Print this page. About the Program
The Department of Theatre and Dance offers you a Bachelor of Arts with two major concentrations: 1) performance and choreography with a focus on ballet or contemporary dance and 2) dance education, K-12. The B.A. in Dance with a concentration in dance education is pending approval as a teacher certification program from the State Board of Education. The faculty of the department will guide you to become a better dancer. A program of daily practice, emphasizing classical ballet technique, will strengthen your body and teach you new skills. You will also learn other forms of dance, including modern, jazz, and West African dance. As a dance major, all of your technique classes may be repeated for credit six times. You will also participate in full-length ballet productions and classical repertory. Just as dance classes will discipline your body, classes in the College of Arts and Sciences will discipline your mind. Courses in English, humanities, and social sciences will introduce you to a world of ideas. You will develop abilities in critical and creative thinking, oral and written communication, research, abstract reasoning and interpretative skills, in addition to rigorous practical and theoretical training in dance. Your mind and body will be challenged to work together to find new ways to express an array of feelings and ideas through movement. Students are also able to minor in dance.
The USC Dance Company performs at least three concerts a year at Drayton Hall and the Koger Center for the Arts. Since 1976, the USC Dance Company has grown to become a renowned performance dance ensemble, presenting ballet, modern and jazz works as well as innovative dance concerts and contemporary works. The USC Dance Company has performed over 100 classical and contemporary ballets. For example, recently the USC Dance Company presented the neo-classical ballet “Apollo,” the signature work of George Balanchine, the famous choreographer of the New York City Ballet.
Career Opportunities
Many dance-related careers require a college education including:
• dance instructor
• choreographer
• professional performer
• dance studio manager
• college or school teacher
• manager of an arts organization
The University Career Center is available to assist you in choosing a career direction and in increasing your marketability upon graduation. For additional information, call the center at 803-777-7280.
Admission/Progression Requirements
To be admitted into the College of Arts and Sciences, you must meet all University admissions requirements, including (for freshmen) a completed application, nonrefundable application fee, high-school record complete up to the time of application (including record of at least 20 academic units of study earned as required by the University), and entrance examination scores (either SAT or ACT). Details for all applicant categories can be found in the Undergraduate Bulletin. To remain in your degree program, you must make satisfactory academic progress toward your degree. In order to be eligible for graduation, you must meet all course requirements for your degree program, be in good standing, meet any departmental or program requirements, and have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.00.
Programs of Study
The Bachelor of Arts: Concentration in Performance and Choreography (120 hours)
This program requires 53 to 62 hours of general education requirements from the College of Arts and Sciences. This will include courses such as English, foreign language, history and cultural awareness, mathematics and analytical reasoning, natural sciences, and philosophy. Your initial acceptance into the dance performance and choreography concentration is dependent upon a qualifying audition in ballet. Students who did not quality because of technical limitations will be placed in technical dance courses in the dance program for two semesters. After two semesters, students who did not qualify can be reevaluated for full acceptance into the dance program. Private lessons in the USC Dance Conservatory are available for two semesters to help non-qualifying students improve their technique. All students' academic and dance progress will be reassessed upon completion of two semesters at USC as a dance major. Thirty-nine hours of your degree requirements will come from dance courses. A dance major with a concentration in performance and choreography will complete major course work within the Department of Theatre and Dance. These courses include Dance Improvisation and Composition, Body Conditional/Gyrokinesis Method, and Dance Analysis and Criticism. Additional requirements will come from 3 hours of Choreography I or II, 3 hours of Ballet Dance History or Contemporary Dance History, 7 hours in dance technique (in focused area), 7 hours in additional dance technique, and 7 hours in company and production courses. The remaining 12 credit hours can be elected from theatre, dance, or dance-related courses in physical education, jusic, and exercise science in courses numbered 200 or above.
The Bachelor of Arts: Concentration in Dance Education (136-145 hours)
This program is pending approval as a teacher certification program from the State Board of Education. New freshmen who meet University admissions standards are eligible for admission to the dance program with a concentration in dance education offered by the College of Arts and Sciences in cooperation and collaboration with the College of Education. All students who apply to the program are given a dance theory and content placement exam. If accepted, all dance majors with a concentration in dance education must fulfill professional education program requirements. Fifty-three to 62 hours of your course work will come from general education requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences. A dance major with a concentration in dance education must earn a minimum of 47 credit hours of major course work, including courses such as Dance Improvisation and Composition, Body Conditioning/Gyrokinesis Method, and Dance Analysis and Criticism. Majors are also required to enroll in ballet or contemporary technique, world dance, and company and production for 7 semesters each. Twenty-four hours of your course work will come from professional education courses. Some of these courses include Dance Education, Synthesis of Dance Education Constructs, and Teaching Internship in Dance Education. Some of your course work will originate from the College of Education and must meet state certifcation requirements. This includes courses such as Schools in Communities, Learners and Diversity, and Interrelationships in Arts. To remain in the dance program with a concentration in dance education, you must make satisfactory progress toward your degree, meet the professional education program requirements, and meet the certifcation requirements of the College of Education. In addition, you must meet the exit requirements set by the College of Arts and Sciences.
Of Special Interest
USC dance facilities include an arena, a proscenium, a black box, and a performing arts center, as well as fully equipped dance studios and laboratories.
The USC Dance Company performs three major concerts per year at Drayton Hall and The Koger Center for the Arts. Company members are auditioned twice a year and are selected for technical merit as well as artistic achievement. The USC Dance Company is recognized both nationally and internationally as a pre-professional dance ensemble. The company members have performed in Spain, The International Ballet Competition in Varner Bulgaria as well as the American College Dance Festival galas. Alumni are currently dancing professionally, working as dance teachers and administrators in colleges, universities and other educational and professional organizations.