麻豆原创

The Dance Department offers programs of study leading to the Master of Arts, Master of Fine Arts, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. All students are expected to develop a command of the discipline of dance, as a performing art and as both subject and medium of inquiry. The department's mission places high value on the role of dance in a pluralistic, multicultural society.

The M.F.A. in Dance develops choreographers and dance artists who are in command of their idiom as a basis for meaningful aesthetic investigation, embodied research, and critical inquiry. The program fosters skilled dance making; sensitivity to personal artistic qualities and sources; openness to interdisciplinary perspectives; and awareness of the social, political, and historical implications of dance. The M.F.A. seeks to align itself with the evolving aesthetics and pedagogies of professional dance practice, to introduce students to contemporary developments in the field of dance scholarship, and to prepare students to enter the competitive job market.

The emphasis of the M.F.A. in Dance is on providing resources that allow each student to take responsibility for their artistic development and vision. As choreographers, students immerse themselves in studying the craft and persuasion of their art form, study the historical and cultural dimensions of dance, experience a spectrum of valid approaches to issues of communication, and continuously challenge their own artistic viewpoints and directions. As performers, students are expected to engage themselves fully and with personal integrity in the creation, interpretation, and presentation of dance works; develop technically and artistically in order to fulfill the varying demands of dance as a performing art; and participate fully in the choreographic process. The M.F.A. in Dance also supports the vision of those students who aspire to work in higher education and other education and community contexts as artist-educators.

Areas of Specialization: The M.F.A. faculty includes internationally known artists and scholars whose work represents a variety of contemporary approaches to choreography, performance, and theoretical inquiry in dance. The emphasis of the program is choreographic research. In addition, students have requirements in performance, production, dance education, and dance scholarship. An important objective of the M.F.A. program is that each student develop a personal aesthetic that manifests an understanding of her/his place in the world.

Job Prospects: Since the focus of the M.F.A. in Dance is choreography, most graduates continue as independent or affiliated choreographers after graduation. In addition, many teach in higher education or perform professionally.