Dance

Alysia Ramos, Associate Professor of Dance; chair

Ann Cooper Albright, Professor of Dance
Al S. Evangelista, Assistant Professor of Dance
Mary-Elizabeth Fenn, Lecturer of Dance
Holly R. Handman-Lopez, Assistant Professor of Dance
Amy M. Larson, Lecturer of Dance
Thomas (Talawa) Prestø, Assistant Professor of Africana Studies and Dance
Eric A. Steggall, Lecturer and Managing Director of Dance and Theater

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

Dance at Oberlin blends experiential, practice-based pedagogy with the intellectual rigor of an Oberlin education. Our courses integrate making and thinking, composition and cultural theory, emphasizing play, creativity, critical thought, and embodied wisdom.

At Oberlin, we believe dance is for everybody and every body. All dance courses are open to all students. Student, faculty, and guest artist choreography is showcased year-round in concerts and informal performances. Opportunities for artistic collaboration abound across disciplines, including theater, cinema and media, studio art, and the Conservatory of Music.

Majors, Minors, and Integrative Concentrations

Curriculum

The dance curriculum is divided into four areas of study to help students organize their learning around certain approaches to dance: creation and performance, critical inquiry, physical techniques, and somatic studies. While interconnected, these areas represent different pathways into dance and related professional fields. Please see the dance major catalog page for an up-to-date listing of which courses correspond to which areas of study.

Creation and performance courses prepare students to become versatile performers and/or creators of dance work. These classes provide tools, skills, inspiration, and models for the development of a personal creative practice.

Critical inquiry courses investigate the many layers of aesthetic, cultural, and historical meaning in various dance forms. Bridging intellectual and physical training, they combine critical theory and movement analysis with embodied knowledge, preparing students for graduate study in dance and performance studies.

Physical techniques courses in diverse genres and levels support the physical, intellectual, and imaginative process of becoming a dance artist for those exploring dance broadly to those pursuing it professionally.

Somatic studies courses emphasize well-being, conscious embodiment, and sustainable movement, preparing students for dance careers, personal health, and therapeutic fields. Somatics fosters holistic thinking, discipline, creativity, and self-reflection, attracting majors and non-majors seeking self-care in college.

Dance

Majors, Minors, and Integrative Concentrations

Curriculum

Courses