DANCE AT ILLINOIS
DANCE
BY THE NUMBERS When you choose Dance at Illinois, you’ll have an experience beyond the conservatory. It’s the best of both worlds—a small, highly selective program within a large, world-class learning environment.
54
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
12 14 4:1 GRADUATE STUDENTS
FACULTY MEMBERS
STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO
BY THE NUMBERS
Assistant Professor Endalyn Taylor’s In the Fullness Thereof
CURRICULUM CURRICULUM
Our rigorous program allows you to become the dancer you dream you can be.
EXPERIENCE...
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An extraordinary group of resident performers, choreographers, scholars, and educators, plus numerous guest artists.
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Exposure to a multitude of dance styles and forms, including modern, ballet, African, jazz, hip hop, improvisation, tap and more.
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Dozens of opportunities to perform annually.
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A progressive program that The New York Times calls “a hotbed of choreographic innovation.”
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Collaboration opportunities with artists in theatre, engineering, visual arts, music, architecture, and other disciplines on campus.
therapoda choreographed by Charli Brissey (MFA ’18)
CURRICULUM
LEARN FROM THE BEST
Delivrance choreographed by Teaching Assistant Professor Roxane D’Orleans Juste
Our award-winning faculty guide the program and enrich your experience.
Teaching Assistant Professor ROXANE D’ORLEANS JUSTE is a native of Montréal and of Haitian origin. She won a Bessie Award in the performer category for Outstanding Sustained Achievement. Roxane was a longtime member of the historic Jose Limón Dance Company (1983–2016). An active master teacher, she stages and directs José Limón’s dances for companies and ensembles worldwide. She also directs the Limón teachers’ program in the United States, Europe, and Montréal.
TOP EDUCATORS
TERE O’CONNOR has created over 45 works for his company as well as numerous commissioned works for other dance companies, including the Lyon Opera Ballet and the White Oak Dance Project, as well as solo works for Mikhail Baryshnikov and Jean Butler. A Doris Duke Performing Artist Award winner and an inductee into the American Academic of Arts and Sciences, O’Connor is in residence at the University of Illinois every spring semester.
FACILITIES
FACILITIES Our custom-designed dance studios are laboratories of discovery with soaring ceilings, sprung floors, and an abundance of natural light. And then there’s the world-class environment of Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. The center’s theatres range from intimate to casual to grand, so there are a variety of artful spaces where you can hit the floor. Abigail Elliott (BFA ’17)
ARTFUL PERFORMANCE SPACES
BOTH LARGE AND INTIMATE STUDIOS
VIDEO SHOOTING & EDITING
RESOURCES FOR THE STAGE
PEER COLLABORATION & SUPPORT
FACILITIES
LIVE MUSIC IN MANY CLASSES
RAISE THE BARRE CHOOSE A BFA OR BA TO SET YOU APART By offering two degree options for the study of dance, our program provides you with exceptional opportunities for achievement and discovery. You can choose to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Dance or a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Dance. The BFA includes rigorous physical training with a focus on studio practice, as well as comprehensive coursework in dance history, dance and music theory, kinesiology and anatomy, production, and teaching. The culminating experience is a self-produced, collaborative concert. The BA program is interdisciplinary, allowing for a more individualized approach and the opportunity to pursue a minor or major in another discipline. The capstone project is an exploration of the intersection of dance and the second discipline studied.
BFA BFA curriculum includes the following courses: • • • • • • • • •
Modern (beginning, intermediate, advanced) Ballet (beginning, intermediate, advanced) Improvisation and Contact Improvisation Dance Education Choreographic Process Production in Dance Music Theory for Dancers History of Dance Dance Kinesiology and Somatics
BFA electives: • Tap Dance • Creative Dance for Children • Alexander Technique for Dancers • Screendance • Jazz • Principles of Arts Management • Dancing Black Popular Culture • Yoga for Dancers • Hip Hop • World Dance Forms
BA BA curriculum includes the study of three core areas: • • •
Physical Practice Creative Process Dance Theory
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Theatre Music Anthropology Kinesiology (dual degree with a BS in Kinesiology) Psychology (dual degree with a BS in Psychology) Art & Design Environment Gender Studies Cultural Studies
3027 choreographed and performed by Jen Lu (BFA ’17) and Charli Brissey (MFA ’18)
DEGREES
BA curriculum also includes the following possible choices as a fourth core area chosen by the student:
OPPORTUNITIES
Mountain Dew Honey Spring choreographed by Grace Courvoisier (BFA ’11)
Photo of Aryanna Aronson (BFA ’17) on her trip through the Middle East
DANCE HERE AND ABROAD This partnership provides a singular opportunity for select sophomore and junior dance majors to interact with this renowned professional company. During MMDG’s spring residency at Krannert Center, students take company classes, attend rehearsals, join in outreach activities, watch performances, and spend informal time with company members. Shadows are also invited to take part in the MMDG Summer Intensive, tuition-free. DANCE AT ILLINOIS MAINTAINS EXCHANGE PROGRAMS WITH • • • •
Taipei National University of the Arts in Taiwan Turku UAS Arts Academy in Finland Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance in Israel and many other possibilities thru the Study Abroad office
OPPORTUNITIES
MARK MORRIS DANCE GROUP SHADOW PROGRAM
ILLINOIS PREPARES DANCERS FOR SUCCESS
A dance degree from Illinois opens doors to professional opportunities in performance, choreography, education, fitness, movement practices, writing, arts administration, technical theatre fields, and visual technology.
