Program Overview

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Dance Studies, Certificate

The Dance Studies Certificate is designed for any undergraduate student interested in exploring dance from an interdisciplinary, academic approach. This approach aims to understand the political, social, and historical significance of dance. The certificate is intended to enhance a student's main area of study and provide knowledge and skills in the analysis, interpretation, and contextualization of dance and movement in society and culture.

Program Overview

Courses in writing, body studies, history, and theory will prepare students to integrate the physical and theoretical knowledge of dance in written, oral, and embodied forms. This program is designed for students in a broad range of disciplines, including the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Students who wish to integrate dance research into their existing degree program or those considering graduate study in Dance Studies or a related field in the arts and humanities will benefit from this program.

Eligibility and Admission

All current UW-Madison undergraduates are eligible to complete the Dance Studies Certificate. BS, BFA, and Certificate candidates in Dance are eligible for the Dance Studies Certificate as long as there is zero overlap of coursework. Undergraduate students in good academic standing may declare this certificate. University Special students who started as an undergraduate at UW-Madison but graduated before completing the requirements are also eligible for this certificate.

Requirements

The Dance Studies Certificate requires the following course distribution for a minimum of 14 credits. At least 7 credits must be completed in residence. Completion of the certificate requires a minimum GPA of 2.0 in certificate coursework.

Foundational Course

• DANCE 200: Writing the Moving Body (3 credits)

Body Studies

Select 2 credits from the following:

• DANCE 110: Workshop in Dance Activity (1-2 credits)
• DANCE 101: Social Dance I (1 credit)
• DANCE 102: Social Dance II (1 credit)
• DANCE 103: Modern Jazz Dance (1 credit)
• DANCE 105: Ballet I (1 credit)
• DANCE 106: Ballet II (1 credit)
• DANCE 107: Contemporary Dance I (1 credit)
• DANCE 108: Contemporary Dance II (1 credit)
• DANCE 115: Hip-Hop Dance Technique and Theory 1 (1-2 credits)
• DANCE 116 (2 credits)
• DANCE 118: African Dance (1 credit)
• DANCE 111: Contemporary Dance Technique and Theory I (1-3 credits)
• DANCE 112: Contemporary Dance Technique and Theory II (1-3 credits)
• DANCE 211: Contemporary Dance Technique and Theory III (1-3 credits)
• DANCE 212: Contemporary Dance Technique and Theory IV (1-3 credits)
• DANCE 311: Contemporary Dance Technique and Theory V (1-3 credits)
• DANCE 312: Contemporary Dance Technique and Theory VI (1-3 credits)
• DANCE 410: Contemporary Dance Forms (1-3 credits)
• DANCE 125: Ballet Technique I (1-2 credits)
• DANCE 126: Ballet Technique I-B (1-2 credits)
• DANCE 225: Ballet Technique II (1-2 credits)
• DANCE 226: Ballet Technique II-B (1-2 credits)
• DANCE 325: Ballet Technique III (1-2 credits)
• DANCE 326: Ballet Technique III-B (1-2 credits)
• DANCE 131: Somatic Theory and Practices (2 credits)
• DANCE 132: Workshop in Body Studies and Practices (1 credit)
• DANCE 133: Relaxation Techniques for Embodiment and Stress Management (1 credit)
• DANCE 135: Pilates Mat I (1 credit)
• DANCE 136: Pilates Equipment I (2 credits)
• DANCE 156: Movement as Material Through Improvisation (2 credits)
• DANCE 157: Introduction to Movement Analysis (2 credits)
• DANCE 213: New Movement Techniques (1-2 credits)
• DANCE 231: Introduction to Dance/Movement Therapy (3 credits)
• DANCE 235: Pilates Mat II (1 credit)
• DANCE 236: Pilates Equipment II (2 credits)
• DANCE/AFROAMER/ASIAN AM/FOLKLORE 319: Afro Asian Improv: From Hip Hop to Martial Arts Fusion (3 credits)
• DANCE 330: Functional Anatomy for Movement Practices (2 credits)

Dance Theory

Select 3 credits from the following:

• DANCE 168: Dancing Gender: Embodiment, Politics and Feminist Theory (3 credits)
• DANCE 268: Political and Cultural Perspectives in Dance Studies (3 credits)

Dance History

Select 3 credits from the following:

• DANCE 165: Introduction to the Histories of Dance (3 credits)
• DANCE 265: Dance History I: Dance in the Modern Era (3 credits)
• DANCE 365: Dance History II: Directions and Issues of Contemporary Dance (3 credits)

Ethnic Studies Breadth

Select 3 credits from the following:

• DANCE/ASIAN AM 121: Asian American Movement (3 credits)
• DANCE 218 (2 credits)
• DANCE/AFROAMER/MUSIC 318: Cultural Cross Currents: West African Dance/Music in the Americas (3 credits)

Undergraduate/Special Student Certificate

This certificate is intended to be completed in the context of an undergraduate degree and is preferred for those seeking this certificate. For students who have substantially completed this certificate at UWMadison and may need one or two courses to complete the certificate, they may do so immediately after completion of the bachelors degree by enrolling in the course as a University Special (nondegree) student. The certificate must be completed within a year of completion of the bachelors degree.

Learning Outcomes

1. Gain understanding of the main approaches and methodologies of the field of dance studies as an academic approach to dance with an interdisciplinary focus.
2. Engage with dance as a site through which cultural, social, and political identities are constructed, manifested, and negotiated.
3. Analyze dance in relation to the social, cultural, and historical circumstances in which it is embedded.
4. Integrate physical and theoretical knowledge of dance in written, oral, and embodied forms.