Dance Minor

The dance minor at Boston University is a collaboration between the Department of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, and the College of Fine Arts. It is designed to enhance a student’s preparedness for a number of multidisciplinary fields, including dance aesthetics, dance history, movement education, musical theatre, and arts administration.

Degree Type

Undergraduate

Formats

In-Person

Availability

Full-Time

Location

On-Campus

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A dance minor provides students with classes in…

Theory and practice
Western classical dance forms, as well as American vernacular, like hip hop
Pilates mat and improvisation
CardioJazzFunk
Afro-Fusion
…and more!

No audition is required!

Program of Study

Dance minors develop an understanding of composition, dance history, and aesthetics. No audition is required. Students must excel in at least two genres of dance techniques but can explore others at a level of their choosing. The theory classes enhance their technical and performance capabilities.

An average class size of a dance course is 18 students, with an 18:1 student-to-instructor ratio. The learning environment is supportive and always student-focused. Facilities and dance studios can be found in FitRec and at the College of Fine Arts (CFA), with seven multi-use studios, one dance theater, and a Pilates Apparatus room.

Dance Minor Curriculum

The dance minor consists of 20 total credits, 10 in required courses, 4 in required dance technique, and 6 in elective courses.

CFA TH 485 (Choreography and Design: Movement and Light) or CFA TH 541 (Directed Study in Composition) 2.0 credits
CFA TH 139 (20th Century Dance History) 2.0 credits
CFA TH 239 (Aesthetics of Dance) 2.0 credits
CFA TH 337, 348, 447, or 448/PDP DA 400/PDP DA 286 (Performance and Repertory) – 1 credit per semester 4.0 credits

CFA TH/PDP DA (Minimum 4 genres of dance technique, 2 at any level, 2 at intermediate or advanced level) 4.0 credits
Choose From: Ballet, Modern, Jazz/Hip Hop, Tap, Dance Improv (1 credit per course)

PDP DA Dance (Additional Technique Classes) 0.5 or 1.0 credits each
CFA FA 510 (Arts Leaders Forum) 4.0 credits
CFA FA 520 (Career Development for Artists) 4.0 credits
CFA FA 530 Collaborative Arts Incubator variable credits
CFA AR 369 Art, Community, and Social Engagement 4.0 credits
CFA MH 105 Music Appreciation 2.0 credits
CFA MH 106 Music and Culture 2.0 credits
CFA MH 413 Restagings (of Classical Ballets) 4.0 credits
CFA MT 105 Elements of Music Theory 4.0 credits
PDP MA Martial Arts (Tai Chi or other Martial Arts) 1.0 credits
PDP MB Mind/Body (Yoga and Zen Meditation) 1.0 credits
PDP NT (Nutrition) 1.0 credits
CAS WS 326/CI 390 /EN 326 Arts of Gender 4.0 credits
CAS PH 259 Philosophy of the Arts 4.0 credits
CAS BI 315 Systems Physiology 4.0 credits
MET AR 550 Fundraising for Nonprofit Organizations 4.0 credits
MET AR 650 (Writing for the Arts) 4.0 credits
MET AR 690 The Art World 4.0 credits
MET AR 720 Marketing and Audience Development for the Arts 4.0 credits
MET AR 722 Educational Programming in Cultural Institutions 4.0 credits
MET AR 730 Political and Public Advocacy for the Arts 4.0 credits
MET BI 210 Human Anatomy 4.0 credits
SAR HS 342 (Exercise Physiology) 4.0 credits
SAR HS 369 (Gross Human Anatomy) 4.0 credits
SED PE 103 Intro to Physical Activity and Movement 2.0 credits
SED PE 211 (Movement Education: Early Childhood to Adolescence) 2.0 credits

Most School of Theatre studio courses in Movement and Movement for nonmajors, History of Theatre, and Design/Production also fulfill elective requirements.

Opportunities

Dance students increase their network of dance professionals who can facilitate their growth and development at BU and beyond. Performances each semester in the dance theater, as well as participation in student-produced showcases in theatres across campus. Master classes and residencies with guest artists are offered each year. Students may be selected to attend the New England Regional American College Dance Association Conference.

The annual Aurora Borealis: A Festival of Light and Dance program is a vibrant exploration of the relationship between light and form, focusing on collaboration and experimentation. Dance minors are under the direction of School of Theatre faculty members, Yo-EL Cassell and Micki Taylor-Pinney.

Faculty

Where are they now?

Upon completion of the dance minor, we’ve seen alums work for:

Dance companies as performers, choreographers, and administrators
Arts organizations as administrators, advocates, and volunteers
Dance studios as directors, teachers, and coaches
Public and private schools as arts educators
Universities as faculty, staff, and lecturers
Health professionals (physical therapy, occupational therapy, exercise physiologists, athletic trainers) with a specialization in dance
Dance therapists in schools, clinics, and therapeutic settings

Notable Graduates

Dr. Meredith Butulis is a licensed sport/orthopedic physical therapist, certified exercise physiologist, strength and conditioning coach, personal trainer, and yoga/Pilates instructor practicing since 1998. She is the creator of the ISSA Fitness Comeback Coaching Certification, author of the Mobility | Stability EquationM Books, and host of “The Fitness Comeback Coaching” Podcast.

Satu Hummasti, originally from Helsinki, Finland, is a dancer, choreographer, writer, and teacher who has performed, choreographed, and taught throughout the United States, Europe, South and Central America, and Russia. Her work has been commissioned by Compañía de Cámara Danza UNA in San Jose, Costa Rica; Repertory Dance Theater in Salt Lake City; Kannon Dance Company in St. Petersburg, Russia; and for the graduate dance pedagogy students at Teatterikorkeakoulu in Helsinki, Finland. She is currently an Associate Professor in the Modern Dance Department at the University of Utah.

Liz Roncka is a graduate of Boston University (BS in Health Sciences, MS in Physical Therapy). After over 10 years of practicing physical therapy, she shifted her professional career in the direction of dance and fitness. Roncka became a certified Pilates instructor, opened her own Pilates studio, and became an instructor of Dance Improvisation and Pole Dance Circuit at BU. A lifelong dancer, she has danced in local companies as well as presented work in New York City, Paris, and Budapest.