Scholarship related:
What are the basic expectations of a student on scholarship, such as the class requirements?
….besides participating each year in one of the companies or other performance projects, you should be enrolled in a movement intensive class of your choice.
Do dancers on scholarship participate in other academic and extracurricular activities or do they pretty much only dance?
….quite often dancers do participate in other activities such as student organizations and clubs, music groups, or theater events as their schedule and personal desires allow.
Class related:
What dance obligations would there be in a typical week?
….typically you will have 2-3 hours of a movement intensive class (technique) and then two 1½–2 hours of rehearsals (these are typically late afternoon from 3:45-5:45).
Are there opportunities for en pointe work within ballet classes?
….the ballet classes do not include en pointe work, however the Ballet lll instructor has offered special point classes when interest and scheduling allow.
Are there extra financial expectations with classes?
….some classes require fees for performances, transportation and dance shoes.
Performance related:
How many performances are there, and what kind of performances does the program put on?
….there are a variety of performance events each semester ranging from showings of works-in-progress —First Glimpse and Fresh Space, to moderated small shows—Friday Night Lights, to more highly produced shows—Senior Concert, Spring Concert, Veselica International Dance Ensemble, The Rhythm Project.
Are there extra financial expectations with the performances, other than personal shoes and items?
….there are no expectations beyond those extras that you choose to experience such as performances in Minneapolis. attendance at ACDFA (a college dance festival) or other dance conferences.
Program related:
What are the strengths and dance emphasis of the St. Olaf dance department?
….the strong community of dancers is definitely one of the strengths of the program; the integration of majors and non-majors in all classes and performing groups has many valuable benefits; a well rounded curriculum including both language intensive approaches (theory) and movement intensive approaches (technique) to dance that provide a broad understanding of the field of dance and its possibilities; the regular opportunity to work with guest artists enhances those areas a small program can not regularly support; the strong somatic focus (anatomy, body awareness, and embodied consciousness) is unusual at the undergraduate level.
How many students at St. Olaf are in the dance department?
…. hundreds of students take classes and participate in the dance companies and in performing projects so involvement in the department is a great way to meet other students who share your interest in dance. There are typically 25-35 students (First Years to Seniors) majoring in dance.
Is it possible to combine dance with another major?
….definitely! many dance majors choose to do this as a way of integrating their embodied knowledge with another field of inquiry such as psychology, biology, exercise science, English, theater. Adding a concentration such as gender studies, management studies, or Asian studies also is a possibility. It also is smart to major in dance and then construct a great liberal arts education for yourself. Taking a wide range of other classes can expand your imagination into the possibilities for creating your own path in life. The Piper Center is well situated to help you with this option.
Career related:
What does the department prepare the dancers for in their careers or later in life?
….specifically dancers who have graduated with a dance major have gone on to perform, to teach in a variety of different environments, to train in dance and massage therapy, yoga, and other physical practices, to attend graduate school in dance and related areas. More broadly the dance major grounds students with physical intelligence, critical and imaginative thinking capacities, curiosity about the world around them, connection to others committed to the creative arts, and excitement about all the possibilities ahead!