Contemporary Dance

Dance at Jacobs

Recommended by DanceUS.org as one of the best college dance programs for 2023-2024 in the USA.

The IU Contemporary Dance Program offers a collection of experiences that are accessible to students who seek serious study in the art of dance.

Our department offers a B.F.A. in Dance through an undergraduate program rich in artistic integrity and disciplined dance training. Our strong academic and theoretical core provides the background you need to become a knowledgeable and successful dance professional.

The degree includes courses in dance technique, repertory, choreography, improvisation, composition, pedagogy, history, music, production, movement analysis, injury prevention, yoga, and Pilates certification. You also complete requirements in the arts and humanities, taking a carefully considered selection of classes.

Technique classes and repertory rehearsals are part of the daily routine. The program’s core offerings consist of curricula which, through the highest quality of training and instruction, strengthen and refine dance techniques as well as provide scholarly inquiry into history, science, and creative practices.

The faculty of the IU Contemporary Dance Program strives to not only teach, but mentor, and provide a strong theoretical base from which each dancer can grow and work as an individual artist. Students are encouraged to seek their own venue for expression, such as performance, choreography, teaching, production, or scholarship, to prepare for a successful career in the professional and academic field of dance.

You can learn more about our Contemporary Dance program in our Viewbook.

Check out our Viewbook!

An audition is required for acceptance into the Contemporary Dance program

Applying to be a student of Indiana University and applying for an audition to the Contemporary Dance program are two separate processes. Please read the application page for step-by-step instructions and how prepare yourself for an audition with IU Contemporary Dance Program. You must be accepted to Indiana University to receive your audition results.

Learn how to apply

The B.F.A. in Contemporary Dance attracts students who seek serious study in the art of modern and contemporary dance. Our students typically have some of the following qualities:

Passion for dance and movement
Interest in many forms of contemporary dance and dance studies
Desire for a career in the professional dance world, as a performer, dance-maker, teacher, body-worker, or administrator
Self-initiative and proactivity
Curiosity and wish for personal growth
Enjoyment of collaboration with other artists, both peer and professional

Kamari Donaldson in *Spirit Has No Name* by Professor Beatrice Capote

Find out what it means to major in dance in college by participating in an immersive high school dance experience. The IU High School Summer Dance Intensive is carefully designed to give rising 9th-12th grade students an opportunity to study dance at the university level.

Learn about pricing and requirements

Artistic integrity + disciplined training

The core offerings of our program give you performance experiences that help you develop, strengthen, and refine your technique through training and instruction of the highest quality. Academic courses examine the history, science, and aesthetics of theatre, drama, and dance. This strong theoretical foundation provides context and motivation for your development as a dancer.

Undergraduate minor for students majoring in other subjects

Our department offers an 18-credit dance minor that can be combined with another course of study.

While no audition is necessary to declare a dance minor, certain advanced-level technique classes and performance opportunities do require an audition.

Our students work on technique and knowledge of the dance field. They take courses in dance history and theory, with technique courses in a variety of dance forms.

The minor also allows you to explore various cultural and ethnic forms of dance. It includes a rich selection of courses from associated departments, such as African American and African Diaspora Studies, Ballet, and Anthropology. Performance opportunities include a student dance workshop, which takes place at the end of each semester.

Other performance opportunities exist with the IN MOTION student dance company, the African American Dance Ensemble, the local Windfall Dancers, and the Jacobs School of Music opera and theatre productions.

Make an advising appointment to learn more and explore your dance minor options.

Learn more about our Dance minor on the Bulletin

Our faculty excels at teaching groups, organizing ensembles, and mentoring individuals. They provide you with a strong base from which to grow and work as an artist. Our students are encouraged to develop expertise in areas of performance, choreography, teaching, production, and scholarship.

Our goal: extraordinary artistry, brilliant experimentation, and a solid foundation that prepares you for a successful career in the professional and academic field of dance.

Meet our faculty View the Dance B.F.A. requirements on the Bulletin

Explore a wide range of dance styles

Our program offers dance performance experience in a vibrant and creative environment. Every aspect of the degree is designed to nourish and elicit your artistic best. Technique classes and repertory rehearsals are part of the daily dance routine.

Our students are exposed to the historic works of the past as well as to leading-edge choreography by contemporary artists. Our dance majors have performed in works by Larry Keigwin, Ihsan Rustem, Roger Jeffrey, David Parsons, Bella Lewitzky, Martha Graham, Paul Taylor, Martha Wittman (Liz Lerman Dance Exchange), Marylana Locklear (Dayton Contemporary Dance Company) William Evans, Ben Munisteri, and Laurie Eisenhower.

Practice + Performance

As a student in our program, you may become a member of the Indiana University Contemporary Dance Theatre, with the opportunity to perform in the Ruth N. Halls Theatre, as well as in other university and community venues. You also dance in our faculty/guest artist concert and in student works. Seniors produce a concert each fall.

Classes are held in our spacious dance studios and the dance facilities in the African American Arts Institute. The Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center boasts three state of the art production spaces—the Ruth N. Halls Theatre, the Wells-Metz Theatre, and the Studio Theatre.

Explore our facilities

*Healing at the Source* by Nyama McCarthy-Brown

*Undertakings In Three Parts* by Angie Hauser

Collaborative energy + opportunity

The guidance of our faculty provides for creative learning and academic engagement. Professors from the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies and the Department of Kinesiology also teach in the major. Guest artists of national and international renown work with our students each year, setting choreography and teaching in the curriculum.

Learn more about our collaborations

As a student here at Indiana University, you will immerse yourself in the field of modern and contemporary dance. It is a challenging, yet ultimately fulfilling journey. After four years in the dance major, I am eager and well prepared to find my place in the worldwide dance community.
Kate Anderson, B.F.A. 2013

Interested in applying?

Learn about the audition + application process

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