Dance

Overview

At Tufts, dance is a well-established and vibrant part of the academic, cultural, and community life on campus that includes the Dance Program in the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies, and the many and varied extracurricular student dance groups across the university.

The dance program exposes students to the rich history of the discipline and current practices in the field within a fully integrated vision for liberal arts education. Students access the program as new-to-dance practitioners; as members of cultural arts studies programs; or as committed dancers in the field. All have the option of working toward Minor Degrees in Dance. For students who enter the program with advanced training, we offer the opportunity to study dance within the context of a liberal arts program (differing in its focus from more technically-oriented conservatory programs). While we do offer a number of advanced technique course options, our program focuses on creative process, modern dance, and non-western dance forms, all of which involve a balance of both experientially and academically rigorous course work.

We provide two performances per semester. Our fall and spring Dance Concerts feature works created in the Dance Repertory & Performance course and advanced choreographic work by faculty and students. Our fall and spring Dance Class Mash-Up showcases include students of all levels in our western and non-western dance courses in an informal celebration of their dancing.

Many dance artists and professionals have taught in the program via guest artist residencies. Recent artists have included Dicki Johnson Macy, Fernanda Ghi and Guillermo Merlo, Emily Beattie, Joh Camara, Dean Vollick, Anna Myers, Adam Taub, Jennifer Lin, Andres Giraldo, Andy Taylor-Blennis, Yessenia Fernandez-Selier, Kurt Douglas, Germaul Barnes, Nora Chipaumire, Melody Ruffin Ward, Melissa Alexis, Art Bridgman and Myrna Packer.

Tufts Dance Minors have entered a broad spectrum of professions including, medicine, law, entertainment, and dance therapy. Tufts alumni, such as Art Bridgman, Donald Byrd, Betsy Gregory, and Mitchell Rose, have gone on to become distinguished in the field of dance itself.

If you will be visiting campus, please email Renata Celichowska or call 617.627.2555 to arrange a meeting. While we do not permit prospective students to participate in classes, we do invite you to observe our classes, if your schedule permits.