When first-year students begin classes at the University of the Arts’ School of Dance in Philadelphia, they’re met with guiding questions that challenge them to reframe the very purpose of dance training: “How do you pay attention to what you’re doing all the time, differently?” asks Donna Faye Burchfield, professor and dean of the School of Dance. “What […]

This fall, the celebrated collaboration that grew out of that conversation, the joint Ailey/Fordham BFA Program, marks its 25th anniversary. Two and a half decades ago, the two institutions opened their doors to the first cohort of students that would receive conservatory-level dance training paired with a robust liberal arts education.

For many dancers, the right college path is a mixed one, where dance is one component in a combination of majors and minors. It’s a choice that allows them to explore diverse interests, discover unexpected intersections, and deepen their engagement and mastery on multiple fronts.

While the transfer process is a time of uncertainty and adjustment, ultimately it can lead to a program that better meets a dancer’s needs. “There’s something freeing about starting again and doing college on your own terms,” says Paul Matteson,­ associate professor at University of the Arts.

Dancers learn a multitude of professional and life skills when in school—skills that will help them succeed in any career path they choose.

The dance faculty and students of University of Arkansas at Little Rock thought that the closure of their school for the remainder of the semester due to coronavirus was the biggest of their problems. Though the university had begun a retrenchment process in January, the dance program had widespread support among university stakeholders—and no one […]

After reading your column I now understand the problems of being a workaholic. My dilemma is that the dance teachers in my BFA program praise an extreme work ethic and use me as a role model for other dancers. How can I give my body a break? —Burned-Out Dancer, New York, NY Why not rethink […]