The UVM Dance Program offers students the opportunity to combine concentrated applied and experiential practice in composition and performance with the study of dance history, theory, and culture.

Addressing an obvious gap in the total fine arts offerings at UVM, dance was established as an academic program in the College of Arts and Sciences in 2006, with the new tenure track hire of Paul Besaw in the Department of Music. A dance minor was approved in 2010, the name of the department was changed to the Department of Music and Dance in 2012, and Besaw was named Director of Dance in 2016.

This document proposes a new Bachelor of Arts major in dance, which will consist of thirty-six credits divided by 1) required dance core (15 credits); 2) required dance electives (15 credits); and, 3) required electives in Music and/or Theatre (6 credits).

The dance major at UVM will be the first and only BA in dance offered at a public college/university in Vermont. It addresses the strong interest in dance as an academic pursuit that has been built over the last twelve years.

The dance major requires no new courses and no additional resources.  The major emphasizes the combination of practice and theory. Students study, develop, and discover dance technique, improvisation, composition, history/theory, cultural dance forms, performance, and independent research/creative work inside a rigorous academic environment that prioritizes critical analysis, research, and writing. Unique attributes of the major include its inclusivity (there will be no entrance auditions) and the opportunity for students to self-design areas of focus or concentration. The major also provides opportunities to build important intersections between dance and other disciplines in the arts, humanities, health, social science, environmental studies, natural science, technology, education, etc., as well as connections with professional dance artists and organizations in Vermont.