Why Study Dance?
Study and practice dance in a supportive community, integrated into a liberal arts education.
The dance major at Â鶹ӰÊÓ combines practical experience with rigorous academics in an intimate, holistic learning environment. You’ll have opportunities to perform and choreograph while integrating dance with a liberal arts education.
As a dance major or minor at Pacific, you can train in techniques devoted to ballet, contemporary and jazz. You’ll study dance history, choreography, pedagogy, kinesiology and world cultures.
Dance majors complete integrative capstones in dance and other areas, such as art, media arts, chemistry, music, education and more. In individual projects, students conceptualize, research, develop, and produce integrated dance projects that go beyond the walls of the stage space. You can also pursue a minor in dance, or a double major in dance and another course of study.
Students can attend and perform at the American College Dance Association conferences, gain valuable experience as teaching assistants, and participate in the Portland dance scene.
In the dance major or minor, students can participate in two main stage dance concerts a year in our pre-professional university company, Pacific Dance Ensemble. The ensemble is a non-competitive environment that embraces inclusion and diversity, and the students in the company become a support system for each other.
What Can You Do with a Dance Major?
Â鶹ӰÊÓ dance students go on to work in a variety of fields, including performance and production, teaching, arts management, law, and other fields that value communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. The dance program provides students with a well-rounded liberal arts education that can lead to highly collaborative, creative careers.
Dance major and minor Â鶹ӰÊÓs are professional dancers, dance educators in K-12 schools, studio dance teachers, art administrators, physical therapists, researchers and Â鶹ӰÊÓ students.
Pacific dance alumni also apply to Â鶹ӰÊÓ school for physical therapy, occupational therapy and athletic training.
Perform at Pacific
At Â鶹ӰÊÓ, students are creators and performers. Whether you’re majoring in a performance-focused subject or just love the arts, you have the opportunity to get involved in music, theatre, dance and cultural performance activities. Share your creativity with the community at our public performances as you practice your skills and display your love of the arts.
