Mar.
06
2026
Dance
Build professional skills in performance, choreography, production, dance film, and more.
Learn cutting-edge dance and movement techniques. Prepare to be dance artists, visionaries, advocates, and leaders.
Mark Evans Bryan ’96
,
Associate Professor, Chair of Theatre, Chair of Dance
Ojeya Cruz Banks
,
Associate Professor, Associate Chair of Dance
Kristine Mathews
,
Program Coordinator, Music, Theatre, Dance
Upcoming Events
What you’ll study as a Dance major
You’ll develop arts leadership and your creative process and learn body movement and dance styles from hip-hop to ballet. As you lean into the liberal arts, you’ll connect your dance major to classes from anthropology to psychology.
Movement practices and technique
Learn and apply physical skills critical to dance-making and body conditioning while engaging in dance technique and performance. Learn contemporary dance, ballet, hip-hop, salsa, African Diaspora, and more.
Cultural and scientific connections
Strengthen your dance technique as you learn the cultural and scientific contexts of dance, including connections to global health, film, Black dance, popular culture, and more.
Put theory to practice
Deepen your learning through internships, mentorships, and independent research as you become a more seasoned dance artist on the stage, produce performances, choreograph, and engage in arts administration.
Why is Dance better at Denison?
Join the Denison Dance Company
Especially for dance majors and minors, you can perform all year, fine-tune your dance performance skills, work with professional choreographers, and learn about production.
Become a leader in the arts
You’ll realize your artistic voice as a dancer and choreographer as you blend artistic practice with arts leadership skills. Learn project management and administration, research, collaboration, and community engagement skills.
Practice and perform in a world-class space
Located in the Michael D. Eisner Center for Performing Arts, the Thorsen Dance Studio, with plenty of natural light, invites dancers to work on their craft in a calm environment with a sprung-floor system and radiant floor heating that helps prevent injuries.
Eisner Center for the Performing Arts
The Eisner Center houses state-of-the-art stages and rehearsal spaces, numerous classrooms and offices, as well as many open spaces especially configured to encourage interdisciplinary activity. Create, collaborate, and transform in the Thorsen Dance Studio, featuring natural light, a Harlequin sprung-floor system, and radiant heat to ensure dancers’ comfort and reduce the risk of injury. Eisner Center professional staff work closely with dance students to ensure they gain exposure to the technical, and organizational skills behind live performance. Designers and production specialists guide students in lighting, costume, and visual presentation, helping them understand how production elements enhance choreography. With support from these experienced professionals, dance students gain practical experience, confidence, and the professional production skills needed to bring their artistic work to the stage.
Jobs as a Dance major
Based in the liberal arts, a Denison dance degree will prepare you for careers in many fields. Recent Denison dance majors are performers with Disney, software engineers with Nordstrom, writers with Fox Corporation, and dance teachers. Some are in grad school and are getting their MBA. See where our grads have landed.
Career communities
Dance majors often join one or more of our career communities. Consider the Visual, Written & Performing Arts, and Technology, Data & Science communities.
Career Exploration
Through the Knowlton Center for Career Exploration and its training center, Denison Edge, career coaches help you prepare for the next step after college, and industry experts help you acquire specialized skills and certifications.
Beyond the Classroom
Internships
Explore career paths through an internship (or two!). Denison dance majors have interned with the Chicago Human Rhythm Project, Mark Morris Dance Group, American Dance Festival, Battery Dance, and more.
Study Abroad
Study dance in your chosen region to enhance your language skills and build your career network. Conduct research on a traditional semester abroad or take a summer internship in another country.
Summer Scholars
Delve into independent research through our Summer Scholar program. All Summer Scholars receive a stipend and a housing allowance plus supplemental funds for research expenses. Off-Campus Summer Scholars also receive travel funding.
Spotlights
Denison Magazine
The ON Switch
Where We Go
The healing power of breaking barriers
How We Learn
Sri Lankan Odyssey
What's Happening
Students
Dancing across Europe
Performances, Visiting Artists
Fall Dance Concert: Timeless/Eterna
More From Denison
Denison Seminars
Denison Seminars
Study Abroad
Study Abroad
Living at Denison
Living at Denison
Career Exploration
Career Exploration