Major Dance

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Four Reed College students perform a choreographed dance on stage. Each wears bright colored clothing and wear face masks

What You’ll Study in the Bachelor’s Degree in Dance

Explore how dance practices both reflect and shape our world. Through work inside and outside of the studio, find connections between embodied, written, creative, and scholarly work and understand dance as a way of approaching salient social, cultural, and political questions. Become a visionary scholar or artist who drives innovation and social change in the field through rigorous training and our comprehensive dance curriculum.

Roadmap to the BA in Dance at Reed

Embark on your journey by immersing yourself in our rich offerings. Reed’s dance department emphasizes the synergy between critical and creative work. Our approach provides foundational knowledge and fosters innovation, preparing you to create and carve a pathway as a scholar or artist.

Year One

Start at Your Level

The dance major offers a diverse range of courses catering to both beginners and seasoned dancers. Explore the expressive potential of movement and refine your technical skills in our state-of-the-art studio and performance spaces.

As a first-year student, you also engage in the intellectually stimulating Humanities 110 course. This signature Reed class lays the foundation for your liberal arts education.

Discover Humanities 110

Why Study Dance at Reed College?

Two Dance Emphases: Studies and Studio

With the dance major at Reed College, take courses that build your dance knowledge and performance skills. You can specialize further by choosing an emphasis in dance studies or dance studio.

In the dance studies emphasis, delve deeper into the rich history, theory, and critical and cultural studies surrounding dance. In your senior thesis, engage in scholarly research to explore a specific topic within the field of dance; you may also include a creative component.

The dance studio emphasis nurtures your technical proficiency, choreographic abilities, improvisation skills, and performance artistry. Undertake a thesis project in which you complete research to support a creative endeavor of your own making. You have the opportunity to stage a fully produced performance, showcasing your choreographic vision and artistic expression.

With these two distinct emphases, our dance department provides a robust and multifaceted dance program that caters to diverse interests and aspirations within the field.

Residency Program with Guest Artists

Artist residencies play a vital role in connecting you with professional dancers and choreographers at the forefront of their fields. Reed’s dance department maintains a robust residency program where guest artists work directly with you.

These artists bring their expertise and creativity to the campus, offering fresh perspectives and addressing urgent issues related to race, gender, sexuality, and ability. Previous instructors include Ronald K. Brown (EVIDENCE), Reggie Wilson (Fist and Heel Performance Group), and Rosie Herrera (Rosie Herrera Dance Theatre).

Our Dance Courses

Dance BA course catalog

Careers for Dance Majors

Reed dance graduates develop creative and critical thinking skills that help them succeed in fields, including performance art and community engagement. Recent careers for Reed dance graduates include the following:

  • Choreographer, performer, and teacher, The New Zealand Dance Company
  • Communications and outreach manager, Inevitable Foundation 
  • Costume designer, Imago Theatre
  • Dance performer, explore dance network
  • Dance teacher, Block 1750
  • Director and company member, sub.set dance
  • Production design lead, Google

Learn About Career Paths and Possibilities

Achievements of Reed Dance Graduates

Our dance majors have gone on to join prestigious dance companies and graduate schools, including these:

  • Black Grace Dance Company (Australia)
  • Gibney Dance Center
  • NYU Tisch School of the Arts
  • ORIANTHEATRE Dance Company (France)
  • Tanzfabrik Berlin (Germany)
  • The University of Arizona
  • University of California, Los Angeles
  • Urban Bush Women
A portrait photo of Reed College professor Vitoria Fortuna

Professor Pens Award-Winning Book

Professor Victoria Fortuna combines history with dance studies in her book Moving Otherwise: Dance, Violence, and Memory in Buenos Aires, which won the de la Torre Bueno First Book Award for “its significant contribution to the intersection of dance, trauma theory, and politics.”

Read About Professor Victoria Fortuna

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