Dance

Ann Cooper Albright, Professor of Dance, Chair
Talise Campbell, Visiting Assistant Professor of Africana Studies/Dance
Al Evangelista, Assistant Professor of Dance
Holly Handman-Lopez, Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance
Alysia Ramos, Assistant Professor of Dance
Jennifer Shults, Visiting Instructor of Dance

Visit the department webpage for up-to-date information on department faculty, visiting lecturers and special events.

The Oberlin Dance Department encourages students to create, perform, and think about movement in a manner that is consonant with their experience in the other fine and liberal arts. The curriculum offers various approaches to the study of movement, from creation and performance to physical techniques, critical inquiry and somatic studies.

Dance at Oberlin is characterized by its commitment to experimentation and to the creation of original work. Student, faculty and guest artist choreography is presented throughout the year in formal concerts, and in a regular series of showcases. Outstanding resources for artistic collaboration with student and faculty directors, designers, composers, musicians, and video artists are found in Theater, the Conservatory of Music, Cinema Studies, and the Art Department.

Movement classes are offered in a range of genres and levels in order to support the physical, intellectual and imaginative process of becoming a dance artist. These courses serve all students, including those who wish to explore dance as part of their broader education, those pursuing dance in combination with related arts, and those who intend to enter the dance field professionally.

Students have the opportunity to explore somatic studies through courses that focus on alignment, movement integration and meditative practice. The concentration in somatic studies offers an excellent preparation for a lifetime of personal health and work in a broad range of therapeutic fields.

The Dance Department also provides a focus in critical inquiry. These courses examine the historical contexts and theoretical frameworks of a variety of dance traditions while encouraging students’ intellectual curiosity and willingness to explore new ideas. The practice of research and writing about dance in its cultural contexts develops an appreciation of dance as both an artistic and a sociological phenomenon.

See information about Research, Internships, Study Away and Experiential Learning (RISE).

Honors

In the second semester of the junior year qualified students may be admitted to the Honors Program in Dance. The Honors project may be either, 1) a creative project in dance performance or choreography, or 2) research in dance history, criticism, or theory resulting in a substantial written thesis. Any creative project also includes a significant research and written component. At the completion of the senior Honors Project, a panel consisting of the Honors student’s faculty advisor and at least two other faculty members, including a faculty member from outside the department, will examine the student’s work. Applications and further information concerning Honors work are available in the Dance Department office, Warner Center, and online.

Off Campus Study

Before credit is awarded for off-campus study, students must obtain tentative prior approval from the chair of Dance and the Office of Study Away. After the study is completed, the student must supply evidence of satisfactory participation. A maximum of 3 courses of off-campus study may be applied to the major in Dance.

Explore Winter Term projects and opportunities.

Majors and Minors

Courses

Dance