Smith College
Department of Dance
Northampton, MA
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About the Program
Smith's dance courses include contemporary modern, ballet, jazz, West African, dance history, composition, cultural studies, anatomy-kinesiology and advanced seminars. The department is a member of Five College Dance, a nationally recognized model for excellence in higher education. Smith is a private women's liberal arts college and part of the Five College Consortium alongside Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and UMass Amherst.
Degrees Offered
BA in Dance
Master of Fine Arts in Dance
- •performance
- •choreography
- •teaching
- •research
Dance Minor
Concentrations
Coursework
No mandatory core curriculum; interdisciplinary studies encouraged. Most technique classes taught with live music. 20-credit limit on technique courses for majors (12 credits for minors); students may take same technique course up to three times. Five College Dance consortium allows students to take courses across Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, Smith, and UMass Amherst.
Study abroad available
Notable Faculty
- Chris Aiken (Professor and Chair)
- Rodger Blum (Professor)
- Angie Hauser (Professor, MFA Director)
- Lester Tomé (Associate Professor)
Facilities
Theatre 14 in Mendenhall Center, Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre, Scott Dance Studio, and the Sharonjean Moser Leeds and Richard Leeds Studio for Dance Research. Four studios, two dedicated theaters.
Performance Opportunities
Department concerts, Five College Dance performances, and the student-run company Celebrations (founded 1983).
Want to Learn More?
Continue on Smith College's official site.