Salem State University

About the Program

The music and dance department at Salem State University offers a Bachelor of Arts in dance that provides students with a comprehensive liberal arts education in the field of dance, preparing them for careers including performance/choreography, arts administration, and teaching. Majors focus on either hip hop or contemporary modern as core areas of study and learn a diverse range of dance techniques including modern, hip-hop, ballet, improvisation, jazz, and cyphering, plus rotating topics such as tap, musical theater, and West African dance forms. The department also offers a dance minor and a dance education certificate.

Degrees Offered

Concentrations

Coursework

Curriculum includes dance composition, ensemble, dance pedagogy (the art of teaching dance), dance entrepreneurship (dance company and studio administration), dance history, and improvisation. Rotating technique topics include conditioning for dancers and Street Latin. Core-area choice: hip hop or contemporary modern.

Performance Opportunities

Salem Dance Ensemble (SDE, faculty-directed formal concerts and informal showings), Hip Hop Dance Ensemble (HDE, students/alumni/community), Repertory Dance Theater (RDT, student-run club presenting ballet, contemporary, hip hop, jazz, tap), and American College Dance Association regional conferences. National Honors Society for Dance Arts recognizes students maintaining a 3.5 GPA in dance.

Scholarships & Financial Aid

Merit-based funding includes the Meaghan Noel Scholarship for Dance majors, the Center for the Creative and Performing Arts Presidential Arts Scholarship, and Student Artistic Development Grants for juniors and seniors funding creative projects.