Dance
B.A. Department of Dance · UC Irvine · 2026-2027 Catalog
Overview
The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) is designed for those who wish to obtain a broad undergraduate background as preparation for careers or graduate work and related fields. It offers students a dance education that stresses performance and choreography, and also emphasizes intellectual depth and scope. In addition to the core requirements, students are required to complete 10 units of elective Dance courses. The remaining elective units required for graduation may be chosen from Dance or other disciplines in relation to a student’s individual interest. While the program of study in Dance stresses technical proficiency and academic understanding in dance, the B.A. degree program also enables students to pursue elective subjects in their areas of interest in other academic disciplines.
Admission
Proficiency Levels
In addition to meeting the general requirements for admission to UCI, applicants must demonstrate technical and creative promise. The Department holds annual entrance auditions for potential freshmen and transfer students during the winter quarter prior to the fall quarter when entrance is anticipated. First-year students wishing to major in Dance must be at technique level II in at least one of the three major genres (ballet, modern, jazz).
Placement auditions for admitted students are held during Welcome Week to determine levels of technical ability for placement in courses. It is suggested that transfer students wishing to pursue a B.A. in Dance complete, in addition to their general education requirements, one course in choreography, two courses in dance technique, and one course in music for dancers prior to transfer to UCI.
Transfer students wishing to pursue the B.F.A. must declare their intention in writing at the time of their entrance audition and demonstrate technique and/or choreography levels appropriate to their year. It is suggested that transfer students complete, in addition to their general education requirements, one course in choreography, two courses in dance technique, one course in music for dancers, and one course in dance performance prior to transfer to UCI.
Students deficient in level of performance or academic preparation should be prepared to extend their studies beyond the normal four-year program in order to meet the requirements for graduation.
Requirements
All students must meet the University Requirements.
School Requirements: None.
Departmental Requirements for the Major
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| A. Complete the following: | ||
| DANCE 2 | Dance Health and Injury Prevention | |
| DANCE 21A | Music for Dancers | |
| DANCE 60A | Choreography | |
| DANCE 90A | Dance History I | |
| DANCE 90B | Dance History II | |
| DANCE 90C | Dance History III | |
| DANCE 100 | Kinesiology for Dance | |
| DANCE 160 | Improvisation | |
| DANCE 185W | Critical Issues in Dance | |
| B. Complete one four-unit course from the following: | ||
| DANCE 162A | Choreography II | |
| DANCE 163 | Dance and Video Technology | |
| DANCE 164 | Screendance | |
| DANCE 195 | Arts Management | |
| C. Technique: Students must complete at least one Dance technique course (ballet, modern dance, jazz, hip hop, world dance, pointe, social dance, tap, or repertory) each quarter in residence. At a minimum, students must complete level I in Hip Hop (DANCE 53A-DANCE 53B-DANCE 53C), and level II in Ballet, Modern, and Jazz (DANCE 132A-DANCE 132B-DANCE 132C, DANCE 142A-DANCE 142B-DANCE 142C, and DANCE 152A-DANCE 152B-DANCE 152C). Additionally, students must complete level II in Hip Hop (DANCE 155A-DANCE 155B-DANCE 155C) or level III in Ballet, Modern, or Jazz (DANCE 133A-DANCE 133B-DANCE 133C, DANCE 143A-DANCE 143B-DANCE 143C, or DANCE 153A-DANCE 153B-DANCE 153C). Students who place above level II in any technique must take a year of that technique at the level in which they are placed. NOTE: Units earned in ballet, jazz, modern, and hip hop technique courses beyond the required amount do not count toward departmental elective requirements but may count toward University requirements. | ||
| D. Performance: | ||
| Select two of the following: | ||
| DANCE 170 | Dance Performance | |
| DANCE 171 | Dance Workshop | |
| DANCE 172 | Master of Fine Arts Concert | |
| E. Four units of DRAMA 101 (Theater Production) must be taken during the first year in residence. | ||
| F. Electives: 10 units of electives must be completed within the major. | ||
Sample Program
Sample Program for Freshmen
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| WRITING 50 | WRITING 60 | DANCE 2 |
| DANCE 21A | General Education | General Education |
| Technique | General Education | General Education |
| General Education | Technique | Technique |
| Drama 101 (2 units) | Drama 101 (2 units) |
Career Opportunities
Careers in dance require excellent training and extraordinary discipline, tenacity, and dedication. Graduates of the Department have an excellent record of placement in the many fields of dance. Some have become professional dancers in ballet companies (including the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and Joffrey Ballet); in modern dance companies (including Hubbard Street Dance Company, MOMIX, and Martha Graham Dance Ensemble); in touring companies (including Wicked, Newsies, Dirty Dancing, The Lion King, Fame: The Musical, Carousel, and Cirque du Soleil); and in films, television, and theatre.
In addition to training for professional dance performance and choreography, the major in dance serves as a basis for graduate study or job opportunities in fields such as dance history, dance science, dance pedagogy, dance reconstruction, dance criticism, dance video, and technology. Related fields, such as arts administration, law in relation to the arts, arts therapies, design and production, and music also offer positions for graduates. Students who are interested in a career in athletic training, physical therapy, or dance science will find a major in Dance, with related course work in chemistry, physics, biology, and mathematics, to be excellent preparation for further study.