AT ILLINOIS YOU WILL DEVELOP THE CORE DANCE
PLUS, IN OUR PROGRAM YOU WILL DEVELOP SKILLS
TECHNIQUES AND ASSOCIATED SKILLS TO NEGOTIATE
THAT WILL PREPARE YOU FOR SUCCESS ON AND OFF
THE PROFESSIONAL DEMANDS OF THE FIELD:
THE DANCE FLOOR:
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How to efficiently use your body to remain injury free How to increase your adaptability and quickly master movements How to contribute to the choreographic process How to teach dance techniques to others How to produce high-quality concerts How to market yourself as a dancer, choreographer, and professional artist
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Discipline, determination, awareness, and concentration Mindful attention to the body that promotes health and well-being Strong social and communication skills Creative problem-solving skills
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“University of Illinois prepared me to be an advocate for my work. Whether University of Illinois prepared me to be an it be performer, choreographer or advocate for my work. Whether it be performer, administrator, I have always had a choreographer, or administrator, I have always clear sense of the skills I bring into a had a clear sense of the skills I bring into a room. room. U of I helped me define them.” U of I helped me define them.
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STUDENT SUCCESS
Kate Pond BAUP 2013 Katherine Roarty BFA 2011 Research Analyst Professional dancer and choreographer, Streetsense, Washington, DC Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Hairspray Live! (Kooks), Queen of the Night (OBC), Katy Perry (MET Gala, Grammys), Flashdance (Dance Captain), Rock of Ages (Young Groupie)
Still from Photo Light Pro commercial by Ab Sesay
PUSHING BOUNDARIES CYBERDANCE THEATRE WORK Dance at Illinois has become synonymous with challenging conventional stereotypes of what dance is today. One such example is professor John Toenjes’s Interface: Critical Mass. Interface: Critical Mass is a dance performance that allows audience members to participate in the show through a mobile app that connects their personal device with a monolithic cube that dominates the stage.
Associate Professor John Toenjes and guest artist Chad Hall’s piece Interface: Critical Mass
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John Toenjes Associate Professor, Music Director, Undergraduate Co-Director e-Dream Co-Director, National Center for Supercomputing Applications
INNOVATION
What we have is this conversation between the cube and the audience. The cube actually starts directing the audience to come up on stage, to do different things, to respond to its commands and requests. It, in a sense, becomes this communal coming together of digital technology.
ENGAGE NOW DANCE SUMMER INTENSIVE
APPLICATION PROCESS
During this week-long residential program for high school students, dancers are immersed in intense technical training in modern dance and ballet. Additional styles such as African, jazz, and tap are also woven into the curriculum. A challenging modern dance piece choreographed by a summer faculty member is rehearsed during the week and performed at the conclusion of the intensive. w go.illinois.edu/FAASummer
Step 1: Complete the University of Illinois online application • Essay • Self-reported grades • Self-reported test scores • Comments: List experiences in dance outside of school
CHOREOGRAPHY COMPETITION Each year we host an online choreography competition for choreographers in grades 9-12. Video submissions should be under five minutes long and can feature a solo or group work in any dance genre. Prizes include scholarships to attend the University of Illinois and scholarships for the Dance Summer Intensive. w go.illinois.edu/FAAcompetitions
Step 2: Audition The audition consists of the following: • Technique class • Solo composition • Interview Auditions take place both on campus and off-site. Visit w go.illinois.edu/danceaudition for dates. You cannot be admitted to Dance at Illinois without completing both the application and audition.
LOCATE CENTER When you dance at Illinois, you receive superior instruction that encourages you to develop your own creative style. Our alumni tell us that the training they received has been central to their success. And those accomplished alumni are part of the network that can build your success, too.
NEXT STEPS
Fuse choreographed and performed by Jeremy Taylor (BFA ’21) and Kaleigh Dent (BFA ’21)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 110 Architecture Building 608 East Lorado Taft Drive Champaign, IL 61820
Decadance, choreography by Ohad Naharin, reconstructed by Omri Drumlevich featuring Nia Khan (BFA ’22), My McClellan (BFA ’21), Jacob Henss (MFA ’22), Symone Sanz (BFA ’20) Photo: Natalie Fiol
w dance.illinois.edu w faa.illinois.edu w admissions.illinois.edu/apply Questions? dance@illinois.edu