Dance

Dance is so many different things. Not only an art, dance can also be a language or means of expression, a mode of inquiry, and a tool for healing. It can be an act of protest or celebration. It can be a method to honor, recognize, engage, and transform cultural traditions. Dance in an interdisciplinary medium that offers opportunities to learn skills that translate into other fields and industries.
Embodied skills that so many employers look for can be found in the study of dance. Dancers are skilled at body awareness which can translate to strong communication and interpersonal skills. Dance is a multilayered field where artists dance, write, make films, dance in specific sites, collaborate with others, and engage their communities. Choreographers must think critically and creatively about the interplay of dancers’ bodies, music, and movements that come together to make something beautiful or thought-provoking. Dance artists are also scholars who work between social praxis and their communities to promote and engage new work. Dance artists are important innovators of new modes of making dance performance through collaboration.
The dance program at Coppin provides dancers with a culturally diverse training program that celebrates and promotes contributions of marginalized artists of color to mainstream arts communities. We maintain an important focus on African, African American, and Caribbean forms, as well as choreographic practices, production, dance studies, and somatics. Our balanced program, asks students to contemplate and reflect on their experiences and praxis in the context of professional global contemporary dance work.
You can choose to major or minor in Dance.
Dance to a Different Beat
Approved as a program in 2009 by the University System of Maryland (USM), the Dance major focuses on technical, cultural and performance education. Our students look at the art form through a critical and creative lens in ways that prepare them for real life dance experiences. We also focus on expanding our students' understanding of dance as an art form, engaged practices, mode of healing, and as areas of interdisciplinary research and creation.
Faculty support students academically and professionally, and encourage conversation around professional opportunities in dance education, performance, and choreography. We also encourage our students to pave their own paths and study a complementary field like English, History, Drama, Urban Arts, Black Studies, Film, Global Studies, Political Science, Marketing, Arts Administration, Education, or Technology. The possibilities for interdisciplinary work are encouraged in our Liberal Arts Dance Program.
The Program organizes masterclasses, workshops and performance opportunities, both on and off campus.

750+ Course Options
The Coppin State University Academic Catalog has a wide variety of skill-building courses designed to inspire and prepare you to be in-demand professionals and transformational leaders.
Incoming Dance Major Requirements
So you’re interested in becoming a dance major? Welcome! We are excited to welcome you into a program committed to preparing you for a career in dance education and performance. Here’s what every hopeful student must know before officially declaring as a dance major:
- Dance majors must register for dance technique courses immediately after declaring as a dance major.
- All dance majors must complete all major courses with a grade of C or higher
- Any student with a significant movement background (i.e. dance, gymnastics, etc.) may petition to register for an advanced movement and performance course.
- Dance majors must also complete DANC 226 Introduction to Choreography with a grade of C or higher
Undergraduate courses and program requirements
The Dance program offers a Bachelor of Science degree requiring 120 credits for graduation. We structure classes to be relatively small so dance faculty can work closely with each student. Our broad range of movement courses include: African Dance, Caribbean dance, ballet, jazz, hip hop, yoga, somatics, and contemporary dance. Our well rounded program engages students in dance studies, improvisation, choreographic practices, production, and opportunities to present dance work.
To graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Dance, you must complete 120 credit hours. These credit hours split among:
-
General Education Requirements, or GERs
-
Required Theory courses
-
Core Movement Technique courses
-
Dance Performance courses
-
Professional Development and Internship courses
Required Theory Courses (12 credits)
All dance majors must complete DANC 325 and an additional 9 credits from the following courses:
Course | credits | Name |
---|---|---|
DANC 130 | 3 | Dance Education |
DANC 200 | 3 | Dance as Art and Culture |
DANC 325 | 3 | Dance History-Dance Studies |
DANC 327 | 3 | Movement Analysis |
DANC 328 | 3 | Creative Process: Theory and Practice |
DANC 499 | 1 | Special Topics in Dance |
Core Movement Techniques Courses (33 credits)
Dance majors must complete 33 dance technique credits. At least 16 credits of these credits must be completed at the 300 or 400 level. Students can petition for faculty approval to register for courses aligned with prior training or level of proficiency.
Students may repeat these courses for credits toward graduation up to a maximum.
Course | credits | Name |
---|---|---|
DANC 101 | 2 | Pilates I |
DANC 102 | 3 | Vinyasa Yoga |
DANC 116 | 2 | Cultural Rhythms I |
DANC 118 | 2 | Improvisation |
DANC 119 | 2 | Urban Contemporary Dance |
DANC 120 | 2 | Ballet Fundamentals I |
DANC 121 | 2 | Modern Dance Fundamentals |
DANC 131 | 2 | Authentic Movement |
DANC 220 | 2 | Ballet Fundamentals II |
DANC 221 | 2 | Modern Fundamentals II |
DANC 226 | 3 | Introduction to Choreography |
DANC 227 | 3 | Sacred Modern Dance I |
DANC 228 | 3 | Musical Theater and Jazz Dance |
DANC 235 | 3 | African Dance I |
DANC 320 | 3 | Intermediate Ballet I |
DANC 321 | 3 | Intermediate Modern Dance I |
DANC 324 | 3 | Tap Dance |
DANC 440 | 3 | Advance Ballet I |
DANC 441 | 3 | Advanced Modern Dance I |
Dance Performance Courses (9 credits)
Any student, including majors and non-majors, taking a dance performance course must also register to take at least one dance technique course at the same time.
