Dance, Bachelor of Fine Arts
Program Overview
The Bachelor Fine Arts (BFA) in Dance degree emphasizes training in dance technique practice and performance. This degree is designed to provide students with a broad and thorough base of dance technique training and performance experience to prepare for continued study at the graduate level or to enter the dance field in a professional capacity.
The Dance Program holds placement auditions for future technique courses. Entry auditions are required for acceptance into the BFA program.
Admission requirements for this program beyond university admission requirements.
- Students must complete and pass an audition to be admitted to the BFA in Dance program.
- Students will enter as Bachelor of Art in Dance until they have been admitted into the BFA in Dance program through the formal audition process.
Progression requirements for this program.
- For all dance technique courses, faculty approval is needed to advance from level to level.
Specific graduation requirements for this program beyond university bachelor’s degree requirements.
- Students must earn a score of Satisfactory or higher in the Professional Portfolio completed in DANC 4302.
- Students must earn a grade of “C” or better in all DANC courses.
- Students must earn an overall GPA of 2.5.
Core Curriculum – 42 hours
The Core Curriculum serves as a broad foundation for the undergraduate degree. All candidates for a bachelor’s degree must achieve core student learning outcomes, including communication, critical thinking, empirical and quantitative skills, teamwork, personal responsibility and social responsibility, by completing courses within each category or component area of the Core Curriculum as outlined below.
The University has approved specific courses that satisfy Core Curriculum Requirements. Approved courses can be found on the Core Curriculum Page. Students seeking the most efficient way to complete the core curriculum and major or minor requirements are advised to take approved courses that can fulfill both requirements. Although core curriculum courses can also be used to fulfill major or minor requirements, earned credits hours are only applied once.
The courses listed below fulfill core curriculum and major requirements. Students who have completed a core curriculum category with courses other than those listed below will still be required to take the listed course(s) to meet major requirements.
030 Life and Physical Sciences – 6 hours
Three credit hours from the lecture component of BIOL 2401 and BIOL 2402 will be applied towards this requirement.
050 Creative Arts – 3 hours
Select any Creative Arts course except DANC 2323 Dance Appreciation.
090 Integrative and Experiential Learning – 6 hours
One credit hour from the lab component of BIOL 2401 and BIOL 2402 will be applied towards this requirement.
Major Requirements - 78 hours
Required Courses - 42 hours
Dance Core:
Complete 2 hours from one or a combination of the following repeatable courses:
| DANC 2112 | Dance Performance: Beginning/Intermediate | 1 |
| DANC 3112 | Dance Performance: Intermediate/Advanced | 1 |
Complete 4 hours from the following repeatable course:
| DANC 3112 | Dance Performance: Intermediate/Advanced | 1 |
Prescribed Electives - 36 hours
First Technique - 15 hours
Students must complete 15 credit hours in a first technique area, of which 10 must be advanced, selecting from either Contemporary Dance or Ballet.
Contemporary Dance
Complete all the following:
| DANC 2246 | Foundations in Contemporary Dance - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 2345 | Foundations in Contemporary Dance - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
| DANC 3246 | Intermediate Contemporary Dance - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 3345 | Intermediate Contemporary Dance - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
| DANC 4246 | Advanced Contemporary Dance - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 4345 | Advanced Contemporary Dance - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
Ballet
Complete all the following:
| DANC 2242 | Ballet Foundations - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 2341 | Ballet Foundations - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
| DANC 3242 | Intermediate Ballet - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 3341 | Intermediate Ballet - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
| DANC 4242 | Advanced Ballet - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 4341 | Advanced Ballet - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
Second Technique - 15 hours
Students must also complete 15 credit hours, of which 10 must be advanced, in a Second Technique area.
Students will choose from Contemporary Dance, Ballet, Mexican Folklorico Dance, or Spanish Dance.
Contemporary Dance
Complete all the following:
| DANC 2246 | Foundations in Contemporary Dance - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 2345 | Foundations in Contemporary Dance - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
| DANC 3246 | Intermediate Contemporary Dance - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 3345 | Intermediate Contemporary Dance - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
| DANC 4246 | Advanced Contemporary Dance - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 4345 | Advanced Contemporary Dance - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
Ballet
Complete all the following:
| DANC 2242 | Ballet Foundations - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 2341 | Ballet Foundations - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
| DANC 3242 | Intermediate Ballet - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 3341 | Intermediate Ballet - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
| DANC 4242 | Advanced Ballet - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 4341 | Advanced Ballet - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
Mexican Folklorico Dance
Complete all the following:
| DANC 2250 | Foundations in Mexican Folklorico Dance - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 2349 | Foundations in Mexican Folklorico Dance - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
| DANC 3250 | Intermediate Mexican Folklorico Dance - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 3349 | Intermediate Mexican Folklorico Dance - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
| DANC 4250 | Advanced Mexican Folklorico Dance - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 4349 | Advanced Mexican Folklorico Dance - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
Spanish Dance
Complete all the following:
| DANC 2254 | Foundations in Spanish Dance - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 2353 | Foundations in Spanish Dance - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
| DANC 3254 | Intermediate Spanish Dance - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 3353 | Intermediate Spanish Dance - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
| DANC 4254 | Advanced Spanish Dance - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 4353 | Advanced Spanish Dance - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
Additional Techniques - 6 hours
Students must complete 6 hours from two dance technique areas not taken above or from Ballet Pointe and Jazz.
Students will need departmental consent to enroll in intermediate (3000) and advanced (4000) techniques for which they have not taken the corresponding foundations courses.
Ballet
Contemporary Dance
| DANC 2246 | Foundations in Contemporary Dance - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 2345 | Foundations in Contemporary Dance - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
| DANC 3246 | Intermediate Contemporary Dance - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 3345 | Intermediate Contemporary Dance - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
| DANC 4246 | Advanced Contemporary Dance - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 4345 | Advanced Contemporary Dance - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
Jazz
Mexican Folklorico Dance
| DANC 2250 | Foundations in Mexican Folklorico Dance - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 2349 | Foundations in Mexican Folklorico Dance - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
| DANC 3250 | Intermediate Mexican Folklorico Dance - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 3349 | Intermediate Mexican Folklorico Dance - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
| DANC 4250 | Advanced Mexican Folklorico Dance - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 4349 | Advanced Mexican Folklorico Dance - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
Spanish Dance
| DANC 2254 | Foundations in Spanish Dance - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 2353 | Foundations in Spanish Dance - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
| DANC 3254 | Intermediate Spanish Dance - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 3353 | Intermediate Spanish Dance - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
| DANC 4254 | Advanced Spanish Dance - Two Credit Hour | 2 |
| DANC 4353 | Advanced Spanish Dance - Three Credit Hour | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: 42
Total Credit Hours: 120
View this program’s recommended roadmap to graduation.
UTRGV Roadmaps are a suggested sequence of courses designed to assist students in completing their undergraduate degree requirements. This is a term-by-term sample roadmap of courses required to complete the degree. Students must satisfy all requirements in their catalog including, but not limited to course prerequisites, grade point average and course grade benchmarks, progression requirements, and graduation requirements.
Students should meet with their academic advisor every semester to discuss their individualized path toward completion. Degree progress within this roadmap depends upon such factors as course availability, individual student academic preparation and readiness, student time management, work and personal responsibilities, and financial considerations. Students may choose to take courses during summer terms to reduce course loads during long semesters.