frequently asked questions
What is LEAP?
LEAP is Liberal Education for Arts Professionals, an innovative program of higher education designed for professional dancers and offered by Saint Mary's College of California. Founded in 1999, LEAP currently serves dancers in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and in the New York/New Jersey area. (New York courses are offered in partnership with Manhattan College.)
Who are LEAP students?
LEAP students are dancers currently employed by professional dance companies/productions, as well as former dancers with extensive professional experience. The program accepts dancers from recognized ballet, modern, jazz/tap and ethnic dance companies, as well as from musical theatre, television, and film.
Why is there a demand for a program like LEAP?
Professional dancers know that age and/or injury will eventually end their performing career and, for many, a college education is essential to making a successful career transition. An undergraduate degree opens doors to graduate school and better-paying jobs, and helps dancers develop the self-confidence and skills needed to create a new life after dance.
But dancers usually join the professional ranks before the age of 18, and many are employed by companies that require them to work 6 days a week and go on tour. In this extremely competitive field, these artists can't take 4 years off to go to college during their prime dancing years. Some have already had to shortchange their high school education.
How then can current and former professional dancers prepare for the future? Issues of time, money, workload, and scheduling tend to overwhelm academic dreams. The LEAP program was created to address this problem.
What does LEAP offer to professional dancers?
- A Bachelor of Arts degree (Performing Arts Major) in 3 to 4 years of part-time study.
- A comprehensive liberal arts education from a nationally recognized college.
- The tools for career advancement or career transition upon retirement from dance.
- A highly individualized curriculum.
- Class locations and schedules compatible with the performance and touring calendars of professional dancers.
- Options to earn college credit for professional dance experience as well as for prior learning in other subject areas.
- Resources, counseling, financial aid and moral support so that each dancer's academic goals can be reached.
What is the course of study?
The LEAP program meets all of the established requirements for the undergraduate liberal arts degree at Saint Mary's College, including major course requirements.
LEAP classes meet once a week, usually on Sunday or Monday evenings, for 4 hours. Courses are 10 weeks in length. Classes are held in convenient locations to serve the New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles dance communities.
What makes LEAP unique?
The program is specifically designed for working dancers, removing the barriers that restrict their educational opportunities. These barriers are:
- Scheduling: We consult with our students to create a class schedule that accommodates work, touring, and rehearsal calendars.
- Location: LEAP brings the classroom and the professors to the dancers.
- Time: LEAP coursework is accelerated. The degree can be earned in 3 to 4 years of part-time study.
- Money: The program is affordable. Financial aid and grants are available.
- Fear: A strong support system offers encouragement and guidance, and helps dancers challenge old assumptions and traditions. We can accommodate students entering with varying levels of academic experience.
LEAP brings the St. Mary's tradition of excellence to the dancers via an outstanding faculty and challenging courses that develop strong communication and critical thinking skills. An individualized curriculum encourages dancers to pursue their particular interests and explore different disciplines, creating self-motivated learners and a commitment to life-long learning.
Both current and former (retired) professional dancers may apply for admission. LEAP students also represent a variety of dance disciplines: ballet, modern, jazz, musical theatre, and ethnic dance.
Recognizing the high level of skill and artistry that professional dancers have attained through years of hard work and dedication, the program provides options to earn college credit for that experience. LEAP students may also petition for credit for college level experiential learning acquired in subject areas other than dance.
How do LEAP graduates use their degrees?
Because we create an individualized course of study for each student, our graduates have taken a number of different paths. LEAP alumni have been accepted into prestigious graduate school programs and are enjoying new careers in the fields of physical therapy, theatre, law, college administration, art history, music composition, education, medicine, and international relations. Some stay in the dance field as artistic directors, choreographers, or teachers. Other graduates are still dancing professionally, but with secure sense of the future and the knowledge that with the degree they will experience a much easier career transition upon retirement from dance.
How much is tuition?
Tuition for the entire 3- to 4- year program for students admitted during the 2009/2010 academic year is $23,4000.
Tuition is paid in ten installments over the course of your enrollment in the LEAP program. Financial Aid is available.
What financial aid is available?
- Student Loans (Stafford Loans)
- Federal Student Aid (Pell Grants)
- State Student Aid (CAL grants)
- Scholarships and Tax Credits
- The LEAP Tuition Assistance Fund
