Dance Department

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Professor Bower, Chair
Professor E. Rockwell
Professor Tucker Wagnon
Associate Professor Morton
Assistant Professor Oldenburg
Assistant Professor Watts
Specialty Instructor O. Rockwell
Specialty Instructor Sweatt
Specialty Instructor Whitehead

The mission of the dance department is to prepare students spiritually, technically, academically, and artistically to move into the world of dance and affiliated careers in adherence with the mission of the University. This degree program provides a Master of Fine Arts in Dance, Bachelor of Arts in Dance, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, and a minor in dance. These tracks enable students the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge and practice in the field of dance within a Christ-centered environment. Students receive a broad liberal arts dance education to prepare for careers in dance performance, dance education, dance ministry, dance production, choreography, and other related fields. Belhaven University is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD).

Dance Apprentice Program
The Belhaven University dance apprentice program is an opportunity for talented high school students pursuing a highly advanced level of study in dance and desiring instruction and performance experience through Belhaven University courses and faculty.

The program offers apprentices the opportunity to earn college credits while continuing to complete their high school curriculum. Tuition is offered at 50 percent of the current rate per credit hour. Students must be in good scholastic standing and must be available to attend all sessions of the technique and performance courses in which they enroll. Students will participate as apprentice members of the Belhaven University Dance Ensemble.

The following are required at the time of application:

1. Minimum age of 15 by September 1
2. Completed application for admission and $25 nonrefundable application fee
3. Achieved and maintaining a 2.8 GPA
4. Academic reference and recommendation
5. Student’s letter of intent
6. Personal interview with the chair of the dance department and the director of admission.
7. Audition in person for the chair of the dance department and dance faculty for admission to the program.

If eventually degree-seeking, the student would follow the standard requirements for admission while earned credit would be transferable.

The number of semester hours an apprentice can attempt is unlimited, but restricted to dance technique courses only. After attempting six semester hours in lecture or laboratory courses, he or she must either apply as a degree-seeking student or make a request to be continued as an apprentice.

Apprentices are accountable to the chair of the dance department and will be graded on the same scale as Belhaven University dance students. Apprentices will be obligated to continue participation for one full semester at a time unless there is cause for discontinuation on the part of the faculty or due to physical injury or other plausible hardship. Under all circumstances, an exit interview with the chair of the dance department is required.

MFA Dance (DAN)

Professor Bower, Chair
Professor E. Rockwell, MFA Program Director
Associate Professor Morton

The Master of Fine Arts in Dance is a 60-credit terminal degree program with an emphasis on performance and/or choreography within the context of pedagogical, theoretical, and artistic inquiry. The MFA in Dance degree emphasizes the integration of Christian faith and learning with the advanced theoretical and artistic study of dance. Belhaven University is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD).

The Master’s degree in dance will give graduates the opportunity to participate in creative work, inquiry, and investigation through curricular offerings in technique, performance, choreography, research methodology, critical investigation and philosophy of dance, among others. Belhaven’s graduate dance program encourages students to develop career-related skills through the practical application of theoretical knowledge, innovative and compositional techniques, and the experiential methodologies of apprenticeships.

Graduate students will submit their work for peer and faculty review, as well as contribute to the field through attendance and participation in regional and national dance conferences. Graduate students will gain experience in teaching through pedagogy courses and the opportunity for teaching assistantships. The development, compilation, and application of creative work, inquiry, and investigation will culminate in the graduate thesis project.

Objectives:

• Develop and integrate an in-depth understanding of a Christian worldview with their dance studies, and critically assess their practice from such a perspective.
• Cultivate advanced skills in technique and performance which reflect a synthesis of practice-based and theoretical approaches to dance practice.
• Deepen their theoretical and scholarly understanding of dance and its influence in past and present cultures and the ways in which these influences interact with their own body of work.
• Practice a sense of artistry, craft, and voice through exploration, innovation, and development of advanced skills in dance-making.

Programs

• Dance, BA

• Dance, BFA

• Dance, MFA

Students at Belhaven University may elect to complete a minor from the following:

• Dance Accompaniment, Minor
• Dance, Minor

• Dance Technical Studies Specialization
• Pilates Specialization

• Dance Apprentice

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