Dance Department

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Established over 35 years ago, the Dance Department offers a rigorous and comprehensive B.A. major in dance, as well as a minor in dance. Highly developed/advanced and specialized courses allow students to pursue areas of interest that emphasize independence and initiative with an emphasis on the tradition of a liberal arts education. The major provides a broad knowledge of dance that supports technical, creative, and intellectual development. Students build their course of study based on their primary interest and future dance goals whether it is performing, choreographing, movement therapy, physical therapy, dance science, arts administration, dance education, or dance history. Students work with an academic adviser to personalize a course of study to prepare them for a career in dance or graduate school. The Dance Department offers several opportunities to study abroad, including semester-long study in Italy, Taiwan, and England and intensive courses abroad such as in West Africa and Scotland.

Our studio curriculum challenges performing artists in both classical ballet and modern dance and is augmented by courses in musical theatre and jazz. Dance technique classes engage the students in various modes of scholarly inquiry including critical thinking, writing, and insightful dialogue. The technical level of every student is determined by a mandatory class placement audition in June or August of each academic year. Twice yearly dance major reviews monitor student progress through the major and students advance at the discretion of the dance faculty. In addition to daily technique classes taught by dance department faculty, our guest artists-in-residence program allows students to interface each semester with professionals beyond the Goucher community. Our roster of past distinguished artists, teachers, and choreographers includes: William Whitener, Seán Curran, Alan Hineline, Doug Elkins, Robert Weiss, Michael Vernon, Gabriel Masson, Jessica Lang, Larry Keigwin, Gen Horiuchi, Rachel Berman, Kevin Iega Jeff, Thaddeus Davis, Armando Luna, Jennifer Archibald, Brian Reeder, Roger C. Jeffrey, Zippora Karz, Rodger Belman, Susan Jaffe, Constance Dinapoli, Darrell Moultrie, Melissa Barak, Deborah Wingert, Tiffany Mills, and Dermot Burke.

The Dance Department has a reputation for consistently producing new choreography as well as reconstructing works from the past. Our repertory ranges from traditional classical choreography to contemporary new works commissioned specifically for our dancers. Formal and informal studio performances give students opportunities to choreograph and perform throughout the year. Dance courses, including performing and choreographic opportunities, are open to all students who have completed the appropriate prerequisites. Performance opportunities are by audition.

In addition to offering intensive studio training in the performing arts, the Dance Department offers theory courses exploring dance from choreographic, aesthetic, historical, anatomical, cultural, analytical, educational, and therapeutic perspectives. Through our dance curriculum, students learn to observe, analyze, document, synthesize, and integrate both theoretical and applied knowledge in order to prepare graduates for leadership in the multifaceted world of dance.

Students are encouraged to pursue their individual interests through completion of independent studies, community outreach programs, senior thesis research, and performances, as well as outside the department through interdisciplinary projects, internships, and participation in a variety of abroad experiences. The Dance Department offers several opportunities to study abroad, including semester-long study in Taiwan, Italy and England and intensive courses abroad in West Africa and Scotland. Since career development is an integral part of the college experience, students can receive credits while developing applied skills through internships both during the academic year and in the summer. Internship sites have included professional dance companies, dance studios, public and private schools, and arts agencies, including the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, the Pennsylvania Ballet, David Dorfman Dance, the Edinburgh Festival, National Dance Education Organization, National Dance Association, Dance USA, Union Memorial Hospital, Venue C in London and Edinburgh, Dance Magazine, Broadway Dance Center, Peridance Center, Bates Dance Festival, American Dance Festival, Jacobs Pillow, Ad Deum Christian Dance Company, Maryland School for the Blind, Wolf Trap Performing Arts Center, Baltimore newspapers, and the Maryland State Arts Council.

Department Faculty

Professors

Amanda Thom Woodson, chair (Labanotation, modern dance, senior capstone, advanced choreography, and Scotland ICA), Elizabeth Lowe Ahearn (Pilates, dance composition, repertory, dance history, ballet technique, and pointe)

Assistant Professors

Iyun Harrison (ballet, dance composition, seminar), Iquail Shaheed (modern dance and choreography), Rick Southerland (modern dance technique, dance composition, dance education, dance history, improvisation, and South and West Africa ICA)

Instructors

Katherine S. Ferguson (ballet technique and pointe), Tim Fox (ballet technique, men’s technique, partnering, and variations) Linda Garofalo (ballet technique, modern dance technique, and outreach seminar), Michelle Herrmann (Pilates), Katie Morris (ballet technique and pointe), Megan Rich (Anatomy and Kinesiology, Scotland ICA, and Physiotherapist).

Lecturers

Jerome Herskovitz (music for dance), Todd Mion (dance production and lighting), Stephanie Powell, Elizabeth Terschuur (modern and jazz), Paul Wegner, Sara Workeneh (dance therapy), other lecturers to be appointed

Departmental Honors

Students can earn honors in the major by completing a Senior Thesis with a grade of A or A- or by earning a minimum GPA of 3.7 in courses in the department.

Multiple Failed Courses

It is the department’s policy that students majoring in dance must receive at least a C- in every course taken toward the completion of the major.

Placement

All new students are placed in technique levels by audition at placement classes during fall orientation pf their first year.

Dance Major and Minor Review

Each spring semester prospective and declared dance majors are required to participate in a ballet and a modern dance technique class that will determine the ability of the student to achieve the required level of technique to complete the dance major or dance minor. Students struggling with the technical requirement of the department may be advised to find an alternative major while continuing their studies in the Dance Department.

Progression through Dance Technique Levels

The specific technical skills for each level must be achieved before a student may progress to the next level of technique.

The following courses are repeatable up to six credits:

• DAN 146 - Goucher African Drum and Dance Ensemble (1 Cr.)
    

• DAN 295 - Goucher Repertory Dance Ensemble (1.5 Cr.)
    

The following courses are repeatable up to three times:

• DAN 101 - Pointe I (1 Cr.)
    
• DAN 102 - Pilates Method of Body Conditioning I (1.5 Cr.)
    
• DAN 104 - Improvisation (1.0 Cr.)
    
• DAN 105 - Men’s Technique (1 Cr.)
    
• DAN 115 - Modern Technique I (1.5 - 2.0 Cr.)
    
• DAN 121 - Ballet Technique I (1.5 - 2.0 Cr.)
    
• DAN 140 - Jazz Dance Technique I (2 Cr.)
    
• DAN 141 - Jazz Dance Technique II (1.5 Cr.)
    
• DAN 201 - Pointe II (1 Cr.)
    
• DAN 202 - Pilates Method of Body Conditioning II (1.5 Cr.)
    
• DAN 203 - Variations/Solo Repertory (1 Cr.)
    
• DAN 204 - Partnering (1 Cr.)
    
• DAN 215 - Modern Technique II (1.5 - 2.0 Cr.)
    
• DAN 221 - Ballet Technique II (1.5 - 2.0 Cr.)
    
• DAN 302 - Pointe III (1 Cr.)
    
• DAN 316 - Modern Technique III (1.5-2.0 Cr.)
    
• DAN 320 - Ballet Technique III (1.5-2.0 Cr.)
    
• DAN 415 - Modern Technique IV (1.5-2.0 Cr.)
    
• DAN 421 - Ballet Technique IV (1.5-2.0 Cr.)
    

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