Dance

dance student in the studio
Degree Type

Bachelor of Science

About

The value of a dance degree is as vast as our current society. A Dance major provides a valuable set of skills in the performing arts and humanities. Learn how to make moves—and make those moves work for you—across communities, cultures, disciplines, and professional industries. 

Introduction

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.

Students studying

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

Welcome to Coppin Dance! We are excited to welcome you into a program committed to preparing you for a career in dance. Here’s what every hopeful student must know before officially declaring as a dance major:

  • Incoming dance majors and minors should contact the Dance Coordinator immediately upon entering the University for a movement placement audition. This audition is required prior to registering for courses.
  • 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.
  • Dance majors with prior movement training (i.e. dance, gymnastics, etc.) may register for 200+ level movement technique courses. Upper-level movement technique courses require a registration permission code. Contact the Dance Coordinator for more information.
  • 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, somatic, 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

 

Core Movement Techniques Courses (33 credits)

Dance majors must complete 33 dance technique credits. At least 15 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 227 3 Sacred Modern Dance I
DANC 228 3 Musical Theater and Jazz Dance
DANC 235 3 African Dance I
DANC 236 3 African Dance II
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 (Professional Outreach Workshop) or DANC 426 (Dance Production)

        and 

  • 4 credits of 300-400 Dance Company courses from this list or through substitution as determined with your advisor:

Course credits Name
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 322 1 Dance Company V
DANC 323 1 Dance Company VI
DANC 422 1 Dance Company VII
DANC 423 1 Dance Company VIII

Students may repeat Dance Company courses for credits toward graduation up to a maximum.

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 movement technique and dance company 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

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
BIOL 101 4 Biological Sciences
FRSEM 101 1 Freshman Seminar
DANC 226 3 Introduction to Choreography
DANC 100-200 2 Movement Technique
DANC 100-200 1 Dance Company
DANC 499 1 Special Topics

Spring Semester (15 credits)

course credits name
ENGL 102 3 English Composition II
PHSC 103 3 Physical Science
MATH 3 Math Requirement
DANC 100-200 2 Movement Technique
DANC 1 Dance Company
MISY 150  3 Tech Fluency

Fall Semester (15 credits)

Course credits name
ECON 103 3 Intro to Business/Entrepreneurial
ART 103 3 Basic Design
DANC 205 3  
DANC 499 1 Special Topics
DANC 200-300 2 Movement Technique
DANC 200-300 2 Movement Technique
DANC 1 Dance Company

Spring Semester (15 credits)

Course credits name
WLIT 207 3 World Literature
THEA 211 3 Acting for Non-Majors 
DANC 200 3 Dance as Art and Culture
DANC 200-300 2 Movement Technique
DANC 200-300 3 Movement Technique
DANC 1 Dance Company

Fall Semester (15 credits)

Course credits name
ANTH 207 3 Cultural Anthropology
DANC 325 3 Dance History
DANC 300-400 2 Movement Technique
DANC 300-400 3 Movement Technique
DANC 1 Dance Company
DANC 3 University Elective

Spring Semester (15 credits)

course credits name
DANC 327 3 Movement Analysis
DANC 328 3 Creative Process
DANC 300-400 3 Movement Technique
DANC 300-400 3 Movement Technique
DANC 1 Dance Company
DANC 2 Dance Elective

Fall Semester (15 credits)

Course credits name
DANC 329 3 Professional Outreach
DANC 300-400 3 Movement Technique
DANC 300-400 3 Movement Technique
DANC 300-400 1 Dance Company
DANC xxx 2 Dance Elective
XXXX xxx 3 University Elective

Spring Semester (15 credits)

Course credits Name
DANC 426 3 Dance Production
DANC 427 3 Internship
DANC 3 University Elective
XXXX xxx 3 University Elective
XXXX xxx 3 University Elective

Related Humanities Programs

Dance

Undergraduate

Urban Arts

Undergraduate

African American Studies

Undergraduate

Global Studies

Undergraduate

History

Undergraduate

English

Undergraduate
College

Dance lives in the Department of Humanities in the School of Arts & Sciences within the College of Arts & Sciences, and Education.