Mary Margaret Holt, Director
Jeremy Lindberg, Graduate Liaison
1000 Reynolds Performing Arts Center
Norman, OK 73019-3110
(405) 325-4051
FAX: (405) 325-7024
Internet: www.ou.edu/finearts/dance/
Mary Margaret Holt, Director |
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Professors Emeritus Lewis, Terekhov; Professor Holt; Associate Professors Edwards, Hardy, Hartel, Lindberg; Assistant Professors Brule; Instructors/Lecturers Holmes, Minter, Perry, Ratliff, Redwine.
Since its inception over 40 years ago, the School of Dance has established a national reputation for its excellence in training in ballet and modern dance techniques, for its production values and for the quality of its graduates. Firmly rooted in a performance-oriented philosophy, the school is composed of 10 faculty members, three ballroom dance instructors, three Pilates body conditioning instructors, six accompanists, two full-time musicians, seven graduate teaching assistants and approximately 80 majors. Students develop their technical and expressive gifts guided by a faculty representing an unusually fine blend of professional and academic excellence. Students work in a pre-professional environment dedicated to their development as performers, artists and educated individuals. During completion of the University’s general education requirements, dance students learn about related arts from theoretical, historical and theatrical perspectives, while simultaneously perfecting their skills as emerging dance artists. Oklahoma Festival Ballet and Contemporary Dance Oklahoma provide performance opportunities on campus and throughout the state and region through fully produced performances, laboratory performances and lecture demonstrations. In addition, a production choreographed by students is presented on an annual basis.
The School of Dance moved into its new home in the Donald W. Reynolds Performing Arts Center in March 2005. This beautiful, state of the art facility includes two large dance studios, a Pilates body conditioning studio, media center, faculty and staff offices, archive room, a gallery/reception area and the exquisitely renovated performance hall (formerly historic Holmberg Hall). Additional studios are housed in the adjacent Fine Arts Center as are the production facilities for Rupel Jones Theatre and the School of Drama. This combination of facilities ensures that our students have the best possible environment in which to study dance as they develop their technical, expressive and intellectual gifts and move toward professional careers.
Oklahoma Festival Ballet and Contemporary Dance Oklahoma, resident performing companies of the School of Dance, provide numerous, diverse performing opportunities for dance majors in both disciplines. Each company gives an annual series of performances on campus in our home theatres. Company members also present the annual Young Choreographers Showcase each January. Additional performance opportunities exist through musicals and operas, in addition to lecture demonstrations in public schools, informal studio concerts and state, regional and international tours. Our companies have been honored with 14 invitational performance tours to Taiwan, Japan, France, Paraguay, Ecuador and Mexico.
Company members are selected by audition at the beginning of each semester. Majors in ballet performance emphasis are required to perform eight semesters; modern dance majors are required to perform seven semesters; and ballet pedagogy majors perform a minimum of four semesters. The MFA program also includes performance requirements.
Our companies have been chosen for the National American College Dance Festival Gala Performance at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as well as receiving awards at the regional ACDF conferences (South Central). In addition, the companies have been featured in Dance Magazine, Pointe Magazine, the New York Times and the foreign press. The companies perform original works as well as others by Balanchine, Joffrey, Stevenson, Petipa, Pilobolus, Sonia Dawkins and Derrick Minter. Guest performers, choreographers, scholars and teachers visit the School of Dance each semester enriching students’ experience and aiding in their preparation for the profession. Participation by dancers of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds is encouraged.
A number of merit based scholarships are available through the School. These include Barnett Foundation Scholarships, tuition waivers, the Mark Allen Everett Scholarship, the Indian Ballerina Scholarships, Dance Partners Scholarships and others. For specific scholarships and deadlines, contact the School of Dance at (405) 325-4051.
The School of Dance offers undergraduate degree programs in classical ballet (with performance or pedagogy as an emphasis) and modern dance.
The School of Dance follows the admission requirements of the University of Oklahoma and the Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts; however, admission to a dance degree program requires attendance at one of two annual auditions on campus. The entrance audition also serves as a placement class. All class assignments are based on proficiency. For specific audition dates and information, please contact the School of Dance administrative office (405) 325-4051.
Undergraduate programs require a minimum of 124 semester hours, including all dance and general education requirements, with a minimum of 40 hours taken at the upper-division level. All students must meet and maintain college admission requirements with a grade of at least a C in all courses in the major area. Dance majors are advised concerning course enrollment and advancement in the degree program by an assigned faculty member each semester. All regulations and degree requirements are available in the School of Dance Office, 1000 Reynolds Performing Arts Center and online.
The School of Dance offers a minor in Dance History that is open to all undergraduates in the university. Students must successfully complete at least 19 hours of coursework in dance history and ballet or modern dance technique, including nine hours of upper-division Dance History courses, and at least two semesters of courses in Ballet and/or Modern Dance technique; at least 12 of the 19 credit hours must be completed in residency at the University of Oklahoma. A grade of C or better is required for each course with an overall 2.50 minimum GPA. For additional information, please contact the School of Dance office or the Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts Dean’s office.
The Master of Fine Arts in Dance emphasizes either performance, choreography or pedagogy and requires completion of 58 credit hours. Six of the required hours must be taken outside the School of Dance. Admission to the graduate program follows the requirements of the Graduate College and includes submission of a videotape prior to an invitation to an interview and audition by the graduate faculty of the School of Dance in addition to the completion of college and school application forms. Students are expected to have completed an undergraduate degree in dance.