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Department of Theatre, Drama, and Contemporary Dance

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance

Students on Summer 2024, Fall 2024, or Spring 2025 requirements DANCEBFA

Requirements

The major requires at least 84 credit hours, including the requirements listed below.
  1. Theoretical Foundations.
    1. Foundational Studies. One (1) course:
      • FOLK-F 111 World Music and Culture
      • CMLT-C 147 Images of the Self: East and West
      • CMLT-C 261 Introduction to African Literature
    2. Twentieth-Century Concert Dance. One (1) course:
      • THTR-D 332 Twentieth-Century Concert Dance
    3. Anatomy. One (1) course:
      • ANAT-A 225
      • MSCI-M 115 INTRODUCTION TO ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY
    4. Introduction to Acting or Music Theory. One (1) course:
      • THTR-T 120 Acting I: Fundamentals of Acting
      • MUS-Z 111 INTRODUCTION TO MUSIC THEORY
    5. History or Anthropology of Dance. One (1) course:
      • THTR-T 370 History of Theatre and Drama I
      • THTR-T 371 History of Theatre and Drama II
      • THTR-T 460 Development of Dramatic Art I
      • THTR-T 461 Development of Dramatic Art II
      • THTR-T 462 Development of Dramatic Art III
      • THTR-T 463 Topics in Theatre History and Literature
      • THTR-T 468 Asian Performance
      • THTR-T 469
      • AAAD-A 295 Survey of Hip Hop
      • AAAD-A 320 Black Dance History
      • ANTH-A 208 Topics in the Anthropology of the Arts and Expressive Behavior
      • ANTH-E 203 Stigma and the Expressive Arts: Cultivating Compassion
      • ANTH-E 208 Global Jazz, Reggae, and Hip-Hop: African Diasporic Music Beyond the African Diaspora
      • ANTH-E 317 Ethnographies of Media Worlds
      • ANTH-E 386 Performance, Culture, and Power in the Middle East and North Africa
      • ANTH-E 460 The Arts in Anthropology
      • ANTH-E 463 Anthropology of Dance
      • ANTH-E 464 Body, Power, and Performance
      • FOLK-E 295 Survey of Hip Hop
      • HISP-S 324 Introduction to the Study of Hispanic Cultures
      • Another 300-499-level course approved by the department so long as it informs the understanding of dance theory and practice
  2. Contemporary Practices.
    1. Dance Practices I. One (1) course:
      • THTR-D 108 Dance Practices I
    2. Dance Practices II. One (1) course:
      • THTR-D 112 Dance Practices II
    3. Dance Practices III. One (1) course:
      • THTR-D 211 Dance Practices III
    4. Dance Practices IV. One (1) course:
      • THTR-D 212 Dance Practices IV
    5. Dance Practices V. One (1) course:
      • THTR-D 311 Dance Practices V
    6. Dance Practices VI. One (1) course:
      • THTR-D 312 Dance Practices VI
    7. Dance Practices VII. One (1) course:
      • THTR-D 411 Dance Practices VII
    8. Dance Practices VIII. One (1) course:
      • THTR-D 412 Dance Practices VIII
  3. Supporting Technique. 21 credit hours:
    1. Cultural Choreographies. One (1) course:
      • THTR-D 341 Cultural Choreographies
    2. Tap Dance. One (1) course:
      • THTR-D 154 Beginning Tap Dance
      • THTR-D 254 Intermediate Tap Dance
      • THTR-D 354 Advanced Tap Dance
    3. Supporting Technique Electives. Additional courses as needed to reach 21 credit hours:
      • THTR-D 302 A Somatic Approach to Contemporary Ballet Practices
      • THTR-D 355 Advanced Modern Dance
      • THTR-D 456 Advanced Jazz Dance
      • THTR-D 483 Topics in Dance
      • THTR-D 484 Professional Body Work Certification
      • THTR-T 175 Pilates for the Performing Artist
      • THTR-T 301 Musical Theatre Dance Styles I
      • THTR-T 302 Musical Theatre Dance Styles II
      • THTR-T 304 Advanced Musical Theatre Dance Styles
      • THTR-T 311 Introduction to Movement for the Theatre
      • THTR-T 410 Movement for the Theatre I
      • AAAD-A 100 African American Dance Company: Foundations and Practices
      • AAAD-A 221 Dance in the African Diaspora
      • AAAD-A 338 African American Dance Company: Advanced Studies and Practices
      • MUS-J 100 BALLET ELECTIVE/SECONDARY
      • SPH-I 190 YOGA I
  4. Dance Theory and Dance Making.
    1. Improvisation for Contemporary Dance I. One (1) course:
      • THTR-D 121 Improvisation for Contemporary Dance I
    2. Performance as Art and Design. One (1) course:
      • THTR-T 125 Performance as Art and Design
    3. Improvisation for Contemporary Dance II. One (1) course:
      • THTR-D 161 Improvisation for Contemporary Dance II
    4. Contemporary Dance Workshop. Complete the following course three (3) times and for a total of three (3) credit hours:
      • THTR-D 301 Contemporary Dance Workshop
    5. Approaches to Dance-Making I. One (1) course:
      • THTR-D 221 Approaches to Dance-Making I
    6. Approaches to Dance-Making II. One (1) course:
      • THTR-D 222 Approaches to Dance-Making II
    7. Indiana University Contemporary Dance Theatre. Complete the following course four (4) times and for a total of four (4) credit hours:
      • THTR-D 361 Indiana University Contemporary Dance Theatre
    8. Dance Pedagogy. One (1) course:
      • THTR-D 351 Dance Pedagogy
    9. Choreographic Performance Project. One (1) course:
      • THTR-D 421 Choreographic Performance Project
    10. Methods of Movement Analysis. One (1) course:
      • THTR-D 461 Methods of Movement Analysis
    11. Senior Dance Summary. Complete the following course two (2) times and for a total of two (2) credit hours:
      • THTR-D 462 Senior Dance Summary
  5. Professional Studies. One (1) course:
    • THTR-D 480 Advanced Choreographic Investigations
    • THTR-D 483 Topics in Dance
    • THTR-D 484 Professional Body Work Certification (Complete 3 credit hours for Pilates; 4 credit hours for yoga)
    • THTR-X 476 Practicum in Community Dance Partnerships
    • PSY-P 315 Developmental Psychology
    • PSY-P 324 Abnormal Psychology
    • SPH-A 387 MANAGEMENT OF DANCE INJURIES
    • SPH-K 405 EXERCISE AND SPORT PSYCHOLOGY
    • SPH-K 409 BASIC PHYSIOLOGY OF EXERCISE
  6. Major GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
    1. Major GPA. A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the major—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
    2. Major Minimum Grade. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the major.
    3. Major Upper Division Credit Hours. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed at the 300–499 level.
    4. Major Residency. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed in courses taken through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.

Major Area Courses
  • Unless otherwise noted below, the following courses are considered in the academic program and will count toward academic program requirements as appropriate:

    • Any course at the 100–499 level with the THTR-D subject area prefix—as well as any other subject areas that are deemed functionally equivalent
    • Any course contained on the course lists for the academic program requirements at the time the course is taken—as well as any other courses that are deemed functionally equivalent—except for those listed only under Addenda Requirements
    • Any course directed to a non-Addenda requirement through an approved exception

This program of study cannot be combined with the following:

  • Minor in Dance (DANCEMIN)

Exceptions to and substitutions for major requirements may be made with the approval of the unit's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.