Dance Division

Faculty

  

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Most students in the Dance Division pursue the Bachelor of Fine Arts  (B.F.A.) degree which includes 18 credits in the Liberal Arts Department  and 12 credits in Dance History and Anatomy. Students who enroll in the Diploma program instead of the B.F.A. degree program are exempted from the Liberal Arts requirement. The course of study requires four years of residency at Juilliard regardless of previous study elsewhere. All students in the B.F.A. program are advised that it is extremely difficult to repeat a Liberal Arts course in which they fail to receive a passing grade.

Dance audition requirements can be found in the Admissions area on our Web site: www.juilliard.edu/apply.

Standards of Achievement and Evaluation

Student progress is evaluated by each instructor according to goals defined and agreed to by the faculty. Classroom participation and progress are evaluated by each teacher individually as well as by the group as a whole.

Twice yearly, third- and fourth-year Dance Division students receive written evaluations from each teacher with whom they work. First- and second-year students have individual conferences with their entire faculty at the midpoint of each semester. Other students may have a faculty conference upon request. Students are expected to participate in creative performing projects during their four years and will be graded in their accomplishment throughout.

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Watch a video overview of the Dance Division. 

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Courses

Dance Technique

• DANCE B101-2 — Ballet (5 levels)

  3 credits
  Full Year
  Faculty
  
  

  A graded study of the exercises and vocabulary of the classical technique with a strong emphasis on placement, alignment, coordination, and movement quality. Ballet is a required course for all dancers in every semester of the program (8 semesters).

• DANCE B103M-W — Ballet Technique (3 levels)

  3 credits
  Full Year
  Faculty
  
  

  A deeper study of classical technique.  Ballet technique is a required course for all dancers in every semester of the program (8 semesters).

• DANCE M101-2 — Modern I – Limon

  3 credits
  Full Year
  Risa Steinberg
  
  

  A foundational study of the modern dance technique developed by 20^th-century master José Limón.  Required of all first year dance students (2 semesters).

• DANCE M103-4 — Modern I – Graham

  3 credits
  Full Year
  Terese Capucilli
  
  

  A foundational study of the modern dance technique developed by 20^th-century master Martha Graham.  Required of all first year dance students (2 semesters).

• DANCE M201-2 — Modern II – Graham

  3 credits
  Full Year
  Terese Capucilli
  
  

  A continued study of the modern dance technique developed by 20^th-century master Martha Graham.  Required of all second year dance students (2 semesters).

• DANCE M203 — Modern II – Taylor

  1.5
  Fall
  Linda Kent
  
  A foundational study of the modern dance style and repertoire of master choreographer Paul Taylor.  Required of all second year dance students (1 semester).
• DANCE M204 — Modern II – Horton

  1.5 credits
  Spring
  Milton Myers
  
  A continued study of the modern dance style and repertoire of master choreographer Paul Taylor, and an introduction to floor work. Required of all second year dance students (1 semester).
• DANCE M301-2 — Modern III – Cunningham

  3 credits
  Full Year
  Jean Freebury
  
  

  A foundational study of the modern dance technique developed by 20^th-century master Merce Cunningham.  Required of all third year dance students (2 semesters).

• DANCE M303 — Modern III – Limon

  1.5 credits
  Fall
  Risa Steinberg
  
  

  A continued study of the modern dance technique developed by 20^th-century master José Limón.  Required of all third year dance students (1 semester).

• DANCE M401-2 — Modern IV – Horton/Contemporary

  1.5 credits
  Fall
  Milton Myers
  
  A foundational study of the modern dance technique developed by 20^th-century master Lester Horton. Required of all fourth-year dance students.
• DANCE P101-2 — Partnering I – Fundamentals

  2 credits
  Full Year
  Faculty
  
  

  A progressive partnering coursework that encompasses the wide range of styles demanded by today’s choreographers.  Classes may include basic partnering concepts, classical ballet partnering, contemporary partnering, contact improvisation, and repertoire.  Partnering is a required course for all dancers in every semester of the program (8 semesters).

• DANCE P201-2 — Partnering II

  2 credits
  Full Year
  Faculty
  
  

  A progressive partnering coursework that encompasses the wide range of styles demanded by today’s choreographers.  Classes may include basic partnering concepts, classical ballet partnering, contemporary partnering, contact improvisation, and repertoire.  Partnering is a required course for all dancers in every semester of the program (8 semesters).

• DANCE P302 — Partnering III - Contact Improv

  1 credit
  Spring
  Paul Singh
  
  
• DANCE P401-2 — Partnering IV

  2 credits
  Full Year
  Faculty
  
  

  A progressive partnering coursework that encompasses the wide range of styles demanded by today’s choreographers.  Classes may include basic partnering concepts, classical ballet partnering, contemporary partnering, contact improvisation, and repertoire.  Partnering is a required course for all dancers in every semester of the program (8 semesters).

