What's the dance training like at UNC?

<p>I know that a dance minor is offered at UNC so that might be a viable option. Is the dance dept strong?</p>

<p>I cannot speak to the quality of dance instruction at the University of Northern Colorado but gathered some information when we were first looking at the school. I hope this helps.</p>

<p>From the hand book:</p>

<p>Musical theater dance requirements:
DNCE 166 Ballet I (2 credit hours)
DNCE 170 Jazz Dance I (2)
DNCE 174 Dance Conditioning (2)
DNCE 175 Tap Dance I (2)
DNCE 180 Ballet II (3)
DNCE 181 Jazz Dance II (3)
DNCE 183 Tap Dance II (2)</p>

<p>Electives:
DNCE 167 Ballroom Dance I (2)
DNCE 171 Modern Dance I (2)
DNCE 182 Modern Dance II (3)
DNCE 296 Choreography and Improvisation I (3)
DNCE 354 Dance Performance I (3)
DNCE 454 Dance History and Philosophy (2)
My daughter also tells me they have added ballet III and modern III</p>

<p>Dance Minor requriements:
Minor Requirements – 24-25 Credits
Required Minor Credits – 22 Hours
DNCE 180 Ballet II (3)
DNCE 181 Jazz Dance II (3)
DNCE 182 Modern Dance II (3)
DNCE 296 Choreography and Improvisation I (3)
DNCE 397 Choreography and Improvisation II (3)
DNCE 453 Teaching Methods, Rhythmic Analysis and Accompaniment (3)
DNCE 454 Dance History and Philosophy (2)
DNCE 459 Dance Production in High School and College (2)
Elective Minor Credits – 2-3 Hours
Select from one of the following:
DNCE 167 Ballroom Dance I (2)
DNCE 174 Dance Conditioning (2)
DNCE 175 Tap Dance I (2)
DNCE 183 Tap Dance II (2)
DNCE 184 Ballroom Dance II (2)
DNCE 354 Dance Performance I (3)
DNCE 355 Dance Performance II (3)
Note(s): The dance minor focuses on the development of skills and teaching strategies
that will enhance the student’s ability to teach or work with dance in a variety of settings.
The Dance Minor can be selected by students in conjunction with most other majors at
the University. Approval by the major department is required for this minor.</p>

<p>I am a little concerned by the fact that they don’t have a dance audition at all, and if you wish to show them your dance ability, you must do so within the 4 minutes you have to do everything else. </p>

<p>I don’t know how you would even change shoes in that 4 minutes. And yes, although I suppose you could just kick off your shoes and dance barefoot, the bottom line is that it appears that they don’t value dance nor really take dance ability into consideration at all when selecting their class. </p>

<p>That’s a bit of a red flag for my D. Any current students/college rep want to chime in?</p>

<p>Hey there tracyvp (and everyone else!)</p>

<p>I’m a Musical Theatre major at UNC and I can safely inform you that the program does value dance, especially within recent years. Although it is optional to do a dance audition, this does not prohibit the student to do so even in such a small time frame. If they can work it into their slot time, go right ahead, though it’s not necessary. </p>

<p>In terms of the classes themselves, many students come in with dance background, while some come in with little or no training whatsoever. The instructors are very passionate about what they do and begin at square one with everyone no matter what level in order for us to understand the fundamentals of all dance forms and succeed in our goals as performers. The training is also very technical, there is no doubt about that, so there will always be something to improve on, learn, and enhance. The training builds on top of each other, allowing us students to connect the dots and understand how to tell stories through dance and improve our skills while becoming well rounded performers in the making. What is most fulfilling is that as I look back from the beginning from my time at UNC to now, there has been a vast improvement in my class’ skill level in acting, singing, AND dancing. No matter what, the classes will challenge the student with a healthy relationship between teachers and the knowledge they hold.</p>

<p>Also, the dance department will be adding more dance classes later on this year, including Ballet III and Jazz III that will be offered in later years as well! We also have a program called Dance Alliance, which offers students the chance to perform in dance concerts throughout the year as well as participate in classes that focus on strength, stretching, yoga, and more. Also, if you can’t get enough dance, there are two main dance studios close to the university (Greeley Conservatory of Dance & The Dance Factory) that are taught by teachers affiliated with the school and at a discounted student price.</p>

<p>I hope that this helped and answered any questions! Good luck! :)</p>

<p>UNC MT Mom here - and a dance teacher/studio owner to boot ;o). From both perspectives I can say that we’re pretty darn happy with the level of dance within the UNC MT program. I should admit that at the outset I was concerned that dance is not required daily (and would still really like to see this implemented) BUT there are many opportunities for the MT kids to add more dance into their week then the minimum required - both on campus and off. And many, many of them do!</p>

<p>In fact, I was able to see the Dance Alliance (student run) show recently and was very impressed with the level of student choreography - that inspiration had to come from somewhere and it is quite clear it came from great teaching. I also got to see a sneak preview of the upcoming Spring Dance Concert (choreographed by Dance Department Director Monte Black) & found the work creative, contemporary and refreshingly identifiable for both the audience and the dancers. The fact that so many of the guys in the program are so committed to their dancing speaks to the balance of technical and pedestrian movement incorporated in to the repertory - a clever contrast and a great foundation for MT students. </p>

<p>Having been raised in a studio, my son had decided to take some time off from dancing in his last two years of High School. No surprise I was thrilled to learn that his UNC teachers had reignited his love of dance. To hear and see how (re)invested he is in this side of his MT training speaks to the passion his teachers share with the kids in the program. So, yes, I believe UNC offers a strong dance environment and lots of opportunity for a dancer’s growth.</p>

<p>Thanks so much, 1foot2foot! That glowing endorsement from a dance professional really speaks volumes and allays the fears of some of us who have kids who really want to be pushed in dance as well as the other two ares of the MT curriculum.</p>

<p>UNC Dance training – THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW IS TO SEE OR TAKE THEIR MOST ADVANCED CLASS.</p>

<p>UNC DANCE CLASS LEVEL –
THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW THE LEVEL OF ANY CLASS IS TO SEE OR TAKE THEIR MOST ADVANCED CLASS. Their catalog is not going to inform you of their quality, it will only sing their praises.
BEWARE! If you are an advanced dancer, you may already be more advanced than the most advanced dancer at a (non conservatory)university.
FYI, NC School of the Arts is just “down the road” from UNC. The most advanced dancers go there.</p>

<p>Oh, I answered based on UNC as North Carolina – If you meant Northern Colorado (oh noooooo! acronym glitch!) then the check-it-out still applies, but NC School of the Arts reference makes no sense at all.</p>