Dance Major

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Required:
DANCE 2020	Composition I	3
DRAMA 2100	Introduction to Theater Production	3
Plus 2-3 units chosen from the following:
DANCE 3020	Composition II	3
DANCE 3032	Dance Improvisation: Spontaneous Composition & Performance Techniques	2
DANCE 4032	Introduction to Screendance Composition and Performance	3

Embodied Practice: 8 units

Students must complete work in at least two dance genres, and at least 6 units must be at the 3000 level or above.

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Ballet
DANCE 2210	Fundamentals of Classical Ballet	2
DANCE 2211	Fundamentals of Classical Ballet	2
DANCE 3220	Intermediate Pointe Technique	1
DANCE 3310	Classical Ballet: Intermediate I	2
DANCE 3311	Classical Ballet: Intermediate II	2
DANCE 4120	Classical Ballet III	2
DANCE 4121	Classical Ballet IV	2
DANCE 4300	Contemporary Ballet	2
DANCE 4310	High Intermediate Ballet I	2
DANCE 4311	High Intermediate Ballet II	2
Modern
DANCE 2010	Theory and Technique of Modern Dance I	2
DANCE 2011	Theory and Technique of Modern Dance II	2
DANCE 2050	Afro-Modern Dance (Dunham Technique)	2
DANCE 3010	Theory and Technique of Modern Dance III	2
DANCE 3022	Theory and Technique of Modern Dance IV	2
DANCE 3070	Modern Dance and the African-American Legacy	2
DANCE 4010	Theory and Technique of Modern Dance V	2
DANCE 4022	Theory and Technique of Modern Dance VI	2
DANCE 4070	Modern Dance and the African American Legacy II	2
Jazz
DANCE 2060	Fundamentals of Jazz Dance	2
DANCE 3060	Jazz Dance II	2
DANCE 4060	Jazz III	2
Hip Hop
DANCE 2040	Beginning-Intermediate Hip Hop: Culture and Movement	2
DANCE 4040	Intermediate/Advanced Hip Hop	2
West African
DANCE 3120	West African Music and Dance in Context	2
Other
DANCE 3032	Dance Improvisation: Spontaneous Composition & Performance Techniques	2
DANCE 4042	Topics in Dance Techniques	3
DANCE 4150	Presence in Performance: Alexander Technique and Mindful Movement for Performing Artists	3

History/Theory: 6 units

Students must choose two courses from the following list:

Course List

Code	Title	Units
DANCE 3090	Histories of Theatrical and Concert Dance	3
DANCE 3130	Movement and Meaning: Dance in a Global Context	3
DANCE 3222	Rethinking Ballet in the 21st Century: Decolonizing Narratives and Embracing Diversity	3
DANCE 4110	Performing the Political in American Dance	3
DANCE 4130	Dance Pedagogy	3
DANCE 4140	Performing Gender and Sexuality in America	3
DANCE 4500	The Line of Least Resistance: Embodying Postmodern Dance	3

Movement Science/Somatics: 3 units

Options for this requirement include the following:

Course List

Code	Title	Units
DANCE 3170	The Neuroscience of Movement: You Think, So You Can Dance?	3
DANCE 3171	Research Methodology in Human Movement Science	3
DANCE 3270	Experiential Anatomy and Kinesiology	3
DANCE 4170	Advanced Research Methodology in Human Movement Science	3

Elective Courses

Students must complete 6 units of elective courses. They may choose any DANCE course at the 2000 level or above in any of the four required categories (Embodied Practice, Creative Process, Movement Science/Somatics, or History/Theory). Students may also take in-person somatic studies courses, at the 2000 level or above, through WashU Continuing & Professional Studies. Per Arts & Sciences policy, online courses may not be applied to an Arts & Sciences degree. Students may also choose from courses in the Drama program with approval from their advisor. 

Capstone

The 3-unit culminating capstone is an opportunity for students to integrate what they have learned in the Dance major throughout their time at Washington University. It is also an opportunity to deepen their knowledge in their chosen pathway. There are four primary options for the capstone, which must be completed during the student's senior year:

1. DANCE 4930 Study for Honors: an honors thesis
2. DANCE 4920 Senior Project
3. DANCE 4910 Dance Repertory or DANCE 4911 Dance Repertory: a significant role in a performance in WUDT, WUDC, or the MFA Concert, with a post-production analytical essay evaluated by the Artistic Director. The essay examines how the performance represents a culmination of the student's growth and experience in the Dance major. In addition, it incorporates background research on the aesthetic influences of the choreography and offers dramaturgical reflections on the performance (i.e. how well it communicated its messages to audiences).
4. An additional course at the 3000 level or above that has not been taken as a requirement or as an elective in one of the following required areas that the student designates as a Capstone focus: Creative Process, Movement Science/Somatics, or History/Theory. The decision to designate that course as fulfilling the capstone requirement should be made prior to the first day of class in consultation with the instructor. For a Creative Process course, the student should devise a final creative project (above and beyond the requirements for regular course credit) that culminates in a live performance and a critical response. For either a Movement Science/Somatics or History/Theory course, the student should take on a significant final research project beyond the required assignments for the course that culminates in a 15+-page research paper and public presentation. 

Additional Information

Study Abroad

Washington University students can pursue dance studies abroad during the academic year at the University of Auckland, New Zealand; the University of Ghana, Legon; and Roehampton University, London. With approval from the dance program, courses at these institutions may fulfill Dance major and minor requirements. Courses in other disciplines taught at these institutions may also be accepted by Washington University.