The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance offers intensive, professional training within a rigorous academic setting. Students pursuing a B.F.A. in Dance can chose between two emphases: Performance and Choreography or Dance Education
CONTACT
Ashley Rivera
Senior Undergraduate Admissions Coordinator
512-232-2741
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance offers intensive, professional training within a rigorous academic setting. Students pursing a B.F.A. in Dance can choose between two distinct emphases:
- Performance and Choreography
- Dance Education, which leads to Texas state teacher certification for grades 6-12, with reciprocity in many states
B.F.A. in Dance students pursuing either emphasis will train in contemporary, ballet, African and street dance forms, with numerous opportunities for performance and choreography. Both emphases also provide training in pedagogy, conditioning, anatomy, dance history and production and performance with the department’s award-winning student dance company, Dance Repertory Theatre.
The University of Texas at Austin is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD).
Performance and Choreography Emphasis
Students pursuing the Performance and Choreography emphasis will train in daily technique classes in contemporary and ballet dance forms, while also enjoying a curriculum that consists of practical and theoretical studies in performance, choreography, pedagogy and related dance studies (dance history, experiential anatomy, somatics and cultural dance forms). The B.F.A. in Dance also offers students the opportunity to perform and participate in the department’s student dance company, Dance Repertory Theatre, and work with internationally recognized guest artists and scholars at one of the nation’s top research universities.
Dance Education Emphasis
In addition to coursework in dance technique and pedagogy and performance opportunities with Dance Repertory Theatre, the Dance Education emphasis includes professional development opportunities leading to Texas state teacher certification for Dance grades 6-12. Students will take a total of 24 semester hours of coursework geared toward teacher certification, which incorporates extensive field experiences, including a semester of internship and a semester of student teaching. Our dance certification program is grounded in holistic and research-based best practices in teaching dance that facilitate skill development, dance-making and literacy as well as history and legacy.
The Dance Education degree plan leads to Texas dance teacher certification. Students wishing to study dance who are interested in becoming teaching artists, but who do not plan to seek teaching certification should apply to the B.A. in Theatre and Dance or can pursue coursework within the Performance and Choreography emphasis of the B.F.A. in Dance.
Download Sample Degree Plan - Performance and Choreography
You may need to install Acrobat Reader to access this document.
Download Sample Degree Plan - Dance Education
You may need to install Acrobat Reader to access this document.
Dance Repertory Theatre
Dance Repertory Theatre, the award-winning student resident dance company at The University of Texas at Austin, represents an important professional performing component of the Dance program.
Facilities
From studios to stages, see what facilities make up the F. Loren Winship Drama Building.
B.F.A. in Dance FAQs
How do I apply and audition?
Detailed step-by-step application instructions for the B.F.A. in Dance are available here.
How many students do you accept into the program?
We aim for an incoming class of 25 B.F.A. dancers and five B.A. dancers per year, for a total class of 30 dancers.
What performance opportunities will I have as a student?
Performance opportunities begin in the first year of study and include:
- Two fully-produced dance concerts each season.
- Guest choreographers in-residence each semester.
- Two performance opportunities with student dance company, Dance Action, per year.
- Biennial Cohen New Works Festival featuring over 30 original works.
What opportunities will I have to choreograph work?
Incoming students are encouraged to join Dance Action, the student dance company, where opportunities to choreograph are available every semester through their concerts. The biennial event, the Cohen New Works Festival, also provides many opportunities.
Where are recent dance graduates working?
Our graduates are working with many established and emerging choreographers, including Diavolo, Ririe-Woodbury, Aerial Dance Chicago, Alex Ketley/The Foundry, Paloma McGregor and many more. Others have begun their own choreographic careers in New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles. They have also received Fulbright grants to travel abroad and many go on to be admitted to prestigious graduate programs.
