Dance

James W. Robey, Chair, Department of Dance

The Department of Dance prepares students to become highly skilled, visionary, and responsible contributors to the evolving field of dance and the broader creative economy. Through rigorous training in diverse movement techniques, choreographic inquiry, performance, pedagogy, and production, students cultivate artistic excellence and professional readiness. Our programs foster critical engagement with dance as a physical, intellectual, and cultural practice, emphasizing creativity, collaboration, and care. We challenge students to consider dance’s impact on communities, economies, environments, and the world, and to lead with purpose as performers, choreographers, educators, scholars, administrators, and advocates. Grounded in both academic depth and artistic integrity, our department equips graduates to thrive in a dynamic, interconnected, and increasingly compassionate professional landscape.

The department’s curriculum offers students study in four areas of dance: technique, theory, pedagogy and choreography. In addition, students may develop special interest in related fields such as technical theatre, therapy, and/or somatics. Students may pursue a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in performance. The department also offers a Dance minor.

Audition Requirements

Prior to acceptance as a dance major, each prospective student must demonstrate their ability through an entrance audition. Auditions are scheduled at locations both on and off campus.

Honors Program

The Department of Dance offers an honors program. For a general description of the Honors College at Radford University, see here. For specific requirements of this department’s program, contact the department chairperson or the director of the Honors Program.

Programs

Degree

*Programs may have different REAL designations based on the concentration(s) selected. Click on the major for more details.

Academic Minor

To graduate with a minor, a student must have a 2.0 or higher GPA in all courses required for the minor, and should be officially registered for the minor at least one semester prior to graduation. Courses used to fulfill major or minor requirements cannot be used to fulfill concentrations or option requirements within Interdisciplinary Studies.

Dance Minor (E, L)