All dance majors must complete the following courses to satisfy dance performance course requirements:
-
DANC 425 or DANC 426
and
-
4 credits of 300-400 Dance Company courses from this list or through substitution as determined with your advisor:
Please note: Dance performance courses can be repeated for credits towards graduation up to a maximum.
Course | credits | Name |
---|---|---|
DANC 117 | 2 | Cultural Rhythms Repertory I |
DANC 122 | 1 | Dance Company I |
DANC 123 | 1 | Dance Company II |
DANC 222 | 1 | Dance Company III |
DANC 223 | 1 | Dance Company IV |
DANC 236 | 3 | African Dance Repertory |
DANC 322 | 1 | Dance Company V |
DANC 323 | 1 | Dance Company VI |
DANC 422 | 1 | Dance Company VII |
DANC 423 | 1 | Dance Company VIII |
DANC 425 | 3 | Professional Outreach Workshop |
DANC 426 | 3 | Dance Production |
Professional Development and Internship Courses (6 credits)
All dance majors must complete these courses:
Course | credits | Name |
---|---|---|
DANC 329 | 3 | Professional Outreach |
DANC 427 | 3 | Dance Internship |
Remember! You must complete all major and prerequisite courses with a grade of C or higher.
Repeat Course Policy for Dance Majors
As a dance major, you may repeat courses. You may be able to apply repeated major coursework toward graduation in accordance with our departmental policy:
- 1 credit courses may be repeated for up to 3 credits towards graduation
- 2 credit courses may be repeated for up to 6 credits toward graduation
- 3 credit courses may be repeated for up to 9 credits toward graduation
- University policy permits up to 9 credits of substitution
Dance majors can meet upper level course requirements by repeating the following courses in accordance with departmental policy:
- DANC 320
- DANC 321
- DANC 322
- DANC 323
- DANC 325
- DANC 328
- DANC 329
- DANC 420
- DANC 421
- DANC 422
- DANC 423
- DANC 427
- DANC 440
- DNC 441
- DANC 499
- All core movement technique classes
- All performance courses
- All theory courses
Sample Degree Plan
Be sure to connect with your academic advisor to plan your semester courses. The plan below is just an example—your journey may have different requirements.
Fall Semester (15 credits)
Course | credits | name |
---|---|---|
ENGL 101 | 3 | English Composition I |
MATH 125 | 3 | Math |
BIOL 101 | 4 | Biological Sciences |
ORIE 101 | 1 | Freshman Seminar |
DANC 120 | 2 | Introduction to Ballet I |
DANC 116 | 2 | Cultural Rhythms I |
Spring Semester (17 credits)
course | credits | name |
---|---|---|
ENGL 102 | 3 | English Composition II |
PHIL 103 | 3 | Introduction to Philosophy |
PHSC 101 | 4 | Physical Science |
DANC 119 | 2 | Urban Contemporary Dance |
DANC 121 | 2 | Introduction to Modern Dance |
MISY 150 | 3 | Tech Fluency |
Fall Semester (16 credits)
Course | credits | name |
---|---|---|
HEED 205 | 3 | Nutrition Exercise, and Weight Control |
HIST 205 | 3 | African American History |
WLIT 207 | 3 | World Literature |
DANC 131 | 2 | Movement Analysis |
DANC 200 | 3 | Dance as Art and Culture |
DANC 220 | 2 | Introduction to Ballet II |
Spring Semester (17 credits)
Course | credits | name |
---|---|---|
ECON 103 | 3 | Introduction to Business and Entrepreneurial Economics |
HIST 206 | 3 | African American History |
ANTH 207 | 3 | Cultural Anthropology |
DANC 226 | 3 | Introduction to Choreography |
DANC 221 | 2 | Introduction to Modern |
DANC 235 | 3 | African Dance I |
Fall Semester (17 credits)
Course | credits | name |
---|---|---|
DANC 325 | 3 | Dance History |
DANC 320 | 3 | Intermediate Ballet |
DANC 321 | 3 | Intermediate Modern |
DANC 328 | 3 | Creative Expression through the Arts |
DANC 322 | 1 | Dance Company V |
DANC 329 | 4 | Professional Outreach |
Spring Semester (16 credits)
course | credits | name |
---|---|---|
DANC 327 | 3 | Movement Analysis |
DANC 320 | 3 | Intermediate Ballet |
DANC 321 | 3 | Advanced Ballet |
DANC 236 | 3 | African Dance Repertory |
DANC 323 | 1 | Dance Company VI |
XXXX xxx | 3 | General Elective |
Fall Semester (15 credits)
Course | credits | name |
---|---|---|
DANC 440 | 3 | Advanced Ballet |
DANC 441 | 3 | Advanced Modern Dance |
DANC 426 | 3 | Dance Production |
DANC 422 | 1 | Dance Company VII |
XXXX xxx | 3 | General Elective |
DANC 499 | 2 | Dance Elective |
Spring Semester (13 credits)
Course | credits | Name |
---|---|---|
DANC 440 | 3 | Advanced Ballet |
DANC 441 | 3 | Advanced Modern Dance |
DANC 427 | 3 | Dance Internship |
DANC 423 | 1 | Dance Company VIII |
XXXX xxx | 3 | General Elective |
Dance lives in the Department of Humanities in the School of Arts & Sciences within the College of Arts & Sciences, and Education.