Dance classes for theater majors

<p>My daughter has been frustrated for more that two years about the lack of dance options at Northwestern. It seems like the classes available are obscure and designed for the instructor instead of what would be helpful (and perhaps vital) for Musical Theater and theater majors. More classes in ballet, jazz and tap need to be offered. What makes it worse, is that the most convenient dance studio to Northwestern has now moved to Chicago. Last year, my daughter was so excited to finally get into a Northwestern ballet class after being on the waitlist and then the instructor said that she would be too far behind and could not take the class. This problem is magnified because the students with lots of pre-college dance training have a HUGE advantage at auditions and the gap keeps getting wider.</p>

<p>Your point is, I guess, that there aren’t enough dance classes to satisfy your daughter? </p>

<p>I’ve honestly never heard a single theater major make this complaint. I even knew a dance major. So this is a little confusing to me… Perhaps bring this up with the administration? </p>

<p>Personally I would’ve liked more classes on eastern philosophies. Maybe they can do that too.</p>

<p>Sad to hear that the favored off-campus dance studio has moved! I think D was counting on that to fill in the gaps for her MT training. We know that having to supplement training is part of D’s choice of NU’s BA versus a BFA, but were hoping to have a good dance studio near campus. Are there still studios near campus?</p>

<p>Really? Once Freshman year passed my daughter had great dance training. Yes, there is that one weird class that you referred to but after that it’s been tap, jazz, MT dance, ballet, even flamingo. At summer stock this summer she was chosen for three solo/small group dances in her show which she totally credits to her NU training. Not sure what’s going wrong for your daughter.</p>

<p>@amtc – encouraging news! Was your D a strong dancer prior to arriving at NU? Ours has had minimal ballet and tap, and no jazz yet, so she’s hoping to be able to enroll in more beginning dance classes initially.</p>