Dance

Department Overview

The Department of Dance functions within the liberal arts tradition. Though many of the students become successful dancers and choreographers, the emphasis in the department is on encouraging students to create, perform, and think about movement in a manner that is consonant with their experience in the other fine and liberal arts.

The department is characterized by its commitment to experimentation and to the creation of original work. Student, faculty, and guest artist choreography is presented throughout the year in formal concerts, and in a regular series of showcases. Outstanding resources for artistic collaboration with student and faculty directors, designers, composers, musicians, and video artists are readily available in the Conservatory of Music, the Cinema Studies Program, and the Departments of Theater and Art.

Dance majors have opportunities to study off campus in Oberlin affiliated programs in New York that focus on theater and dance. These include the Trinity/La MaMa Performing Arts Program, the GLCA (Great Lakes Colleges Association) Arts Program, and the Tisch School of the Arts, as well as the Laban Centre in London.