• DANCE 101 — First Year Seminar

  1 credit
  Fall
  Faculty and Guests
  
  

   

  As required, may be repeated

  A weekly class that explores various topics in dance, and may include guest instructors.  Topics will rotate throughout the four-year program, to meet the ever-evolving training and educational needs of the 21^st-century dancer.  Examples of topics include improvisation/movement creation, somatics, nutrition, and master classes with guest artists.

• DANCE 151 — Hip-hop Foundations

  1 credit
  Spring
  Valerie Ho
  
  An Introduction to the basic elements, technique, and history of Hip-hop dance.
• DANCE 403 — Topics in Dance – Gaga

  1 credit
  Fall
  Bobbi Jene Smith
  
  

Dance Performance and Repertory

• DANCE 201 — World Dance

  1 credit
  Fall
  Darian Marcel Parker
  
  
• DANCE 301 — Topics in Dance – Gaga

  1 credit
  Spring
  Bobbi Jene Smith
  
  
• DANCE 302 — Topics in Dance – Guests

  1 credit
  Spring
  Paul Singh
  
  
• DANCE 303 — Topics in Dance – Floor Work

  1 credit
  Fall
  Paul Singh
  
  
• DSDAN 101-2 — Repertory, Collaborations, Performance I

  6 credits
  Full Year
  Faculty and Guests
  
  Rehearsal skills and artistry are developed through the study of repertory and participation in choreographic collaborations with house and guest choreographers. Most of these collaborations culminate in performance. Required for all first-year dance students.
• DSDAN 161-2 — Elements of Performing

  2 credits
  Full Year
  Risa Steinberg
  
  A study to develop the performer’s powers of projection. The course emphasizes the differences between simply displaying movement and communicating it to an audience. The building of concentration, awareness of stylistic differences, and the establishment of professional rehearsal behavior are developed. Required for all first-year dance students.
• DSDAN 201-2 — Repertory, Collaborations, Performance II

  7 credits
  Full Year
  Faculty and Guests
  
  Rehearsal skills and artistry are developed through the study of repertory and participation in choreographic collaborations with house and guest choreographers. Most of these collaborations culminate in performance. Required for all second-year dance students.
• DSDAN 301-2 — Repertory, Collaborations, Performance III

  7 credits
  Full Year
  Faculty and Guests
  
  Rehearsal skills and artistry are developed through the study of repertory and participation in choreographic collaborations with house and guest choreographers. Most of these collaborations culminate in performance. Required for all third-year dance students.
• DSDAN 401-2 — Repertory, Collaborations, Performance IV

  7 credits
  Full Year
  Faculty and Guests
  
  Rehearsal skills and artistry are developed through the study of repertory and participation in choreographic collaborations with guest choreographers. Most of these collaborations culminate in performance. Required for all fourth-year dance students.

Dance Studies

• DSDAN 100 — Alexander Technique

  1 credit
  Fall or Spring
  Jane Kosminsky, Tom Baird
  
  A method of improving the dancer’s technique from plies and extensions to jumps, leaps, and turns through concentration on movement habits. Emphasizes the efficient use of the neck, head, and torso relationship, thereby providing a stress-reducing process that can be used during class performance and rest. Required for first-year students.
• DSDAN 110 — Pilates Mat

  1 credit
  Fall or Spring
  Ellie Kusner
  
  
• DSDAN 111-2 — Dance Composition I

  4 credits
  Full Year
  Rosalind Newman
  
  Movement experiences in imagery and design develop the dancer’s creative imagination. Students begin to discover how a dance is made through the process of choreographing short dance studies. Required for all first-year dance students.
• DSDAN 131 — Dance History I

  3 credits
  Fall
  Wendy Perron
  
  This course is the first part of a two-semester survey of the dancer’s heritage covering periods and styles of dance, choreographers, and selected dance masterworks. Comparisons are drawn between dance and other arts in the same era. Required for all second-year dance students.

   

   

• DSDAN 132 — Dance History II

  3 credits
  Spring
  Faculty
  
  Prerequisite: DSDAN 131 . The second part of a two-semester survey of the dancer’s heritage covering periods and styles of dance, choreographers, and selected dance masterworks. Comparisons are drawn between dance and other arts in the same era. Required for all second-year dance students.
• DSDAN 211-2 — Dance Composition II

  4 credits
  Full Year
  Hilary Easton and Jerome Begin
  
  
• DSDAN 231 — Acting

  1 credit
  Spring
  Richard Feldman, Isadora Wolfe
  
  
• DSDAN 351-2 — Anatomy/Kinesiology

  6 credits
  Full Year
  Irene Dowd, Renée Robinson
  
  A detailed kinesthetic exploration of skeletal joint mechanics and the muscles that produce motion of those joints. Students will examine movement strategies to enhance stability, control, and articulation while developing musculo-skeletal problem-solving skills applicable to dance. Required for all third-year dance students.
• DSDAN 461 — Pedagogy

  1 credit
  Fall
  Hilary Easton, Juilliard Dance faculty, and Director of Global K-12 Dance Programs, with special guests
  
  

Music Studies for Dance

• THMUS 111-2D — Music Studies for Dance I

  6 credits
  Full Year
  Thomas Cabaniss
  
  An overview of the fundamentals of music theory and musical architecture, including rhythm, meter, texture, counterpoint, and formal structure. Introduction to musical instruments and diverse repertoire. Development of basic skills in score analysis, musicianship, and sight singing; project-based work in musical creativity in each semester. Required for all first-year dance students.

