How to Have a Rich Dance Life at College—Without Getting a Dance Degree
Growing up, Tamara Houck trained in the pre-professional division of Dance Theatre of Harlem and then at Ballet Hispánico, taking a full load of classes in ballet, modern, and more. But when applying to college, she knew she didn’t want to major in dance. “As much as I love it, I didn’t see myself having a career in it,” she says. She didn’t want to stop dancing, though. So she became a biochemistry and biotechnology major at Tufts University, and, in addition to taking dance courses open to nonmajors, she joined the Tufts Tap Ensemble. Now in her senior year, she’s co-director of the student-run club—and it’s been one of the highlights of her college experience.
“I found a very like-minded community where everybody was doing dance for the sake of having fun and getting an escape from class,” she says. “Everybody has different majors. Everybody has something else going on in their lives. And we all come together and tap dance.”
Majoring or minoring in dance can of course be an excellent way to do a deep dive into the art form, uncovering new facets of your artistry and gaining a new understanding of dance’s place in the broader world. But it’s also possible to tackle an entirely different course load and still experience a rich dance life on campus. And many students find that opting for opportunities outside of a degree program can be uniquely eye-opening. “Sometimes as dancers, we can feel like we’re in a bit of a bubble,” says Elizabeth Epsen, manager of college dance for the Office for the Arts dance program at Harvard University. “At college, you can expand what it means to be a person in the world, but also still be a dancer and not lose that identity.”
Dance Classes and Workshops Open to All
Many schools offer noncredit technique classes for anyone on campus. They typically welcome dancers of all levels, and have a very different vibe from what you’d find at a pre-professional studio. “These classes are meant to have a joyful approach,” Epsen says of the noncredit classes at Harvard. “A lot of times, dancers who come to college may be wanting to dance again, but aren’t sure—there can sometimes be some baggage that comes with that. So these are meant to be really safe, nonjudgmental spaces.”
Alternatively, you can sometimes take class right alongside the dance majors. Duke University’s dance program opens up nearly all of its undergraduate courses to any student, whether they’re pursuing a degree in dance or not. “All kinds of majors, minors, even PhD students in other fields, if they want to dance, they can enroll in a class,” says Jingqiu Guan, director of undergraduate studies for the dance program at Duke. In fact, she says that the majority of the students in the dance classes aren’t earning a degree in dance. (The tricky part, she acknowledges, is fitting in technique classes without exceeding the maximum number of credits students are allowed to register for when they already have a whole other load of requirements.)
Schools with strong ties to the dance community can also offer other opportunities to interact with choreographers and companies throughout the year. For instance, Harvard regularly brings in visiting artists like Jack Ferver and companies like CONTRA-TIEMPO for workshops, artist talks, and interdisciplinary collaborations, with most of the programming open to anyone. Nonmajors are even invited to perform in an annual showing of Heidi Latsky’s On Display Global at the Harvard Art Museums. And, Epsen says she’s recently been inviting more choreographers to incorporate students into their creative process. “For example, last year, Liz Lerman came to campus to work on a new piece called My Body is a Library, and any student interested in participating could be part of her process,” she says.
Independent Academic Studies
If a school doesn’t offer the kind of dance course you’re looking for as a nonmajor or minor, another option is to pursue an independent-study project. These self-crafted projects can be a chance to dig into anything you’re particularly curious about, whether that’s dance as a form of therapy or the history and theory behind turnout. A faculty advisor will help guide your research and share their expertise, but you’ll also get plenty of freedom to shape the coursework yourself. “Independent studies are very much tailored to individual interests,” says Guan, who recently advised a student who created a dance work about her experience as a Native American on campus as an independent project.
Student-Run Clubs
Beyond dance programs’ official offerings, most campuses boast an array of student-run (but often university-funded) clubs, often in disciplines from ballet to K-pop. These groups range widely in terms of skill level, time commitment, and performance opportunities; some travel and compete nationally; some simply offer a weekly class. Even within the Tufts Tap Ensemble, co-director Ava Van Gelder says, students can invest anywhere from two to 12 hours a week, depending on how much free time they have and how many pieces they want to perform in.
Joining a student-run club can be a surprisingly eye-opening experience for former studio dancers, particularly if they decide to take part in leadership. “You can learn what it means to run a small arts nonprofit,” Epsen says. Van Gelder notes that not only has she built a close group of friends through the Tufts Tap Ensemble, but she’s also discovered a space that prioritizes the joy of dancing over anything else. “In a lot of dance spaces, it’s more about perfection, but we make sure that we’re not putting too much pressure on people,” she says, adding that it works: “I’m always super-excited to go to rehearsals. It’s never something that I’m stressed or worried about.”
Dance Teams
Most colleges with strong sports offerings also have dance teams that perform at football and basketball games. Students who join get to perform in front of massive stadium and arena crowds, and rack up experience that could prepare them for professional dance team jobs after graduation. With a strong focus on athleticism and sharp, clean lines—rigorous conditioning is often part of practice—some students say taking part improves their physicality as dancers. “I’ve found a way to strengthen my technique and just get stronger,” says University of California, Davis, senior Chloe Gomez. Just know that this can be a large time commitment: Gomez says that her team typically practices at least nine hours a week, and, on game weeks, they have an additional two-hour blocking rehearsal plus the game day itself.
The Benefits of Dancing Outside a Degree Program
Forgoing a dance degree can give you the freedom to take an à la carte approach to your college dance experience. “It allows for a lot of flexibility—students can choose the courses and opportunities that speak to them most, rather than following a prescribed pathway,” Guan says.
She adds that, whether you’re taking open classes or dancing in a student club or dance team, interacting with a wide array of students can be uniquely enriching for dancers who’ve grown up ensconced in a studio. She gives the example of one student who incorporated his engineering background into a dance film, using a GoPro camera to capture how he built Iron Man–style gear and then rolled it through the streets. “Students from other walks of life sometimes bring new ways to think about movement,” she says.
Epsen echoes the sentiment, adding that dancers are often surprised by just how vibrant and expansive their noncredit college-dance life can be. “Sometimes when we hear ‘noncredit,’ we think, Oh, it’s just a hobby, or less serious somehow,” Epsen says. “And you can just do it for joy and stress reduction. But it can also be a really robust place for inquiry, even if it’s not your degree program.”
Find the Opportunities You’re Looking For
How can you figure out whether a school might offer the non-degree dance opportunities you’re hoping for? Universities are usually better at advertising their official degree programs than these alternative options, so you might need to do a bit of digging.
Elizabeth Epsen, manager of college dance for the Office for the Arts dance program at Harvard University, says one green flag to look for is a strong connection to the local dance community. If nearby artists are teaching noncredit classes and there seems to be a visiting-artist program with offerings like workshops and film screenings on campus, there will likely be a good amount of programming for nonmajors—and you might also be able to network with people offering dance opportunities off-campus.
Also, take advantage of social media to research dance teams and various student-run clubs. “I remember scouring through the Tufts Tap Instagram and really analyzing the community, and looking at the YouTube videos of all the different clubs at the school,” says Tamara Houck, current co-director of the Tufts Tap Ensemble. In addition to noting the style and level of dancing, consider the vibes of the group, and whether the atmosphere is one you’d want to be part of.
