Dance Program

Dancing is the loftiest, the most moving, the most beautiful of the arts, because it is no mere translation or abstraction from life; it is life itself." -- Havelock Ellis

The Dance Program emphasizes movement research and creative process within a liberal arts setting. Participation in the Dance Program is open to all students. Many students study dance for the first time when they come to William & Mary. Students with previous dance experience enter classes at a variety of levels through the Dance Placement Evaluation offered during Fall Orientation.

Students have opportunities to participate in both student and faculty choreographic research through Orchesis the Dance Minors concert, Group Choreography showings, and Dance Composition showings.

Students may choose to minor in dance, which includes the study of dance history, composition, technique, and performance and culminates in an independent project. Dance studies provide preparation for graduate work and future careers in dance and related fields. Our dance minors declare majors in a wide range of disciplines on campus, often using their choreographic skills to communicate deeply about many fields of knowledge.

Our alumni have found that the skills developed through studying dance are an asset in many different fields. Students have commented that they learned a great deal about themselves through dance courses and that the close bond that develops between students and faculty through work on choreography projects is an especially valuable part of their college experience.

Alumni of the program often stay in touch during homecoming events, including the Theatre & Performance Department's annual wine and cheese reception, and they are loyal contributors to the Roby-Sherman Dance Scholarship, which helps current students pursue summer studies in dance.

Faculty consist of active professionals dedicated to providing the best possible learning experience for students at William & Mary. Guest artists come to campus each year to perform or teach master classes, giving students the opportunity to become acquainted with a variety of aesthetic approaches to technique and choreography.