Dance
Prepare for a life in motion.
In the dance program at Meredith, students from all dance backgrounds are welcomed, supported and challenged to grow as artists. Dance studies students are hard working, talented, creative problem solvers who are active in the artistic life of the campus.
The dance studies major prepares students specifically for dance education and private studio teaching, and broadly for careers in performance, choreography, arts administration or further study in dance. Combined with a major or minor in psychology, students are prepared for graduate study in dance/movement therapy.
Meredith's dance program provides women with opportunities to develop artistically through disciplined training, creative exploration and self-discovery. In addition, the Triangle area is nationally-known for its active professional dance community. Many local dancers serve as teachers and guest choreographers.
There is no audition for the program, so dancers from many backgrounds work together in technique class and in performances. More than 30 student works are produced on Mainstage concerts each year with participation from students as early as freshmen year. The freshmen/transfer ensemble performs faculty work in the spring show annually. Meredith Dance Theatre and the Meredith Jazz and Tap Company are open by audition to any Meredith student. DanceWorks, the spring show, is open to all students to choreograph and perform any form of dance.
For students who are looking for more intensive training but who also want the rich educational foundation of the Bachelor of Arts, Meredith offers a Professional Performance Certificate. Open by audition to Meredith students who are pursuing a major in dance studies, this intensive study at the upper level prepares students for work as professional artists.
Meredith also hosts the annual North Carolina Dance Festival, which offers students the chance to perform with and help produce the work of North Carolina's best choreographers.
In addition to active learning on the concert stage with renowned guest artists like Lisa Race, Bebe Miller, Pamela Pietro and Talani Torres, students have completed internships with many area dance studios such as Apex Performing Arts and the NC Dance Institute. Others have completed internships with organizations such as Wake County Public Schools,Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., and American Dance Festival in Durham, N.C.
For students who are looking for more intensive training but who also want the rich educational foundation of the Bachelor of Arts, Meredith offers a Professional Performance Certificate. Open by audition to Meredith students who are pursuing a major in dance studies, this intensive study at the upper level prepares students for work as professional artists.
The certificate program collects advanced technique and performance courses into a sequence that prepares students intentionally for careers as professional dancers. Students who choose this course of study are prepared to audition successfully into professional companies after graduation and be more prepared for MFA programs later in their careers. It can be completed in the junior and senior years of study, which means students can enroll in the certificate program as early as freshmen year or as late as second semester sophomore year.
Graduates perform with regional dance companies such as Even Exchange Dance Theatre, are employed within public school systems, own their own dance studios, and attend graduate school for MFA programs and movement therapy at schools such as Antioch New England, SUNY Brockport, The Ohio State University and Iowa University.
Meredith’s student/faculty ratio of 11:1 and average class size of 17 ensure that students get to know their professors. In turn, our faculty know students by name and, just as important, are familiar with each student’s unique strengths and interests. This allows faculty to identify interesting research and internship opportunities for students, to write meaningful letters of recommendation, and to support students as they conduct in-depth undergraduate research. In fact, students and faculty frequently work together on such projects—more than 140 were conducted by student/faculty teams last year.
Dance faculty include:
- Alyson Colwell-Waber, MFA, Arizona State University, founded the program and has also served as a dean within the College. She teaches modern, composition, experiential anatomy, dance history and yoga.
- Sherry Shapiro, Ed.D, UNC-Greensboro, is an internationally-recognized scholar in dance education and directs the K-12 licensure program. She teaches pedagogy, teaching methods and research courses.
- Carol Kyles Finley, MFA, The Ohio State University, is an active choreographer with recent performances throughout the region and in Brooklyn, NY. She teaches improvisation, composition, ballet, modern, and production courses.
Talented part-time faculty from the Triangle's vibrant professional dance community regularly teach courses in ballet, jazz, tap, world dance and repertory.
