Mission Statement
Dance integrates the creative, intellectual, physical and emotive spheres and leads one to apprehend, understand, analyze and acquire knowledge in a way unique among disciplines. Therefore, the Dance Program emphasizes a balanced integration between the creative/performance and the historical/theoretical aspects of dance in order to develop creative, analytic and critical ability in students; and provides a learning environment that challenges the student's intellectual, expressive, and physical capabilities. Three tracks of learning represent the Program’s strengths: Choreography and Performance; Dance in the Twentieth and Twenty-first Centuries; and Dance and Human Movement in its Cultural Context.
The Duke University Dance Program offers its students the opportunity to study in an environment that challenges the student's intellectual, expressive, and physical capabilities. Dance classes are open to all Duke undergraduate students and the Dance Program provides beginning, intermediate and advanced levels of classes in order to meet the varied needs of undergraduate students. For those interested in seeking formal recognition for their involvement in the Dance Program, we offer a Major and a Minor in Dance. and students may also pursue a major through the University's Program II.
The Curriculum
Dance Program courses are part of the university's regular curriculum and fulfill graduation requirements. Dance courses are open to all students, and auditions are only required for repertory courses. Live music accompanies all studio classes.
Studio Course Offerings:
- modern dance technique - four levels
- ballet technique - four levels
- African Dance technique - 2 levels
- jazz - 2 levels
- modern dance repertory
- ballet repertory
- African dance repertory
- swing dance, tap, kathak and flamenco offered on a rotating basis
A Few of our Theory Course Offerings
- Freshman seminars
- The Focus Program courses (The Focus Program is an interdisciplinary learning & living experience for select first & second-year students.
- Indian Dance and Hindu Cosmology
- West African Rootholds in Dance
- The Victory of the Iconoclasts: Postmodern dance 1950-2000
- The Diaghilev Ballet: 1909-29
- Functional Anatomy for Dancers
- Music and Movement
Additional Study Opportunities
- Through the Duke in New York Arts Program, students may spend the fall semester of their junior or senior year studying the arts in New York City.
- During the summer, Duke is home to the American Dance Festival six weeks of intensive study and performances by major national and international dance companies.
To view a comprehensive list of every course offered by the Dance Program, visit the Duke Registrar "Courses and Academic Programs" page.
To view courses available for the current semester, please click here.
Duke University Dance Program in collaboration with Pani Dance Academy presents a semester long Odissi dance residency with Ms. Sujata Mohapatra (above), a distinguished Odissi dancer from Orissa, India.
Course Description: Odissi is one of the many classical dance styles of India characterized by fluid movements and bhangis or sculptural poses inspired by the temple sculptures of Orissa. Distinguished Odissi dancer invited from India, Sujata Mohapatra, will teach a new choreography for the course which will be performed as a part of the Dance Program main stage production, November Dances. Basic level of Indian classical dance training in any style is required for enrollment.
For Community Members: This course entails a reasonably advanced level training, hence community members will audition on the first day of class (Monday, August 30) and the selected ones will be given permission numbers to enroll through Duke Continuing Studies. [url link for Continuing Studies will be added here when ready]
Course no.: Dance 84.01
Time: MW, 6:00 - 7:30pm
Place: Crowell Dance Studio (Duke East Campus)
Inquiries: Purnima Shah <pshah@duke.edu>