Program Overview

Introduction to the Dance Program

The dance program at Fordham University leads to the Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree and is offered jointly by the Ailey School and Fordham University. Dance studio courses are given by the faculty of The Ailey School at their state-of-the-art studios adjacent to the Fordham campus. Academic coursework is based at the Fordham campus where it is taught by the University's arts and sciences faculty.

Program Overview

Students complete a broad curriculum of a minimum of 146 credits comprised of dance technique, creative, and dance academic classes, and liberal arts courses. The program's goals are to develop graduates who are highly versatile dance technicians, adept creators of dance movement, well-educated in the liberal arts, and knowledgeable about the history and interpretation of the arts.

Specialization in Dance Performance

The program offers a specialization in dance performance. First-year students take placement examinations in three major techniquesAiley Horton, Graham, and classical balletso that each student can be placed appropriately by The Ailey School's co-directors.

Curriculum

The focus for first years and sophomores is on the development of discrete skills in the three major techniques, classes that are taken daily by each student. These skills are supported by somatic classes (body conditioning, gyrokinesis, and strength training) that both strengthen the body and render it more supple. Additional classes in West African dance, jazz, and other techniques further broaden students' technical range and complement their training in the three basic techniques. All dance technique classes are sequenced carefully with appropriate prerequisites.

Junior and Senior Years

In the junior year, students' dance technique skills are expected to be strong and their creative expertise well honed. At this point in their training, they are ready to learn the basics of modern and ballet partnering and repertory, both classical and contemporary. Repertory works are chosen annually to meet the needs of each class of students and to prepare them to meet the demands of the profession.

In their senior year, students further refine their dance technique and focus on showcasing their performance or choreographic skills through performance and the senior project. In addition to the BFA Fall Concert, seniors will choreograph an original work to be presented in the fall semester in the Senior Choreography Concert. In the spring semester, seniors present a solo choreographed by someone of their own choosing. These solos are presented during Senior Week, a series of performances highlighting the senior class.

Program Activities

Apprentice/Membership Opportunities

Seniors, and on occasion, juniors may accept a professional job if offered a company position or an apprenticeship in a professional dance company. These opportunities are subject to the approval of the director of the B.F.A program. In lieu of registering for the typical dance courses, students working as dance professionals may enroll in all or some of the professional track courses.

• DANC 4910: Rehearsal Seminar
• DANC 4911: Rehearsal Seminar
• DANC 4920: Lecture: Demonstration Lab
• DANC 4921: Lecture: Demonstration Lab
• DANC 4930: Performance Seminar
• DANC 4931: Performance Seminar
• DANC 4940: Teaching Lab
• DANC 4941: Teaching Assistant

Dance Courses for Nonmajors

Fordham undergraduates not pursuing the B.F.A. may enroll for up to four two-credit courses at the Ailey School and apply their courses toward their credit requirement for graduation. Students wishing to take intermediate and advanced level courses must first audition at the Ailey School before registering.

Courses

The dance program offers a wide range of courses, including:

• Ballet (I-VIII)
• Modern (I-VIII)
• Horton (I-VIII)
• Jazz (I-III)
• Tap (I-II)
• West African Dance
• Dunham Technique
• Body Conditioning (I-II)
• Barre a Terre (I-II)
• Yoga (I-II)
• Gyrokinesis (I-II)
• Pointe (I-VIII)
• Ballet Partnering (I-IV)
• Modern Partnering (I-IV)
• Repertory Workshops (I-II)
• Senior Project in Performance
• Senior Project in Choreography

Senior Project

The Senior Project in Performance offers invaluable practical experience for students as performers, speaker/lecturers and, in some cases, choreographers. The first term is spent working with renowned artists-in-residence from the professional dance field. They represent a range of aesthetics from masters like Alvin Ailey, Jose Limon, or Paul Taylor to emerging artists like Ronald K. Brown, Lila York and Donald Byrd.

The Senior Project in Choreography is taken under the mentorship of an Ailey School faculty member by those students selected as gifted and motivated choreographers. Three solo, duet and/or group works, one of which must be a group work, are completed for a formal studio showing at the end of the fall term. Three or more works, only one of which can be a solo work, must be completed for a shared formal concert at the end of the spring term.

Conclusion

The dance program at Fordham University is a comprehensive and rigorous program that provides students with a strong foundation in dance technique, creative expression, and liberal arts. The program's goals are to develop graduates who are highly versatile dance technicians, adept creators of dance movement, well-educated in the liberal arts, and knowledgeable about the history and interpretation of the arts.