The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Dance prepares students to teach participatory movement traditions in community settings, and to lead community groups in creating and performing their own dances and movement rituals. Community-based service-learning experiences provide many opportunities to realize these goals. Many Dance BA students pursue a double major at UWM; the service-learning component provides an opportunity to integrate the content of the two areas of study.

Requirements

University Core42
Dance Technique and Somatics26
Dance Creative and Academic28
General Electives (May Include Dance Electives)24
Total Credits120

University Core

The minimum number of credits required to complete the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Fine Arts is 120. Students who need background preparation courses in math, English, foreign language, and chemistry may need additional credits.

General Education Requirements 1
Competencies 1
Oral and Written Communication – Part A and Part B 2
Quantitative Literacy (QL) – Part A and Part B 2
Foreign Language 2
Distribution Requirements 1
Humanities6
Natural Sciences (Must include one lab)6
Social Sciences6
Cultural Diversity 2
Electives
Additional Electives12
Credits in Peck School of the Arts 39
University Credits3
Total Credits42
1

 Learn more about the General Education Requirements.

2

 Credits may be utilized in required curriculum areas.

3

Chosen from three of the following departments in PSOA: Art & Design, Fine Arts, Theatre, or Film, Video, Animation, and New Genres.

Please note: For all Dance majors and minors, dance courses with a grade C- or below will not be counted toward any departmental degree.

Dance Foundations Curriculum

Students in both the BFA and BA dance degree programs must complete the following Dance Foundations curriculum in their freshman year:

DANCE 111Ballet I3
DANCE 113Modern Dance Technique I3
DANCE 233Improvisation for Dancemaking3
Total Credits9

Major Requirements

Dance Technique and Somatics
DANCE 103Introduction to Iyengar Yoga2
DANCE 111Ballet I3
DANCE 113Modern Dance Technique I3
DANCE 220Body Sense3
DANCE 122African Dance & Diaspora Technique I 42-3
Select three of the following:9
Contemporary Dance Practice: Ballet Tradition II
Contemporary Dance Practice: Ballet Tradition III
Contemporary Dance Practice: Ballet Tradition IV 5
Contemporary Dance Practice: Modern Tradition II
Contemporary Dance Practice: Modern Tradition III
Contemporary Dance Practice: Modern Tradition IV 5
Select two of the following:4
Jazz Dance I
Tap I
World Movement Traditions: (approved Sub-topic)
Dance Creative and Academic
DANCE 110Survey of Global Dance: Rituals, Performance and Community 63
DANCE 233Improvisation for Dancemaking3
DANCE 251Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analysis (QL-B)3
Select one of the following:3
History of Dance in the African Diaspora (OWC-B)
Contemporary Dance History (OWC-B)
History of the American Musical Theater (OWC-B)
Select one of the following:1
Dance Service-Learning
Repertoire and Ensemble 7
DANCE 352Digital Media Portfolio for Performers3
DANCE 412Dance Composition I 63
DANCE 420Creating Dance in the Community 63
DANCE 460Teaching Dance in Community Settings3
DANCE 601Senior Project3
General Electives24
Select 24 general electives (May be Taken in Dance)
Total Credits78-79
4

3 credits if GER-CD is desired for DANCE 122.

5

Students must pass with a B minimum.

6

Coursework involved in MPPR guidelines.

7

 Any dancer cast in faculty or guest artist choreography must be enrolled in at least 1 UWM Department of Dance technique class that meets at least 3 times per week during the rehearsal semester.