   

• THMUS 211-2D — Music Studies II for Dancers

  4.5 credits
  Full Year
  Jerome Begin
  
  Prerequisite: THMUS 111-2D . Builds upon the skills and concepts explored in Music Studies I, with a strong focus on the interrelation of music and dance, incorporating the following: developing a sophisticated vocabulary with which to speak about and collaborate with music; in-depth rhythmic training; a survey of classical music history with a strong focus on the 20th and 21st centuries; listening to and analyzing musical works in a variety of genres in a way that is relevant and meaningful to dancers; developing musicality in dance by integrating musical concepts discussed in class into the dancer’s technical practice. Required for all second year dance students.

Stagecraft and Production for Dance

• DSDAN 341-2 — Stagecraft

  2 credits
  Full Year
  Leslie Smith
  
  Study and practice in elements of theater production. Laboratory work, with practical application in producing a dance concert. Required for all third-year dance students.
• DSDAN 441-2 — Senior Production

  2 credits
  Full Year
  Risa Steinberg
  
  A continuation of study and practice in elements of theater production. A full production is planned, budgeted, and presented. Required for all fourth-year dance students.
• DSDAN 471-2 — Seminar for Seniors

  2 credits
  Full Year
  Faculty and Guests
  
  For students about to begin professional work. The seminar offers a survey of the field, its diversity, opportunities, and requirements; and objective self-evaluation, including planning for graduation examination and for professional auditions. Studies in criticism and aesthetics develop an informed and individual point of view. Required for all fourth-year dance students.

Dance Electives

• DSDAN E100 — Alexander Technique

  1 credit
  Fall or Spring
  Jane Kosminsky, Tom Baird
  
  May be repeated.

  An optional continued study of the Alexander Technique for dancers. Individual sessions meet bi-weekly with the instructor during lunch break or on Saturday mornings. Open to 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th Year Dance students.

• DSDAN E111-2 — Voice for Dancers

  1 credit per semester
  Full Year
  Badiene Magaziner, Jillian Zack Rodgers
  
  May be repeated.
  
  A basic course in singing in preparation for musical theater auditions. By audition only. Open to 3^rd- and 4^th-year dance students. Class size is limited to 8 students.
• DSDAN E124 — Hip-hop

  1 credit
  Spring
  Valerie Ho
  
  

  May be repeated
  
  A deeper exploration of the elements, technique, and history of Hip-hop dance.

• DSDAN E125-6 — Yoga

  1 credit
  Fall and Spring
  Francisco Martinez
  
  

  
  
  An introduction to and exploration of the basic elements of restorative yoga. May be repeated

• DSDAN E127 — Mindfulness

  1 credit
  Fall
  Francisco Martinez
  
  An introduction to techniques used to achieve a mental state of focus on one’s awareness in the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.  May incorporate elements of yoga and meditation.
• DSDAN E131-2 — Tap (3 Levels)

  1 credit per semester
  Spring
  Ray Hesselink
  
  Basic tap, directed toward auditioning successfully for musical theater, films, and videos. Intermediate- and advanced-level classes are offered off-site at STEPS on Broadway (taught by Mr. Hesselink and open to professionals in the NYC dance community).
• DSDAN E281 — Solo and Duet Repertory

  1 credit
  Fall
  Faculty and Guests
  
  Offered in the third and fourth years. Limited enrollment.
• DSDAN E391 — Dance Composition III: Technology, New Media, and Multi-Arts Integration

  3 credits
  Fall
  Yara Travieso
  
  
• DSDAN E410 — Senior Production Choreography

  1 credit
  Spring
  Risa Steinberg
  
  Open to a limited number of students at the discretion of a faculty committee. This course asks aspiring choreographers to challenge themselves to create works of greater depth and complexity than seen before. These choreographers are expected to create works for the Senior Production Performance week.
• DSDAN E470 — Choreographers and Composers

  2 credits
  Fall
  Jerome Begin, Janis Brenner, and Daniel Ott
  
  Prerequisite: Dance Composition I  and Dance Composition II  recommended. A practicum in collaborative art that will explore techniques of working together through exercises in problem-solving and the development of a work. The course will introduce to each discipline the needs, vocabulary, and work methods of the other and search for the common ground on which each can flourish while nourishing the other. Advisement will be provided for ongoing showings of works in progress. Finished pieces will be presented in concert format. For selected choreographers in the third year and Composition majors only.

Other Courses

• DANCE 410 — Self Care for Professional Performers

  1 credit
  Spring
  Francisco Martinez
  
  

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