<p>I'm a male cc student, planning to transfer to UCI as a Psych/Dance double-major.</p>
<p>I love dance and my dream job is to be a hip hop or a street jazz teacher.</p>
<p>However, my strongest suit is hip hop, and it's what I started with five years ago and what I'm most confident doing. I've realized the importance of ballet, jazz, modern, etc. and have been taking classes (on top of additional classes) for the past two years.</p>
<p>I'm nowhere near talented as everyone who's been dancing for years and years, but I've been improving as of late.</p>
<p>To be completely honest, I'm a bit lost.</p>
<p>Would applying to double major in Dance be a bad idea? Should I minor?
I'm also aware that there are auditions to major in Dance at UCI, but I've heard that dance auditions for majoring are extremely competitive, and I'm afraid I won't be able to keep up, because these are jazz/ballet/modern auditions, not hip hop. (I've completed the required transfer credits for both Psych AND Dance, so I'm technically qualified to transfer, I'm assuming?) Are the auditions the determining factor for whether or not I'll be able to major in Dance, or are they simply placement exams?</p>
<p>Or should I major in Psych only and look for hip hop teams at UCI (and not part of the dance program per se) for training? While I love and prefer hip hop, I've found out that I really enjoy jazz and modern, even though I'm not the most flexible or technical.</p>
<p>I'm sorry for all the questions, but I really need advice.
My CC counselor was equally lost as I am when it came to these questions.</p>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<p>IMHO: To be a hip hop or jazz teacher, unless you take a specific dance teaching course like the UK’s ISDT, I’m assuming that it’s your ability in both teaching all ages plus being an extremely good dancer which will be your passport to work, not a major in dance. </p>
<p>If so, I’d aim for a minor in dance. Perhaps some business courses might be useful too, especially if you fancy self-employment at some point. You might want to try out dance teaching while in college. Either see if you can get a part-time job with a dance studio or get involved using your dance to maybe teach dance to young people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford lessons. </p>
<p>But don’t forget your psychology classes. Make sure you have the correct courses for grad school or whatever other professions you may have considered as a back up. Dancers get injured so you don’t want just one string to your bow.</p>
<p>Pulchirin, I think you’re well positioned to try for a full-on BFA in dance and pursue your dream. There is always a demand for male dancers and, because of that, the standards for acceptance are often a bit lower for guys. I think your interest and preparation would make you an ideal student to soak up everything UC-Irvine has to offer: “multiple levels of ballet, modern dance, jazz, tap, Spanish dance, and a changing selection of world dance forms.” </p>
<p>After you get your BFA degree, go work for cruise ships, where you can get a ton of performing experience, save a lot of money, and even get some teaching experience and a bunch of customer service experience. In comparison, if you sell yourself short and just focus on a psychology major, you’re going to wind up with less marketable skills and be further away from your dream job. You can always go back to school for psychology, especially with savings from cruise contracts (where you get free room and board).</p>
<p>You’ll find your performing experience will make you a better teacher, no matter what style you choose to teach. And you’ll be more in demand as a teacher because you danced professionally.</p>
<p>My daughter got her BFA in dance (at another university) and is a professional dancer. I got my BA in psychology and now work in the counseling office of a community college.</p>
<p>Be sure to get your academic application into to UC-Irvine by next week! And contact the Department Manager on the “Contact” link on the Department of Dance’s web page to ask about what they look for in their auditons. Auditions are the basis for acceptance into their dance programs.</p>