Mission Statement
The New Mexico State University Dance Program is dedicated to fostering a vibrant artistic community where students develop exceptional skills in performance, discover their unique choreographic voices through innovative choreography, and acquire the pedagogical expertise necessary for impactful teaching. We aim to inspire, educate, and contribute to the cultural landscape of New Mexico and beyond.
Program Learning Outcomes:
1. Offer a well-rounded curriculum in dance technique and theory to provide students with a breadth of knowledge and experience.
2. Help students develop skills beyond dance technique in the areas of composition, pedagogy, communication, and critical reasoning.
3. Provide students with interdisciplinary and co-curricular opportunities, including performances, in support of the values and skills necessary in the field of professional dance.
1. Demonstrate mastery of the technique, composition, and pedagogy of multiple styles of dance at the advanced level.
2. Understand the anatomy of the human body and its application to both somatic and artistic practices in professional dance and dance education.
3. Contextualize the significant developments and people in the history of Western classical dance as well as practices in dancing cultures around the world, recognizing the impact of the past on the present and valuing the place of the arts and arts education on the modern world.
4. Make connections in the knowledge and skills gleaned from their education in dance to related fields including kinesiology, theatre, design, media, and entrepreneurship.
5. Practice effective and responsible communication, self-assessment, engagement with a community, and advocacy for social justice in demonstration of their personal values.
· Any NMSU student may be a dance major in the BA program. All students should audition for placement before admission to the program.
· All dance majors must audition for at least 1 performance opportunity every year in which they are enrolled in major’s courses. Dance minors should audition during at least 2 years.
· All dance majors should enroll in at least one dance technique class every semester in which they are full-time, degree-seeking students.
· All students in dance technique, regardless of major, must receive instructor approval to advance to the subsequent level of any technique class, regardless of grade. If sufficient progress is not made, students will be advised to repeat the level for credit.
· Requirements within the dance major must be passed with at least a C- in order to count toward the degree.
