The Best of Both Worlds: Low-Residency MFAs

August 31, 2014

Low-residency MFAs offer working dancers more flexibility.

 

 

Nicole Wolcott in her UWM MFA thesis
Paper Pieces. Photo by Whitney Brown, Courtesy University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee.

 

For many dancers, concerns about the next stage in their career frequently loom overhead. Enrolling in a master’s program serves as a crucial stepping-stone, especially if one wants to teach in a university or K–12 setting, choreograph or explore somatic practices. In the past, that usually meant uprooting and relocating—not always a good option for working professionals. Luckily, several universities have developed low-residency MFAs to accommodate just this type of student. “Once you’re no longer at the barre, so to speak, you don’t hear about that next gig, those new opportunities,” says Luc Vanier, graduate program director at the University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee. “These programs benefit professionals who don’t want to lose their connection to the field.” With short, intense semesters held over summer months (when dancers, choreographers and teachers generally have freer schedules) and other courses that can be completed remotely in the fall and spring, low-residency programs give working artists more flexibility to pursue their academic and creative goals. —Amy Brandt

 

HOLLINS UNIVERSITY

Located:
Roanoke, VA

No. of students in program:
43

Website:
hollins.edu/grad/dance/index.shtml

Degree offered:
MFA in dance. Three-summer track: designed for emerging artists, teachers and dance professionals. Two-summer track: designed for mid-career dance professionals and teachers, with 12 credits granted for professional experience (minimum 10 years).

Audition required:
Admission is based on applicant’s portfolio, which is reviewed by a panel of faculty.

Coursework includes:
Mentored and individualized studio practice, dance history, theory and criticism, contemporary body practices, contemporary art practices, performance workshop, visiting artist series

How it works:
Students meet for eight weeks during the summer: five weeks in residence at Hollins University, followed by three weeks in Frankfurt, Germany, studying at The Forsythe Company studio and the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts. Academic and creative coursework are completed off-site during the fall and spring terms.

 

ST. MARY’S COLLEGE OF CALIFORNIA

Located: Moraga, CA

No. of students in program: 13

Website:
stmarys-ca.edu/mfa-in-dance

Degree offered:
MFA in Dance: Creative Practice

Audition required:
Yes, by invitation only, after application review.

Coursework includes:
Choreography, technique, production practicum, dance history, critical dance pedagogy, design methodologies, lighting design, somatics, research methods

How it works:
Students meet for four-week residencies over two years: three in June and two in January. In the fall and spring they take technique classes locally, as well as independent somatics-based courses and online/weekend classes (depending on their needs and proximity to campus). Students take choreography courses in the spring, receiving feedback via video, Skype or FaceTime.

 

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN—MILWAUKEE

Located:
Milwaukee, WI

No. of students in program:
25–30

Website:
uwm.edu/psoa/dance/mfa

Degree offered:
MFA in dance

Audition required:
Applicants apply to the graduate school and submit a written statement, a choreography reel and letters of recommendation to the dance department. Candidates are selected by a committee.

Coursework includes:
Dance technique (ballet, modern and African), Alexander technique, composition, improvisation, choreography, Laban Movement Analysis, dance literature, yoga

How it works:
Students meet for seven weeks during the summer: a one-week intensive workshop taught by guest faculty, followed by a six-week semester. In the fall and spring, students have formal online classes and self-proposed independent studies, and they can develop a pre-thesis project, completing the thesis during the second fall and spring semesters. (Five semesters total.)