Fire_Hot_Taps

Hi all, this is my first time posting on this site! I've been looking around for awhile and I figure it was time to actually join and post. I'm currently an almost-sophomore as a dance major (I'd rather not say the school yet...) and I'm considering transferring to UArts, most likely for my junior year. I'm especially looking at either the Dance Education BFA or the Jazz/Theatre Dance BFA, or perhaps some kind of combination of the two. If anyone has any insight into these areas in particular, and just the dance program in general, I'd be REALLY appreciative. Thank you so much!

MichaelNKat

My daughter has a close friend who just finished her sophmore year as a BFA dance major with a concentration in Jazz. She loves the program, feels that the instructors are excellent and that the program has a great deal to offer. She has been able to get jobs at local studios as an instructor and also works as a dancer for an entertainment company with my daughter. She also has had the opportunity to audition for work in LA. In addition, there are a load of innovative dance companies springing up in Philadelphia and Philadelphia is developing an up and coming reputation as a place to be for dancers looking for innovative opportunities.

MichelleV

My boyfriend is going to be a Senior at UArts next year, and he absolutely loves the program. He is incredibly picky, but feels that the teachers are knowledgable and the facilities are amazing. At this school, you are able to experience all areas of the arts. He is a ballet major, but he was recently a part of a modern piece. Not only is he able to view his school performances, but Philadelphia is known for their professional shows as well. Hope this helps! If you have questions, feel free to PM me!

shellipearl

We recently sat in on several dance classes at UARTS and we were extremely impressed. My daughter is a true triple threat with great strength in dance so we were looking for a program that had great dance along with strong singing and acting. She made 7 excellent schools but when we sat in on their dance classes we either felt that she was at the top of their most advanced classes, or that the more advanced classes were not available to those outside the dance major. Several schools suggested that if she wanted higher level classes she could take lessons outside the school. One school said that she could try to double major as a BFA in musical theater and a dance major, but they said this was extremely hard and that the dance dept. was making it almost impossible for MT students to get into dance as they usually ended up dropping out before the major was completed. Anyway we saw 3 dance classes at UARTS ballet, tap, and jazz. Classes were small, personal, professional and challenging. The dance rooms are beautiful, kind of like the ones you see in the dance movies, high ceilings, hugh windows overlooking the city. My daughter felt the classes she observed were excellent and found out there were many more levels to keep her challenged and learning for the next 4 years. We also observed musical theater vocal acting class and was very impressed. We saw their show Back to Back, It became evident that out of the many schools we visited (12) UARTS was the best fit in terms of being a true triple threat program with excellent dance. When classes resume (summer?) go and check it out.

MichaelNKat

Shellipearl's comments are right on "pointe" (sorry, couldn't help myself) and reflect the same experiences and impressions we and our daughter had based on her 4 week summer program at UArts and recently sitting in on classes. Since the OP asked about the dance major, though, it should be noted that the dance major classes are separate from the MT major classes and normally there is no cross over. The strength of the dance program for MT majors is just reflective of how strong the dance major program is.