Recommended BA Course Electives

DANCE 115
DANCE 116
Jazz Dance I
and Jazz Dance II
2
DANCE 117
DANCE 217
Tap I
and Tap II
3
DANCE 209Dance Production2
DANCE 309Dance Production Practicum1
DANCE 310Jazz III2
Select one of the following:3
History of Dance in the African Diaspora (OWC-B)
Contemporary Dance History (OWC-B)
History of the American Musical Theater (OWC-B)
DANCE 319Dance Service-Learning1
DANCE 320Rituals and Culture3
Select one or all of the following:3
Alexander Technique for the Performer
and Alexander Technique Practicum
Body Conditioning: Pilates Method
and Body Conditioning: Pilates Method II
Intermediate Yoga For Dancers
DANCE 624Feldenkrais for Performers2
DANCE 325Pointe and Variations2
DANCE 327Dance for the Musical Theatre I 82
DANCE 427Dance for the Musical Theatre II2
DANCE 370World Movement Traditions:2
DANCE 371Dance Anatomy & Kinesiology3
DANCE 414Dance Composition III2-3
DANCE 489Workshop in Dance: (subtitle)2
DANCE 490Repertoire and Ensemble 9,101
or DANCE 491 Repertory/Student Choreographer
DANCE 491Repertory/Student Choreographer 111
DANCE 624Feldenkrais for Performers2
THEATRE 101Acting for Non-majors3
THEATRE 260Storytelling: (subtitle)3
THEATRE 275Performing Arts Management3
THEATRE 320Arts and Social Entrepreneurship (subtitle)3
8

Coursework involved in MPPR guidelines.

9

Any dancer cast in faculty or guest artist choreography must be enrolled in at least 3 UWM Department of Dance technique classes per week during the rehearsal semester.

10

Per departmental policy, any time a student is cast in a faculty or guest artist work and is enrolled for less than 18 credits, he/she must enroll in DANCE 490 for 1 credit during the appropriate semester.

11

Any student cast in a student work must be enrolled in at least 1 UWM Department of Dance technique class that meets at least 2 times per week during the rehearsal semester.

Recommended Course of Study

Plan of Study Grid
Year 1
FallCredits
Includes Foundations Curriculum
DANCE 111 Ballet I 3
DANCE 220 Body Sense 3
University Core 9
 Credits15
Spring
DANCE 110 Survey of Global Dance: Rituals, Performance and Community 3
DANCE 113 Modern Dance Technique I 3
DANCE 233 Improvisation for Dancemaking 3
University Core 6
 Credits15
Year 2
Fall
DANCE 112
Contemporary Dance Practice: Ballet Tradition II
or Contemporary Dance Practice: Modern Tradition II
3
Select one of the following: 2
Jazz Dance I
Tap I
World Movement Traditions: (approved Sub-topic)
DANCE 122 African Dance & Diaspora Technique I 3
DANCE 412 Dance Composition I 1 3
University Core 3
 Credits14
Spring
DANCE 103 Introduction to Iyengar Yoga 2
DANCE 211
Contemporary Dance Practice: Ballet Tradition III
or Contemporary Dance Practice: Modern Tradition III
3
Elective (May be taken in Dance) 3
PSOA Core 6
 Credits14
Year 3
Fall
Select one of the following: 2
Jazz Dance I
Tap I
World Movement Traditions:
DANCE 212
Contemporary Dance Practice: Ballet Tradition IV
or Contemporary Dance Practice: Modern Tradition IV
3
DANCE 251 Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analysis (QL-B) 3
Select one of the following: 3
Contemporary Dance History (OWC-B)
History of the American Musical Theater (OWC-B)
History of Dance in the African Diaspora (OWC-B)
Dance or University Elective 3
PSOA Core 3
 Credits17
Spring
DANCE 352 Digital Media Portfolio for Performers 3
DANCE 319
Dance Service-Learning 2,3,4
or Repertoire and Ensemble
1
DANCE 420 Creating Dance in the Community 3
Dance or University Elective 3
PSOA Core 6
 Credits16
Year 4
Fall
DANCE 460 Teaching Dance in Community Settings 3
Dance and/or University Electives 6
PSOA Core 6
 Credits15
Spring
DANCE 601 Senior Project 3
Dance and/or University Electives 8
PSOA Core 3
 Credits14
 Total Credits120
1

Coursework involved in MPPR guidelines.

2

Any dancer cast in faculty or guest artist choreography must be enrolled in at least 3 UWM Department of Dance technique classes per week during the rehearsal semester.

3

Per departmental policy, any time a student is cast in a faculty or guest artist work and is enrolled for less than 18 credits, he/she must enroll in DANCE 490 for 1 credit during the appropriate semester.

4

Any student cast in a student work must be enrolled in at least 1 UWM Department of Dance technique class that meets at least 2 times per week during the rehearsal semester. 

Admission and Retention Requirements for the Dance BFA and BA

Admission Requirements 

Please see uwm.edu/arts/apply for information on admission starting spring 2017.

