The Bachelor of Arts with a major in Dance offers two concentrations:
- Performance and Choreography with focuses in ballet or contemporary dance and
- Dance Education K-12.
The performance and choreography focus in classical ballet requires 8 ballet techniques and 4 contemporary techniques classes. The contemporary dance focus requires 6 contemporary techniques, 4 ballet techniques and 2 techniques of other forms of dance. Academic coursework such as choreography, dance history, and theory courses are also included in the major requirements for a degree in dance. Dance performances include full-length ballet productions, classical repertory and contemporary works.
- Dance majors will demonstrate an advanced level of technical proficiency in ballet and or contemporary dance. Dance majors in Performance as well as Dance Education must achieve level three by graduation.
- Students will be able to write about dance in an educated manner and use critical approaches to evaluate dance.
- Students will describe the principles and theories of dance artists, their theories and choreographic strengths and also the material that pertains to history and cultural dance.
- Students will be able to verbally articulate the principles and theories of dance artists and their significance in terms of history and cultural dance.
- Students are expected to demonstrate an appropriate level of knowledge about theoretical perspectives in dance education, instruction, assessment, dance education content, classroom management, and leadership in dance education in order to proceed to the professional program and student teaching.
Admission Requirements
- Entering freshmen and transfer students must meet University admissions requirements and academic standards.
- Initial acceptance into the dance major is dependent upon a qualifying dance audition in ballet and contemporary dance.
- Dance majors are encouraged to complete all four years at USC, Columbia campus, due to the rigorous and ongoing nature of the technical proficiency, as well as company requirements. If a student chooses to transfer into the dance major, additional coursework may be necessary to remedy deficiencies.
- Students who wish to enter the program from another major on the Columbia campus or from another USC campus must be in good standing and have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher.
Progression Requirements
- At the end of each semester, dance majors will be evaluated for proficiency and progression to the next level of dance technique based on rubrics and syllabi. To graduate, students must complete DANC 302 and DANC 312.
- All dance majors with an emphasis in dance education must fulfill admission requirements for the Professional Education Program and Internship.
- To remain in the dance major, a student must make satisfactory progress towards a degree. A student who fails to make satisfactory progress may be placed on academic probation or removed from the college.

