In this minor, you’ll engage with dance on multiple levels—creative, intellectual, and physical. 

Guided by our outstanding faculty, you’ll receive conservatory-caliber training in a small class setting. As a Dance Minor, you’ll gain a broad understanding of the historical, theoretical, and cultural roots of dance, while also learning and performing a variety of styles and choreography, from Ballroom to Traditional West African to Hip Hop. In addition, you’ll have the opportunity to attend shows throughout the Bay Area and work with a diverse range of guest artists. 

Our students grow tremendously in their critical thinking, writing, and verbal communication skills, all valuable skills for any future career. Some of our graduates head for careers in dance, theatre, and the arts. Many continue onto graduate studies. Others put their critical and creative skills to work outside of the arts, in education, health care, and beyond.

Myriad possibilities await you, and we are here to prepare you for them!

Learn more about the program

Get to know our well-respected faculty and their specialties, as artists and scholars. Or explore scholarship opportunities and an array of performance possibilities.

Dance, Minor

The minor in Dance is designed for the Liberal Arts education. Students will take 21 units in choreography, movement and theory courses many of which also have Core curriculum designations. Dance skills are life-long transferable skills and this minor allows you to explore dance while also pairing it with other disciplines.

Requirements

Lower Division

  • The following lower-division courses are required for the major.
  • Choreography I (2 units)

LD Movement Classes

  • Take four movement classes from the following list. Courses may be repeated.
  • Tap (1 units)
  • West African Dance (1 units)
  • Baile Folklorico/Mexican Folk Dance (1 units)
  • Jazz Dance (1 units)
  • Modern/Contemporary Dance I (1 units)
  • Ballet: Somatic Fundamentals (1 units)
  • Gaga/Improvisation (1 units)
  • Hip-Hop Dance (1 units)
  • Chinese Dance (1 units)
  • Ballroom (1 units)
  • Intermediate Tap (2 units)
  • Intermediate West African Dance (2 units)
  • Intermediate Baile Folklorico/Mexican Folk Dance (1 units)
  • Intermediate Jazz Dance (1 units)
  • Modern/Contemporary Dance II (1 units)
  • Ballet II (1 units)
  • Intermediate Hip-Hop Dance (1 units)
  • Intermediate Chinese Dance (1 units)
  • Intermediate Ballroom (1 units)

Upper Division

  • The following courses are required
  • Laban and Bartenieff Movement Studies: perspectives in Social Somatics (3 units)
  • Dance History: Anti-Racist/Decolonial Approach (3 units)

UD Movement Classes

  • Take four movement classes from the following list:
  • Advanced Tap (1 units)
  • Advanced West African Dance Ensemble (1-2 units)
  • Advanced Baile Folklorico/Mexican Folk Dance (1 units)
  • Advanced Jazz Dance (1 units)
  • Modern/Contemporary Dance III (2 units)
  • Ballet III (2 units)
  • Advanced Gaga/Improvisation (1 units)
  • Advanced Hip-Hop Dance (1 units)
  • Advanced Chinese Dance (1 units)
  • Advanced Ballroom (1 units)
  • Modern/Contemporary Dance IV (1 units)
  • Ballet IV (1 units)
  • Take one class from the following list
  • Dance Pedagogy (3 units)
  • Asian Dance in the Contemporary World (3 units)
  • Dance and Performance Studies (4 units)

Dance Production

  • Take one of the following:
  • Dance Production I (1 units)
  • Dance Production II (1 units)
  • Perceiving the Performing Arts (3 units)
  • Global Music and Dance (3 units)

Saint Mary's Testimonials

Person Headshot '14

“The SMC Dance program has always provided a positive learning environment for its students and me. They offer a lot of diverse dance classes such as Modern, Ballet, West African, Ballet Folklorico and many more. The dance professors are always very warm, positive, caring and fun to be around within the studios. They are always there for their students and help push them to achieve their goals.”

Eesha Shah, Class of 2022

School and Department Information