Dance
Artistic expression; technical excellence; transferable skills.
If you dream of performing, choreographing, teaching, running a studio, or engaging with your community, a degree in dance can help you set the stage.
The Mercyhurst Department of Dance is a classical ballet program rooted in the liberal arts tradition. Mercyhurst University is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance. Our Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Arts offerings emphasize the development of professional dancers, teachers, choreographers and scholars.
The rigorous programming emphasizes high quality training in a supportive environment from a faculty of experienced professionals, with the mission to generate leaders in the dance field.
In addition to numerous performing opportunities (regionally, nationally, and internationally), our diverse curriculum (which includes an array of dance techniques, history, choreography, pedagogy, theory, and dance-related sciences), offers enough flexibility to accommodate the pursuit of a minor or even a second major. With leadership development as a goal, our department houses three clubs and offers service opportunities, internships, and study abroad programs.
Through our program you will gain experiences and cultivate skills that are necessary for the dance field, and are also applicable and transferable to a wide variety of careers.
Fast Facts
- Students can choose between a more rigorous BFA track, or the B.A. track with options to minor and double major in other areas.
- Each year the dance department brings in between five to eight guest artists to work with majors in masterclass and residency formats.
- The Dance Department is home to four different performance ensembles including the Mercyhurst Dancers, The Liturgical Dance Ensemble, SoMar Dance Works, and Dance Outreach.
- Dance majors will have the opportunity to perform between two to four times a year in our mainstage performances at the beautiful Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center, regardless of year or age.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate a high level of technical mastery in ballet and/or other dance discipline(s)
- Identify a significant body of theoretical and historical knowledge pertaining to the dance field
- Produce and present work by confronting professional problems through analysis, experimentation, and development of coherent goals, evident in scholarly and creative presentations
- Recognize and assess positive approaches to mental and physical health, professional theatrical aesthetic, and injury-free work ethic
Discover Dance at Mercyhurst
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PerformancesEach year, students from the Mercyhurst Dance Department perform in two to four mainstage productions at the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center. |
Career OutcomesOur graduates have performed with the St. Louis Ballet, Cleveland Ballet Conservatory, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Nashville Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Dance/USA and with touring Broadway and European stage productions. |
Perform GloballyStudents have studied and danced internationally in locations such as Ireland, Australia, Amsterdam, London, and Jerusalem. |
C. Noelle Partusch, MFA
Chair, Department of Dance