The start of a college dance program can be filled with excitement. But when the novelty wears off and the workload grows, doubts can begin to creep in. Am I good enough to make it as a dance major? Is a dance degree worth it? Is this really what I want to do with my […]

Nyama McCarthy-Brown, assistant professor of community engagement through dance pedagogy at Ohio State University, breaks down the need for more inclusive dance training in higher ed. The Numbers “We have over 600 college dance programs in the United States, and less than 10 of them focus on something other than ballet or modern,” says McCarthy-Brown […]

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 […]

In college, your major is one of the first things people want to know about you. Are you a math whiz or a biology brainiac? A future lawyer or doctor? But for dancers, sharing your area of study can come with a demeaning smirk, or frustrating comments like, “That must be so easy.” This dismissive […]

“White supremacy in dance is making ballet and modern a requirement to receive a degree, but dance forms originated by POC are all electives.” Last fall, I created a meme using this statement to do exactly what it did: spread across the dance community and give permission to talk about a pervasive system of racism […]

If you’re spending some of your time pondering life post-quarantine, you may have entertained the possibility of returning to school. The landscape of graduate studies in dance is pretty diverse, from MFA to MA programs and concentrations like dance education, performance studies and arts administration. Now, there’s another option: studying the budding field of community […]

When you’ve grown up on a competition stage, the college dance scene can feel totally foreign. Many programs will ask you to try movement that’s more experimental than what you’re used to. The pace of classes might feel frustratingly slow. Yet competition dancers bring unique talents to the college classroom—as long as they’re open to […]