Dance

Jeff Dintaman (department head), Lisa Lantz (program director)

Art and performance training expands the capabilities of the human body and imagination, developing capacities for persistence, invention, and communication. Dance majors learn self-confidence and refine their ability to conceive and enact new ideas, practices and solutions through the performative body. Collaborative performances and studio environments stimulate active learning, and promote body and mind development toward reflecting what it means to be human. This approach equips students with skills for dealing with a complex world, and engaging with and contributing to the dance world as performers, choreographers, teachers, and collaborators.

The dance major is appropriate for the student who is continuing her/his study of dance, re-entering dance, or accessing dance for the first time. The discipline of dance at Luther is based in the experiential and analytical study of Movement Fundamentals, three courses rooted in somatic (body based) rather than dance styles education. These three courses educate the dance artist through the paired principles of: alignment and function; range and efficiency; and vocabulary and intention. Along with Movement Fundamentals, Contact Improvisation is a core component in shaping this holistic and distinct foundation for dance technique. This somatic approach to dance brings suppleness and refinement to skills attained in prior studio training and daily life movements while adding sophistication to dance making and performing.

Dance majors become dance artists, dance or movement teachers, or continue on to become dance scholars. Dance majors pursue graduate and professional studies, certification and employment in performance; choreography; dance or movement education; dance curation; dance studio or company management; somatic movement practices; somatic psychology; movement, dance, or massage therapy; medicine; and chiropractic arts.

Required for a major: 33 credit hours including DAN/THE 100 (6 times), DAN 101, 105, 205; DAN 130 or 230; DAN 264; DAN/THE 300; DAN 305, 351, 360.

Correlative requirement for the major: THE 105 or THE 127.

Recommended courses: ART/THE 102, ART 103, 104, BIO 115, PE 261.

Dance Synthesis: During the sophomore year a major will develop a written reflection outlining their previous work in the performing arts and develop possible pathways for future directions leading toward their senior project.

DAN/THE 100 - Performance Practicum (0 credit) 6 times.

Required for a minor in dance: DAN 101, 105, 130, 205; DAN or THE 300; DAN 100 (3 times) or DAN 100 (1 time) and DAN 305.

Dance Management Concentration: To complete the dance management concentration a student is required to complete a major in dance and a minor in management, or a major in management and a minor in dance.