<p>I've decided to major in dance which I love! but i have a problem I don't know what college i should go to? I am a junior in high school and will be graduating a semester early so i really need to figure this out for deadlines. I need to know if anybody knows any good colleges for majoring in dance in Texas or Missouri with low intuition rates? Anything will help thank you!</p>
<p>Can you give us a little more information about what kind of program you’re interested in? Do you want to pursue a BFA in a pre-professional program, or a BA in a school where you’d also have an academic core curriculum? Are you in TX or MS? It will make a difference in terms of admissions and tuition.</p>
<p>Several public schools in Texas offer a dance BFA, including UT-Austin, which is a tough academic admit. You’ll have to fulfill the academic requirements for admission before being granted an audition (if I read the website correctly). Missouri-KC also offers a BFA in dance.</p>
<p>If you’re a very strong dancer, you could qualify for merit scholarships at some of the top BFA programs in the country. Are you primarily interested in ballet or modern?</p>
<p>Im not really sure on the BFA or BA yet and im living in Missouri at the moment but have a house in Texas. Im in interested in modern dance. Which is better a BFA or BA?</p>
<p>One is not better than the other, just different. It depends on what you want to do with your life. Generally, if all you want to do is perform, you might go with a BFA. But that doesn’t mean you can’t perform if you get a BA. Any many people skip college altogether and go directly into a company from high school on the assumption that their best years are now. If you graduate with a BA, you may want to go on to graduate school in a dance related field, such as physical therapy, arts administration, movement therapy, business (dance studio owner), etc.</p>
<p>A BFA curriculum, often in a conservatory, will be mostly dance with a few academic subjects. Depending where you go, there may be a core curriculum in math, science, English, etc. to fulfill for a BA. You would have to audition for a BFA program, so you must be a strong dancer going in. Many BA programs require no previous dance experience.</p>
<p>some BA programs also require an audition. Some BFA programs may require core curriculum (math, science, english, etc…).</p>
<p>Alright well i’ll keep thinking about it but i’ll probably go with a BFA</p>
<p>When my daughter was doing the college search, she used this guide: [Amazon.com:</a> College Guide for Performing Arts Majors: The Real-World Admission Guide for Dance, Music, and Theater Majors (Performing Arts Major’s College Guide) (9780768926989): Carole Everett: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/College-Guide-Performing-Arts-Majors/dp/076892698X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297449218&sr=1-1]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/College-Guide-Performing-Arts-Majors/dp/076892698X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297449218&sr=1-1)
She got it from the library. There are also a number of websites where you can search for colleges by major to start making a list.</p>
<p>She was like you in preferring modern. Once she got to the point of checking individual college websites, she crossed off the ones that required too much ballet or seemed ballet centered. Lots of colleges focus on modern, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find what you’re looking for.</p>
<p>Awesome! thank you</p>
<p>You might also pick up a copy of Dance magazine’s college issue. They do a good overview.</p>
<p>Okay so what schools are good for modern dance? and what is included in modern dance?</p>
<p>What are you thinking of when you say modern dance? Martha Graham, Jose Limon, Alvin Ailey? Or more like jazz, Broadway, Bob Fosse? There are many different styles. Some people use “modern” to mean “not ballet”. The LACs I am familiar with teach a very experimental modern style that some may not even recognize as dance at all. I suggest you search the internet for colleges that offer dance, then search their web sites or Youtube for videos of their dance performances. If you like what you see, you’ll probably like dancing there.</p>
<p>Can your current teachers offer you any suggestions? Do other students from your current dance program go on to become dance majors in college? Where have they gone to school? If you’ve studied at summer intensives, those programs can also provide you with college suggestions.</p>
<p>You mention that you’ll graduate a semester early. I suggest meeting with your GC and making sure he/she knows what your interests are, and that you’re thinking about early graduation. Though most high school GCs won’t have a ton of info on BFA auditions and schools, they will know about admissions requirements at public and other local schools. Usually, a BFA candidate must also be able to fulfill academic as well as artistic criteria for admission, which is a real challenge for some schools.</p>
