The study of dance in the liberal arts raises awareness of both personal and communal engagement through creative and critical exploration. Our mission is the development of personal movement discoveries, the acquisition of formal research methodologies, and the cultivation of ambassadorship and leadership advanced through various disciplinary practices of dance.?

We prompt our students toward the development of agency, self-expression, and respect for ambiguity and risk-taking. The integration of movement practices and dance studies are central in expanding awareness and respect for all persons, fostering the building of community in both artistic and scholarly?practices.

We believe in creating artists/scholars who are informed citizens and responsible agents of change in a world where the moving arts are essential. To that end our students learn to become independent thinkers, to be resourceful and are encouraged to develop their personal aesthetic and artistic focus. As scholars they are required to engage in original research and learn to utilize the full set of resources available to dance scholars. The integration of embodied practices with scholarly inquiry is integral to our mission. Exposing students to the wide breadth of dance in the world, cutting edge and experimental, and from diverse cultures and perspectives is embedded in our curriculum and ideology. Former students are artists, teachers, performers, healers and scholars who understand the importance of community and?citizenship.