Dance

Minor

How We Work

1. Knowledge is at the core of why we move. We understand that dance is more than going through the motions. Kinetic knowledge and a deeper understanding of the body teaches students creative problem solving and communication—invaluable skills students will carry with them through the rest of their liberal arts education, no matter what their major.

2. We examine dance from every angle. Our coursework covers all aspects of dance and movement studies, including classes in dance technique, dance theory, dance history, somatic practice, community outreach, and performance. This ensures that students not only engage with dance through motion, but also examine dance through the lens of its historical, social, political, and artistic context. Many of our students take what they learn to the next level, undertaking independent research in collaboration with a professor. Recent projects include a study of the male identity in dance and the effect of hypermobility on muscle strength acquisition in dancers.

3. The world is our stage. We bring guest artists to campus to teach classes and lead workshops, where they share their expertise in everything from aerial dance to ballet to African dance. We go off campus, taking the knowledge we've gained and sharing it with the community by volunteering with schools and community programs. We attend (and perform at) the American College Dance Festival and other conferences and events. And we study dance at locales around the world, from short-term immersion trips to Ghana or Cuba, to term-long performing arts studies in West Africa.

4. We gain professional experience. Knox offers three, two-term capstone experiences in performance, choreography, or civic engagement. Students develop their own dance company, learn all aspects (from marketing to choreography to budgeting) of creating a successful production, and create lesson plans that they then go out and teach to all age levels within the community.