Department of Dance

Julianne O’Brien Pedersen, MFA, Chair

Professors: Guy, O’Brien Pedersen;
Associate Professors: Kish, Maxwell;
Assistant Professor: Mendieta;
Instructional Assistant Professor: Backhaus;

Admittance to the Department of Dance is by audition.

The mission of the Chapman University Department of Dance is to develop well-rounded and versatile independent artists to excel in careers of teaching, choreography and performance of dance.

The Department of Dance offers both a bachelor of fine arts and a bachelor of arts degree. The bachelor of arts degree is a broad-based program requiring 47 credits, which allows students to take electives in other disciplines and makes it possible to pursue double majors or minors. The bachelor of fine arts program is designed for students who plan to enter the world of dance as professional performers or choreographers. This course of study in intensive technique training, history, choreography, dance science and pedagogy requires 77 credits. Both degrees are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance.

Students pursuing a degree in the department of dance must maintain at least a 2.000 GPA in the major. All courses in the major must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a “C” (not a “C-“) or higher.

Departmental Opportunities

Fall faculty and guest artist choreographed dance concert.
Spring student choreographed dance concerts.
Chapman Celebrates musical theatre review performance each fall.
Masters at Chapman opportunity to show work and occasionally perform with internationally-acclaimed artists.
Dance Tour: program recruitment tour.
Opportunities to crew productions.
Cirque du Soleil symposium.
The student-governed Chapman Dance Alliance.
Dance Clubs: Team Shaka and Chapman Dance Team.
National Honor Society.
Scholarly research in dance science and pedagogy.
Master classes and residencies with significant artists.

Departmental Honors
Departmental honors are given to those students that have exhibited a professional demeanor and made an outstanding contribution of their time and efforts to the Department of Dance while maintaining a GPA of 3.700 or higher.

Degrees

Bachelor of Arts

Dance, B.A.

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Dance Performance, B.F.A.

Minor

Dance, Minor

Courses

Dance