Students must meet general university admission requirements to be admitted to any of the undergraduate curricula as a freshman or transfer student. Passing the Dance Entrance Audition (on-campus or video) is required for entrance into the Dance BA or BFA degree programs.

On-campus auditions consist of a variety of technique classes, writing sample, one-minute solo performance (can be self-choreographed), and Q&A session. Video submission (only with prior authorization via email to dance-admission@uwm.edu) consists of writing sample, 5 minutes each of two contrasting dance techniques, and 2-3 minutes of performance video (DVD or URLs in online form). Auditions after the last on-campus audition will be by appointment or via video submission. If unsuccessful, students may re-audition, but are limited to auditioning twice per academic year (via any method).

To RSVP for a specific audition date, or to submit the video audition form (after authorization), prospective students must:

  1. complete the appropriate online form at uwm.edu/arts/apply and
  2. submit separate copies of their high school and/or college transcripts (unofficial copies are acceptable for this purpose).

Transcripts and/or video footage should be sent to dance-admission@uwm.edu or UWM Dance Admission, P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI  53201.

UWM priority application deadline is March 1.

Transfer students must complete a minimum of half of the required dance credits while in residence at UWM in order to graduate. The exact total is available upon admission to the program. Transcript evaluation by a dance advisor is required before placement into dance major courses.

Once accepted, students may enter the program during either fall or spring semesters, but are strongly encouraged to enter in the fall term to progress more smoothly through the BA or BFA curricular sequence.

Retention Requirements

Each undergraduate dance major's coursework will be reviewed at the end of his/her sophomore year to determine continuance in the major, as part of the Mid-Program Portfolio Review. Students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in the dance major.

All students are expected to demonstrate a strong commitment to their health and overall conditioning in order to fulfill the department's academic requirements. Each student's ability to undertake the demands of the dance program, including his/her overall physical ability to perform in classes, auditions, rehearsals, and/or performances, will be a factor in the following: grading at the end of each semester; the audition/rehearsal/performance process for departmental productions and outreach events; the Mid-Program Portfolio Review assessment; determining "probation" status; and potentially removing a student from the program.

Laptops

Dance BA and BFA students are required to have a laptop computer (or comparable tablet meeting minimum specifications) by the beginning of their sophomore year, but are strongly encouraged to have one when they enter the program. The hardware and software must meet or exceed the current departmental requirements, as stated on the website (uwm.edu/arts/apply/laptop/) and in the Dance Undergraduate Student Handbook. Website also includes information on using financial aid to fund this expense.

Advising

Location: Theatre 120
Hours: M–Th 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Fri. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (closed on university holidays)
Contact: 414-229-4763 | Contact Form 

Academic advising is an important aspect of long-term academic success. At the Peck School of the Arts, we offer professional advising in the undergraduate disciplines of art, dance, film, music and theatre.

Our advisors provide students with individualized appointments to assist them in areas such as: degree requirements, major options, course selection, campus resources, college success strategies, graduation assessment, academic policies and procedures, and more.

For more information please visit the Peck School of the Arts advising and student services page

Honors in the Major

Honors in the Major is granted to students who have earned a GPA of 3.500 or greater in the major and the academic department's recommendation.

High Honors in the Major is granted to students who have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or greater and the academic department's recommendation.

Departmental Honors are granted to students recommended by their academic department for Honors excellence in performance not reflected in the GPA.

Dean's Honors are granted to students with major achievements in one or more of the arts.

College of the Arts and Architecture Dean's Honor List

GPA of 3.750 or above, earned on a full-time student's GPA on 12 or more graded credits in a given semester.

Honors College Degree and Honors College Degree with Distinction

Granted to graduating seniors who complete Honors College requirements, as listed in the Honors College section of this site.

Commencement Honors

Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or above, based on a minimum of 40 graded UWM credits earned prior to the final semester, will receive all-university commencement honors and be awarded the traditional gold cord at the December or May Honors Convocation. Please note that for honors calculation, the GPA is not rounded and is truncated at the third decimal (e.g., 3.499).

Final Honors

Earned on a minimum of 60 graded UWM credits: Cum Laude - 3.500 or above; Magna Cum Laude - 3.650 or above; Summa Cum Laude - 3.800 or above.