A Dancer’s Guide: How to Decide on a College

Recently, I was contacted by a dance parent whose child was considering majoring in dance at a university. This family was taking a very important step in selecting a college – visiting campuses!

Any resource for prospective college students will stress visiting a university before you invest your time and money. Here is a good list of things to consider when choosing a school. Below, I’ve included some things you may want to think about as you consider a major in dance at a college or university:

The decision of where to attend college should be influenced by what you’d like to do for a career.

Do you want to be a performer in a modern dance company? On broadway? Do you want to teach?

If your goal is to perform with a professional company and make a living at it, the more rigorous the technique requirements at your school, the better.

If your goal is theatrical in nature, a program with a strong theatre/musical theatre program will be an asset (combined programs will require a smattering of theatre/production classes that will benefit you on this career path).

If you want to be a teacher or own your own studio, look for schools that offer more than one teaching course in the curriculum, or better still, look for one with a teaching/pedagogy track, and look into ways you can perhaps incorporate business classes into your coursework.

If you’re unsure which school can get you where you are going, I suggest trying to find out where alumni from the programs have ended up – get actual names if possible and see what they’re doing. It is a good indicator of where the program will lead you.

If you’re unsure about what you really want to do, don’t stress. As you pursue your college education this may change anyway. Look for a school that you feel sure will provide you with a solid education and in which you feel comfortable but challenged. Should you decide that your goals have changed and warrant leaving your school, know that transferring is an option. I myself was a transfer student, and succeeded in graduating “on time” regardless.

The audition process can tell you a lot about what a particular school is looking for in prospective students and what you can expect from the program.

Most dance departments require an audition of some sort. Sometimes the audition can be sent via video/dvd, however, most programs will want to see you in person.

An audition may determine your entrance into the dance program or it may be a placement audition which helps faculty decide in which technique levels you will begin your study (provided, you meet requirements for general acceptance to the university).

Either way, an audition will typically consist of an interview with faculty and participation in one or more dance classes (usually both modern dance and ballet). Some schools will ask to see a performance of choreography either of your own making or set on you by another, but this is rarer.

Dance departments that require an audition for program acceptance are usually looking for skillful dancers who will benefit from polishing and perfecting their technique for a professional career in performance or choreography (often these schools offer a B.F.A degree versus a B.A but this is not a hard and fast rule).

Those that require a placement audition or no audition at all expect to have varying levels of ability and experience within their classes and may provide a less-specialized education for those seeking employment in a diverse range of dance-related careers.

Consider the school’s location, facilities, and campus life, and how you feel you will fare within these.

If you are a small-town kid, the transition to a large, inner-city school can be quite a culture shock, and visa versa. (This can be a positive or negative.)

When visiting campuses, make sure that you are able to see the dance facilities, some classes in progress, and speak with faculty while getting a feel for the campus in general. Talk to other dance students if you can and trust your instincts.

While auditioning for college programs, I experienced both ends of the spectrum. I visited and auditioned at a college where faculty and students were aloof, eying me with a cool distance before auditioning for a school at which I was immediately greeted by a dancer within the department and treated with warmth by faculty members.

Can you guess which school I attended? Both are excellent schools but School A was not for me. Some thrive in a competitive environment. I needed to be where I felt welcome and supported in order to succeed.

If you are concerned about grades, as was the parent who contacted me, it is important to know that (assuming you’ve got another year or so to go) you have time to improve.

Grades are not all a college looks at for entrance, however, poor grades can result in required remedial classes (taken over the summer) – not exactly a fun start. Right now, you may think that academic work is not as important (or interesting) as the work you do in dance class. However, keep in mind that in the professional world, most dancers are intellectual individuals that could do anything they want but choose dance.

Intelligent dancers are curious and want to learn and grow even in areas outside of dance. High school grades don’t always reflect the potential that lies within many students but it won’t hurt to, right now, begin to practice the kind of dedication, perseverance, and self-discipline that a major (and career) in dance will require of you, and work to bring up those grades!

Making the Transition

Dance in college is different from what most young dancers training in studios have experienced thus far.

Dancers are asked to think about dance academically, begin to see themselves as a dance artist, and explore the art of making/watching dance in the professional arena. Young dancers that come from competitive, sports-like, or (for lack of a better term) recreational environment sometimes have trouble adjusting to this

Those that make the adjustment can find a rich experience in this new focus on dance and it can reinforce a love of dance that will truly last into adulthood (even if the student doesn’t plan to perform professionally).

My advice to young dancers entering a college dance department is, no matter where you decide to study, keep an open mind and be willing to let go of some of what you have previously been taught. Appreciate new ideas about dance and allow your own notions to be redefined. If you do this, you may fall in love with dance all over again in college.

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