TaggedWithColour

I'm just curious. I am not planning to be a dance major or anything, but I was wondering if everybody who wants to be a dance major/take dance in college has necessarily been doing dance for several years prior to college. Does anybody START dance in College?
(not speaking for ballet; more talking about contemporary, jazz, lyrical, etc etc.)

lmaty

No, not unless it is a school that requires no audition. Actually I don't think they would take beginners ether. Many schools do offer a dance class as an elective.

churchmusicmom

I second what lmaty said. I do know some males who started dancing at age 18 and were pretty successful...but not at the college level. Also, you said:

You need to know that ballet is indeed the foundation for all of these other dance forms, so any dancer needs to have a strong ballet technique.

nyc2be4me

Anyone see the 3rd season of "So You Think You Can Dance?" The amazing Sabra Johnson, age 20, won the competition after starting to dance at age 16!!! So it's possible, just definitely not the norm! There are schools with dance majors/programs that don't require an audition... not generally of interest to a dancer who has danced all her life and wants to pursue it as a career, but great options for beginners/recreational dancers. Barnard is one school that has offers a wonderful dance major with no audition, so they do exist. The "Sabras" of the world are very rare, but an inspiration none-the-less!

lmaty

nyc2be4me I don't exactly equate doing dance tricks and smiling a lot with the artistry of serious dance. When you have freakish facility and the right body to go with it you could be successful and start late, but think how well she might have gotten if she had started earlier and had aquired some better technique. I don't watch the show much, but her technique was pretty weak. I couldn't see her getting into Juilliard or Tisch or even Ailey/Fordam, let alone working for any major dance company. She could be a Rockette or work for a cruise line probably.

MomOf3Stars

People forget that before SYTYCD Sabra had a long history of gymnastics and while that does not equate a serious dance training it is not exactly starting from scratch either. Most of her solos and routines consisted of lots of fabulous jumps, flexibility, and acrobatic tricks and that, along with amazing strength (check out her biceps) are all things she gained from her gymnastics training. The producers of SYTYCD wanted us to think Sabra just picked up dancing at the age of 16 and got that good out of nowhere but that is really doing an injustice to all of the years she put in training as a gymnast and to the dance training she already had.

They also wanted you to think the same thing about Joshua from last season. They kept pushing down our throats that he had no formal training yet in his auditions he did a perfect brisee and in his personal montage it showed him in a classical ballet class (and he himself said he would work to pay for his own classes) and unless they lucked out and found a photo of the one and only ballet class he ever took in his life then one can assume the shows claim that he had no formal training was slightly to largely exagerrated. This is the show btw not him that does this but again a slap in the face to those who did give him the dance training he had previous to the show.

BTW, Sabra was dancing in a touring production of the "Backyardigans" last I knew. Hardly Julliard but she is working and if she is happy that's great. Most of the dancers that make it to the top of SYTYCD have moved on to less traditional careers, mainly they are in the business of giving workshops at competitions and conventions. Lacey ofc, is a little more visible being on DWTS (good for her) and Danny had a career in ballet before he even did the show. I think getting on the show is more about getting exposure for a lot of these dancers. It is a game show, nothing more.

lmaty

Danny is amazing and the best dancer they have ever had on the show. I can't believe he didn't win. What are these people looking at????
It's like they want to turn dance into a gymnastic sport with little to no art. It is sad when people with great facility aren't trained when they are young or go to competition schools and get poor training. It is such a waste of potential.

Here is an example of what great facility and amazing training can turn out. I picked something that wasn't classical ballet, so it would be a better comparison. This is Daniil Simkin (at 17.) He is now 21 and one of the newest members of ABT (soloist.)
His technique is perfection! After looking at this you should check out his classical ballet. WOW!
YouTube - Ballet - Les Bourgeois danced by Daniil Simkin

nyc2be4me

You are both right, and my point was merely that anyone, regardless of age, should not be afraid to "start" in dance if they have a passion for it. They may not end up in ABT or Hubbard Street, but they can have a lot of fun regardless! SYTYCD is definitely entertainment ~ those with the best technique often getting eliminated (eg Danny from last season) ~ but what I love is that its prime time placement has increased awareness of dance in general (be it for entertainment value or true art). The SYTYCD audience clearly loves hip-hop, so in many cases "funk" rules over beautiful facility and technique. It's fun to watch the hip-hoppers try to do something more lyrical, and vice-versa! I am anxious to watch this new international Superstars of Dance show (same producers as Am Idol and SYTYCD) to see what angle it will take, and again, it's great that dance has another prime-time venue!

nyc2be4me

lmaty,
I hadn't read your post yet when I wrote that about Danny being eliminated... I guess it was so obvious to everyone! He will be successful though, no doubt.

KindlyCuddly

I know of plenty of modern dancers who started college, though not ballet. Even some after college!

cshep30

Lmaty I agree with you...Danny was by far the best dancer they ever had and if it was based on technique he would have won by a landslide. Although I liked Sabra a lot and she is very talented, it is true that if she would have had the opportunity to take ballet and technique regularly she would be amazing!! She had a great presence on stage and that is something that technique just can't teach you though. She has it--the it factor!

compmom

Lots of people take up dance in college.

Many dancers train for years before college age, and either major in dance, go to a conservatory or company school, or dance professionally after (or during) high school.

On the other hand, anyone can try some dance classes at a college or university, learn some things and have fun, and, for some, it can turn into a passion.

I know people who take up ballet in their 50's, and beginning modern or jazz is also something that anyone can do at any age.

Many dance sites are geared to the preprofessionals who are training intensively, for many years, but that should not deter you from starting dance classes when you are in college. Your goal might be different. But who knows, maybe you will find a new way to express yourself.

lsd87

Some BA programs require about 30 hrs. This means that you could do freshman year taking intro classes with the intention of auditioning for soph year late in freshman yr, and then get in. Now this of course depends on the school. SUNY Brockport is the school I was thinking of in this case.

VegaSF47288

Very much possible. I started dancing 2 years ago in college and I auditioned last sem, but only decided to be a major this sem. When I talked to the dance director she said "Finally! I knew you were gonna do it". One of the teachers told me to do it too. It's difficult, but its not impossible. If you wanna try it talk to the dance director. I love being there...there are a good number of hot girls that are always in tights lol.