Program Overview
In 2018 the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Dance offered by the Department of Theatre and Dance at The University of Alabama was ranked as the top dance program in Alabama and the 15th best dance program in the South.* Our dance program’s greatest strength is the diversity of classes offered: in addition to virtuosic training in ballet, contemporary dance, and jazz, students are offered a wide range of professional skills including choreography, dance for the camera, pedagogy, lighting and sound design, and anatomy. With this breadth of knowledge students are well placed to achieve a sustainable future in dance, contributing as skilled artists and global citizens. BA candidates are encouraged to stretch themselves still further by studying outside the department in one of UA’s other exceptional major and minor programs.
If you are interested in connecting with current students about the dance program, please email danceambassadors@ua.edu.
* Rankings are based on fifty-nine academic, financial, and organizational factors and metrics, as well as faculty profiles, student retention rates, and alumni job prospects.
Performance Opportunities
Performance is at the heart of the University of Alabama Dance program, and each semester students will have multiple opportunities to appear onstage in our own 622-seat Dance Theatre, as well as additional national and international touring programs. Highlights of the season include the Alabama Repertory Dance Theater concert, in which students perform works by faculty and guest artists, and Dance Alabama!, a showcase of our best student choreography. Other regular opportunities include Dance Collection, which includes other dancers in the community, Alabama Dance Festival, American College Dance Association, and tours to the Edinburgh fringe.
Alumni
The goal of our Dance program is professional preparation, and every year we celebrate our graduates as they begin careers as professional dancers, artistic directors, choreographers, dance teachers, dance therapists, arts administrators, arts managers, production managers, lighting and costume designers, studio managers, and so many other fruitful journeys. Our alumni are represented in Alabama Ballet, Complexions, Atlanta Ballet, STREB Dance Company, Jeanne Ruddy Dance, the Radio City Rockettes, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Philadanco, Gus Giordano Dance, Disney Productions and national/international Broadway tours and cruise lines. Those seeking further education are regularly accepted into world-leading graduate programs. We are proud that so many of our alumni have stayed in touch and shared their experiences with new students in our program.
Learn more about our recent alumni in Alumni News.