The University of the Arts : School of Dance

School of Dance

Prepare to dance professionally at the highest level
You will find a rigorous studio experience and excellent instruction at the Univesity of the Arts' School of Dance. Our faculty will guide you as you strengthen your body and refine your technique. As a dance major at UArts, you will also go beyond technique and explore the full expressive potential of dance – its beauty and power, elegance and athleticism.

UArts offers four bachelor's degrees in dance and one dance certificate:

UArts also offers a Pre-College Summer Institute Dance Intensive for high school students who are considering a degree in dance.

The best dance facilities at any university
The main studios are located in Terra Hall. These spacious, bright and well-lit dance studios are fully equipped with:

Barres and mirrors
Huge windows
Pianos
Audio consoles
Safe, comfortable dancing surfaces: floors are constructed with four-inch, state-of-the-art suspension
Lockers, dressing rooms, showers, and lounges adjacent to the studios

Study on the Avenue of the Arts – in the heart of Philadelphia Arts
Take a few steps out of your classroom and you are immersed in the larger, unparalleled classroom of the City of Philadelphia. Our neighbors are:

The Kimmel Center: home to the Philadelphia Orchestra and PHILADANCO, the city’s leading modern dance company
The Academy of Music: home to the Opera Company of Philadelphia, and the Pennsylvania Ballet
The Wilma Theater: home of Philadelphia’s annual DanceBoom! a festival of contemporary dance

As a dance degree candidate, you bring talent and spirit, we teach you the rest
When you graduate, you will have broadened and solidified your technique, danced in a full range of styles, and executed complex choreography with great consistency.

Performance is at the heart of the School of Dance
Extend yourself further – through multiple performance opportunities. You can appear in ensemble productions each semester in the 1800-seat Merriam Theater and in the more intimate 200-seat UArts Dance Theater. You will also perform in student composition concerts and student-staged senior dance concerts. You can also perform in concerts featuring original choreography and in repertory concerts, in which classic dance works are re-created.

Believe that dance can become your career
Graduates of the School of Dance have performed with these prominent companies:

Alvin Ailey
The Joffrey Ballet
Jose Limon
Bejart
Rumble
Momix
PHILADANCO
Cirque du Soleil
River North Dance Company.
Broadway productions: Movin’ Out, Cats and Brigadoon
Film and video productions
Musical reviews on cruise ships or in cabarets
Others teach dance, pursue advanced degrees, choreograph, or establish their own companies

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The School of Dance is a supportive and friendly home for all those who love to study, perform and create dance. We are devoted to the comprehensive education of the dancer as a performer, creator, educator and scholar - an artist who will be a leader in the field.”
-Susan B. Glazer, Director, School of Dance

School of Dance students prepare for professional dance careers through numerous performances in Philadelphia.