Boston University Fitness & Recreation Center

Dance Minor

Contact Information for Dance Minor Advisors:
Judith Chaffee, 617-353-3390 (CFA Students);
Micki Taylor-Pinney, 617-353-1597 (non-CFA Students)

(Dancers perform in a structured improvisation during the residency with guest artist Claire Porter Oct. 07)

Photo credit: Bill Parsons/Maximal Image

The Dance Minor is offered through the partnership of the School of Theater, College of Fine Arts and the Department of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (PERD). The Dance Minor at Boston University is designed to enhance a student's preparedness for a number of multi-disciplinary fields including dance ethnology, dance history, movement therapy, musical theater, movement education, and arts administration. For those who wish to pursue dance performance or choreography as a career, or who wish to apply to graduate programs in dance, the Dance Minor will serve as verification of their skill level and commitment to this field of study.

Presently the minor is available to all undergraduate students.

Coursework

In order to petition for the Minor in Dance, students will be required to complete 20 credits in dance theory, studio, and performance classes.

A. The three required Dance Theory classes are:

20th Century Dance History*, CFA TH 139 (fall semester)
Aesthetic and Philosophy of Dance, CFA TH 239 (spring semester)
Principles of Choreography*, CFA TH 334 (spring semester), or Choreography and Design, CFA TH 433 (fall semester)

*Can be taken as a directed study with Micki Taylor-Pinney, by arrangement.

B. Students are required to take a minimum of one semester in four of the following:

Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Tap, and Movement Improvisation. Two of these genres must be at the intermediate level or higher.

C. Students will also take 6 elective movement or music-related courses in PERD and in the College of Fine Arts. There are over thirty dance technique classes offered in PERD and select movement courses in the School of Theatre from which to choose. There are also elective courses that can be taken in Sargent College, the School of Education, and the College of Arts and Sciences which can be applied towards the Dance Minor. Download the Dance Minor Curriculum PDF below for a full list of elective courses.

D. Students are required to take four semesters of a Performance and Repertory class, PDP DA 400 or CFA TH 337 or 447, concentrating on performance or choreography (by permission).

E. The Dance Minor is declared in the Senior Year and is recorded on the student's transcript but does not appear on the School or College diploma.

To Register for PDP DA sections as a dance minor, students must email mtaypin@bu.edu with name, U#, and course numbers.

If you are interested in the Dance Minor at BU contact Micki at mtaypin@bu.edu.

Click here for more information about the Dance Minor and view the Fall 2013 Dance Minor Info Session dates.

Dance Minor Intent Form: This form is required as soon as student declares intent to minor. Requires signatures from one of the dance advisors, Jim Petosa, the Theatre Chair, and Ilana Brownstein, CFA minor coordinator.

Dance Minor Curriculum