<p>I am really up to learn everything in dance because i really want to experience the culture and not limit myself to one style. But what i mean by modern is like Shaun Evaristo [YouTube</a> - Shaun Evaristo | Miguel Jontel - Sure Thing](<a href=“Shaun Evaristo | Miguel Jontel - Sure Thing - YouTube”>Shaun Evaristo | Miguel Jontel - Sure Thing - YouTube) but i know I can’t do ballet because its something you have to have started very early and it’s a little late for me. My High School is very small and no one goes on to Major in dance. Im the first one that i know. We have no dance program but i created a Dance club were i go in and teach B-boying, hip hop, krumpin, Stompin, etc. I have talked to the GC but have gave me no useful information and im not worried about my academic standards. I take all AP classes and currently have a 3.720 GPA which will probably raise by the time i graduate. The thing is I have never taken any class’s or have had any study in dance and that’s why i feel i need to major in dance to learn my craft and master what I enjoy most.</p>
<p>I don’t know of any colleges that have hip hop programs, but if you look for strong jazz programs, that may give you the energy you’re looking for.</p>
<p>Cep121, have you primarily been self-taught? Is it possible to find some kind of mentor - someone who can guide you through the process of applying to college as a dance major?</p>
<p>Before making such an important life (especially financial!) decision, it would be good to have the advice of a professional in the field. Even at a state school, a 4-year education is very expensive. A BFA can limit you in your future career if you find that you aren’t going to be a professional dancer. Would it be possible to get a solid academic degree and find dance opportunities in the fields you like as a minor, or maybe even on a club level?</p>
<p>Hoping the other dance parents and dance majors will weigh in here. As I understand it, a BFA from a top pre-professional program can be a strong boost in finding work as a modern/contemporary dancer. The jury seems to be out on how helpful it is for a career in classical ballet (which I realize is not your interest), since many of the strongest dancers enter a company at age 18. I don’t know what the career path might be for hip-hop and other dancers.</p>
<p>What about after dance - where do you envision yourself in 20 years? Do you hope to be a studio owner?</p>
<p>Unfortunately, many GC’s don’t really know how to help dance majors. I think you need to find a dance mentor in your community. My daughter had taken very little ballet when she decided she wanted to be a dance major. Luckily our local university does great outreach and she was able to get a referral from them to a good training company where she has been taking ballet, modern, and jazz to get a good foundation. </p>
<p>If you have a near-by college with a dance department, call them and ask for some suggestions. You could also just look up local dance studios and call and try to see if any would be a fit for getting you prepared.</p>
<p>I do know one university that offers hip-hop: CU-Boulder ([CU</a> :: Theatre & Dance](<a href=“http://www.colorado.edu/theatredance/dance/education3.html]CU”>http://www.colorado.edu/theatredance/dance/education3.html)). They also have a strong focus on African dance. If you like hip-hop, you might want to check out some videos of African dance. I’m sure there are many other schools that have African and probably others that have hip-hop as well.</p>
<p>Are you absolutely set on Missouri or Texas? If it’s due to price, remember that you may be able to get scholarships that will bring other schools to a similar tuition range.</p>
<p>Yes I have been self taught and I am trying at the moment to try to find a mentor. I am strongly suited in most subjects like math, science, english but i find my main interest in dance. I’m still trying to decide if it would be better to major in dance or minor cause i know a dancer’s career doesn’t last all your life. Im not sure what i’ll be doin in 20 years hopefully still dancing but im not really sure about that. I’m trying to talk to some choreographers to see what can of advice they can provide. It’s all out in the open at the moment.</p>
<p>You have a great GPA! I think the first thing you need to do is decide what you want to major in - is it Dance? Or do you want to minor? Secondly, after you have made that decision - if you decide to major in Dance - do you want a BA/BS which gives you more “college” courses, or would you like to go for a BFA which is centered mostly around dance with a few required courses (this is the degree many people who want to dance as a career go for) - of course ALL of this varies by school.</p>
<p>Don’t let the fact that you don’t have “traditional” dance training - (ballet since you could barely walk) don’t be discouraged! That said, I would suggest trying to look outside of Missouri and Texas - there are many programs all around the country which offer scholarships and financial aid. You may also find more opportunities in different parts of the country for people with not very much traditional experience - expanding your region can only expand your options!</p>
<p>Look into AMDA - they are located in both NYC and LA and accept 77% of the students who apply! You are bound to find a program somewhere; as the great Alvin Ailey said “Dance is for everybody”</p>
<p>Alright Well thank you to everyone who has helped me. Hopefully my future is bright and i will find the path to my success :D</p>
<p>Oklahoma City also has a great dance/musical theatre program. They have a wonderful reputation.</p>