Theatre Major: Dance Option (B.A.)

The dance option offers a diverse program that is designed to give the dance teacher, choreographer and/or performer the skills needed to embark on a successful career. Technique courses in ballet, pointe, tap, jazz and the aerial arts are at the core of this program. Courses in history of dance, composition, choreography and dance pedagogy aid dancers in preparing for a variety of employment opportunities in the dance field. In addition, dancers are introduced to the technical aspects involved in staging a full-scale performance. Performance opportunities include yearly faculty-directed dance concerts and student-created dance showcases each semester. Dancers may focus on one or all dance forms.

Students may choose to combine the dance option with requirements of the UNH Department of Education, in conjunction with a fifth year Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) or Masters in Education (M.Ed.) program. This path will prepare students for dance teaching certification or elementary school teaching certification with an undergraduate specialization in dance. They also have the option of pursuing dance education leading to K-12 dance teacher certification.

Contact Gay Nardone, Newman Dance Studio, (603) 862-1728, gay.nardone@unh.edu.

In the freshman and sophomore years, students should enroll for at least two major and two Discovery courses per semester. The minimum grade requirement for major courses is C- per course. Any grade lower than C- will not count toward the major. Under department policy, students who complete both COMM 401 American Sign Language I and COMM 502 American Sign Language II satisfy the bachelor of arts language proficiency requirement. All majors must take courses in the following areas: performance, design/theatre technology and theory/history as well as fulfill between four and eight practicums and complete a capstone course. Although timing will vary with each option, it is strongly suggested that all introductory courses be taken prior to the end of the student's sophomore year.

The required minimum overall GPA in major coursework is 2.0.

Candidates for a degree must satisfy all of the University Discovery Program requirements in addition to satisfying the requirements of each individual major program. Bachelor of arts candidates must also satisfy the foreign language proficiency requirement.

Theatre department majors may use one major-required course to satisfy one Discovery category requirement.

All UNH B.A. degrees require a minimum of 128 credit hours.

State K-12 Teacher Certification

Certification in Dance is part of the pre-service programs in teacher education, which seek to prepare teachers who demonstrate excellence in classroom practice and who will become educational leaders. The basic program to achieve these ends is the five-year program in which students begin preparation for teaching at the undergraduate level with field experience and professional course work in teaching. Students complete a baccalaureate degree in Theatre with a Dance Option and move into a fifth year of study and a full-year internship which lead to either the Masters in Education (M.Ed.) or a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) degree and licensure for teaching. Students who have already completed a baccalaureate degree with dance as an option or major may also be able to enter the teacher preparation program at the graduate level. With a GPA of 3.2 or better, you may be eligible for early admission to the graduate program, allowing up to twelve credits to dual count for both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Successful completion of the Praxis Core test is required for UNH graduate school admission. With no prior course work in education, this program will normally require two years to achieve licensure and either the M.Ed. or M.A.T.

The kindergarten through 12th grade certification in the dance education program provides the foundation for public school teaching certification through the Five-Year Teacher Education Program at UNH. This program integrates a general education background with dance training in a variety of dance styles, dance history, choreography, and dance pedagogy for the purpose of understanding content, process, and methodologies of dance as an art form. All five-year candidates must meet requirements for admission to graduate school. All K-12 Education in Dance students must receive a “C-” grade or better in all Theatre and Dance courses required in the program and a “B-” or better in the graduate level courses. New Hampshire also participates in a reciprocal agreement with many other states, the Interstate Certification Compact. For further clarification regarding fifth-year certification options, contact Assaf Benchetrit, Paul Creative Arts Center, (603) 862-4485, assaf.benchetrit@unh.edu.