considered a big hurdle…isn’t a year past that a standard requirement for admission to most colleges?
Well Oklahoma has more NMFs than any other university in the country. But fine arts students can be admitted while being “math deficient” from high school and the required “college level” course (MATH 1473 Math for Critical Thinking) is not exactly advanced:
http://www.ou.edu/finearts/resources/student-opportunities/policies/fine-arts-math-policy.html
https://ssb.ou.edu/pls/PROD/bwckctlg.p_disp_course_detail?cat_term_in=201210&subj_code_in=MATH&crse_numb_in=1473
Marymount Manhattan offers BFA programs with specialization. For example, they offer a BFA with emphasis in choreography or BA’s with emphasis in teaching.
A brand new (inaugural) Dance program that may be worth looking into is the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins.
Best Dance/Academic combinations we found in our travels were Oklahoma, Fordham, Rutgers, Indiana and SMU. NYU really discouraged dual-majoring, and it would take at least and extra year to accomplish. Large public universities are better equipped for dual majoring because studio time is usually fixed from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm, and it’s hard to work academics around it, especially if it’s a smaller school with fewer section offerings. Also, when there are performances and workshops, those tend to be late afternoons and early evenings, and can really jam up the dancers.