<p>Hi...I was wondering if anyone had any information on the dance program?
Can you major or minor?
What are the classes like?
Are their performance opportunities?
Do you need to audition?
Any information is helpful!</p>
<p>You can both major or minor in dace. Here’s some more information on the program [Planning</a> Your Program - Theatre & Dance - University of Richmond School of Arts & Sciences](<a href=“http://theatredance.richmond.edu/program/index.html]Planning”>http://theatredance.richmond.edu/program/index.html). I can’t really speak to the classes right now, but my wife was a dancer and took classes at UR (and captained the dance team, the SpinnURs, so I’ll ask her to post later). In the mean time though, here is a list of courses for both the major and minor. [University</a> of Richmond Undergraduate Catalog: Dance](<a href=“University of Richmond Catalog”>University of Richmond Catalog)
Lastly, you do have performance opportunities, one of which is through a for credit (at least it used to be) group, the University Dancers. The audition for this group is usually right after school starts and they put on a spring performance. Myra Daleng is the dance director and you can find her contact info here: [Myra</a> Daleng - University of Richmond School of Arts & Sciences: Theatre & Dance](<a href=“Theatre & Dance - University of Richmond”>Theatre & Dance - University of Richmond). The last group, the SpinnURs, performs at all men’s basketball games but I’m not really sure what the future holds for them to be honest. It’s a student run group that has really gone down hill the past couple of years and needs some structure and more girls (there are only six members now, none of which are particularly good dancers). Those auditions are near the beginning of the semester as well, but I imagine that if you have any dance background, you won’t have much problem making the team.</p>
<p>Hi! I work backstage at the annual dancer concert so I can answer some of your questions in terms of the University Dancers.</p>
<p>They hold auditions very early in the school year, in the first few weeks, I believe. There are around 20 dancers in the University Dancers at one time. It’s a big time commitment–20 hours a week once rehearsals for the pieces performed during the concert are cast–so a lot of the “new” dancers are sophomores rather than freshman, allowing them time to adjust to college life. That is not to say, however, that you cannot dance as a freshman. You definitely, definitely can, but know that you can always decide not to your first year. </p>
<p>Some dancers also choose to go abroad, usually during the fall of their junior year. They come back in the spring and work backstage for the dance concert, usually with costumes, so that they can be with their friends. At least in my experience, with one concert a year, dancers who go abroad in the fall do not usually dance in the spring concert. I’ve seen one exception. (I believe next year there will be two concerts. Don’t ask me how that will work! I don’t know!)</p>
<p>The Dancers just celebrated their 25th anniversary concert, during which Director Myra Daleng–who is a lovely woman, and would be so open and available if you wanted to call or visit and ask her questions personally–announced her decision to step down as the director. Current Assistant Director Anne Van Gelder will take the reins next year, though Myra will help her through her first year, and as a teacher and choreographer, at UR. Anne is a wonderful, wonderful teacher and person and I think she’ll be a strong leader for UD. </p>
<p>And this year, the program will be graduating its first dance major! You can now major and minor and dance. Spider05 has supplied the pertinent links. I can’t tell you what the class are like, academically, but I can tell you that in so far as the University Dancers goes, the dancers take three company classes a week in modern, ballet, and jazz, plus rehearsals. </p>
<p>I don’t know much about the SpinnURs, but I do agree with Spiders05 when he wrote that they are lackluster at the moment, and meager in terms of numbers. It isn’t as rigorous a time commitment–about 4 hours a week of rehearsals, plus games, I have been told. </p>
<p>Other than SpinnURs and University Dancers, there are other dance opportunities. New Faces, a student-run production in the beginning of the year, features one-act plays, song, and dance. Auditions are open to anyone who hasn’t spoken a line on the mainstage. There’s also Ngoma, the African dance company, which performs every spring in addition to a few smaller shows a year, I think. They do some incredible things! I think there are a few other smaller dance opportunities, but these are the major ones.</p>
<p>Oh! I should say that you don’t have to major in dance to dance at the University, nor do you have to be a major or minor to take dance classes. And I do not believe you have to be a University Dancer to be a dance major–definitely not for a minor. UD majors and minors are all over the place. I know art majors, history majors, business majors, science majors, math majors…</p>
<p>Well, I am a dancer at UR (dance minor right now, possibly majoring), and URichmond2010 said pretty much everything that I would say. I have many friends that dance in the student groups, but aren’t minors or majors. As for the classes, I have really enjoyed my classes so far. Some of them are very structured (like Ballet), and some of them are not-so-much, and just free and enjoyable (like Modern). And then there is the in between of Jazz, Tap, Theatre, etc. You can take beginner, intermediate, and advanced level classes, all for credit. The class are pretty similar to dance classes that I took at home: Warm up/stretch in the beginning, barre work (if applicable), across-the-floor, center work and combinations, and cool down. Specific attire and footwear is needed for some classes. I’m pretty sure that all classes require you to see at least 2 performances during the semester and write a short paper about them (critique of about 1-3 pages, depending on the instructor), and two of my classes required a 5-page research paper. The performance are right on campus though, so they are very accessible and I find them quite enjoyable. There is also a final exam - all of my classes had a written part as well as a performance part, but I am only a freshman so I’m not sure what it’s like for the rest of the classes. But so far, I love them!</p>