Sigh…I thought I bookmarked a thread about this, but even with the search menu I cannot locate it. Anyway, through long conversations with my daughter…she has decided she would like to apply to dance heavy musical theater programs. (She was debating between MT or dance, and actually considering applying/auditioning for both. But through some soul searching on her own feels that she would be most happy at a program that has a dance heavy MT curriculum. so…anyone have thoughts?.
Edited to add…some people have suggested that she just consider taking extra dance classes in her free time…but her concern is that most bfa programs are very busy schedules that she doesn’t feel she will have any extra time to take extra dance classes?
I would consider the dance performance degree at OCU. It has produced many Broadway performers. You take voice and acting with a dance heavy curriculum.
Others to consider would be Boston Conservatory, CCPA w/dance emphasis, and Point Park .
The University of the Arts also has a strong dance program; its dance department is regularly rated one of the top in the nation. MT dance classes are all taught by the same instructors as the dance majors, and MT students can be placed in dance major classes. I’ve been impressed with the level of thought and care that goes into the placement of students into appropriate dance levels. Sometimes, students are even moved or advised to take an additional class (for free) mid-semester. In our experience, the instructors really get to know their students personally and professionally.
I agree with the other places already suggested. I believe Rider also has a strong program; their MT head is a strong dancer himself.
We were in a similar place last year. My best advice would be try a few avenues. Feel free to send me a Message if you want.
Find a few MT programs that have strong dance with levels. CCPA/Roosevelt, Point Park and Montclair were on our list. Roosevelt with dance emphasis was very unique and looks to grow stronger. I think Otterbien has something too.
Find a few MT programs that also have a BFA in Dance that allow nonmajors to take classes (often takes permission you have to work out when you get there). Hartt and UArts (where my daughter ended up) were in that category. These likely have workshops and clubs too that are open.
Find a couple universities that allow dual auditions and get a double major. University at Buffalo allows that. Likely would add a few summers to graduate but they allow the flexibility to make it happen.
Find a few that are theatre and allow for you to craft your own balance. Hofstra and Wagner looked promising.
Throw in a pure dance program or two. Broadway has a ton of dance majors.
Lastly you learn a lot from the auditions and if you do an accepted student visit. My daughter watched a ton of YouTube videos of performances too.
Western Michigan requires 20+ hours of dance for the BFA MT and all dance is taken in the same classes as the BFA Dance majors. The BFA dance program is NATD accredited (all programs in Fine Arts at WMU are audition-based, accredited BFA’s and BM’s). It is quite difficult to move up to the top level dance classes - most BFA MT’s only get to Jazz II and not Jazz III, for example. You can repeat dance classes at the same level. Many MT"s minor in dance. The MT program head, Jay Berkow, danced in a Chorus Line, La Cage Aux Folles, and other shows on Broadway.
For very strong dancers, Pace has a BFA in Commercial Dance that includes MT training in acting and voice. As alluded to in a previous post, Otterbein offers a BFA MT with a concentration in dance.
Indiana’s program is headed by former Broadway choreographer George Pinney (Tony nominee) and requires a lot of dance in the curriculum. Utah is also headed by a former choreographer and Broadway dance captain and includes lots of dance, with ballet every morning and two dance classes per semester for your last four semesters.
Joe Deer, head of Wright State MT program, is a former dancer and teaches some tap classes. The MT program offers leveled dance classes and students with extensive dance background (like my S) can take classes with Dance majors - IF they are willing/able to make the scheduling work. Experienced dancers (including Dance majors) are often featured in main stage musical casts.
I meant to mention the Music Theatre degree students at OCU also take dance through the Ann Lacy School of Dance. There are 10 levels each in tap, ballet and jazz and you level each semester. MTs and dance majors can be in the same class if that is what you level into. So you are sure to be in a class that suits your skill level. The music theatre degree is in the school of music which requires a lot of music classes. D has had 1-2 dance classes each semester as an MT. As I stated above, if you want a really dance heavy curriculum you might consider the dance performance degree. Both are great programs. Just look at the course loads and see which best meets your needs.
@DVCmember – They are two separate auditions, but you can audition for both. Just not at the same time. D has several friends who did that. Some ended up MTs and some ended up dance majors. All ended up happy :)!
I would really suggest looking at the CCPA’s BFA in MT (Dance) Major. The facilities that they’ve built for the program are great and Jane Lanier, who heads the program is an amazing woman who truly loves what she does. The students are eligible for casting in all of the shows right away too.
My daughter was a lifelong dancer too and though she only wanted MT, strong dance was one of the non-negotiable factors in her school choice. The key is to look for leveled dance classes. The other thing my daughter did before making her final decision is go to at least one dance class at each school she was accepted to and seriously considering. She ended up at Montclair.
@mezzomezzo, everything else you said is right (props to Jane, too), but CCPA freshmen, including MT dance majors, are only cast in freshman showcases, not mainstage shows.
@Calliene …what other schools did your daughter audition for? Dis she only audition for MT…or did she audition for any dance programs that have MT in their curriculum?
@DVCmember, she only wanted and auditioned for MT, and she wanted to be near NYC or at least a city not too far from NYC. That and strong dance (because she wanted to continue to be challenged) were her main criteria. Her final choices (acceptances) were Montclair, BoCo, Marymount Manhattan, Wagner, UArts, and Hartt. She was rejected from CMU, Point Park, Emerson, and NYU-MT and was a first alternate at Pace. Please know that acceptances are largely a crapshoot!! - which is what is so unnerving about them. You just never know what each school is looking for and I can’t stress that enough. Anyway, a strong second choice for her was BoCo and she had worked with one of the dance instructors there, Michelle Chasse, before and LOVED her. In the end, she didn’t really want to be in Boston and didn’t want to be on such a tight budget, but she winced a bit at giving up the opportunity to study more with Michelle. She had taken some classes with the head of dance at Wagner and liked him, but decided she wanted the BFA while Wagner is a BA. The only place where she took a dance class and really did NOT like it was Marymount Manhattan, which gave us a hard time when we said she needed to go to a dance class there before making a final decision. But that was 3.5 years ago so it could be different now. She loved the dance classes at Montclair and the fact that they were multi-leveled and she could take ballet with the BFA dance majors and minor in dance if she wanted to (caveat: she no longer takes dance with the dance majors and decided not to minor in dance - her choice after just getting involved with other stuff and shifting priorities, which happens y’all! - but she still has been very happy with the dance program there). She clicked with the faculty (the head of the program is a dancer) and other kids she met there. She liked the campus and its proximity to the City. She liked that dance, music, and acting programs seemed equally strong and that there were good performance opportunities in great facilities. She is now a senior and says that though she took a bit of a leap of faith going with her gut since the MT program was somewhat new then and had recently expanded, she thinks it has been the right place for her. <3 Good luck!!