Within that rigorous context, students encounter a diversity of approaches to making, practicing, and analyzing dance in an intimate learning atmosphere. The program embraces classical forms from ballet, Bharata Natyam, Javanese, and Ghanaian, to experimental practices that fuse tradition and experimentation into new, contemporary forms.

The emphasis of the major is on creating original scholarship, be it choreographic or written, that views dance within a specific cultural context, interrogates cultural assumptions, and is informed by a critical and reflective perspective.

Preregistration is possible for many dance courses. All students interested in registering for dance classes should access Wesmaps concerning procedures for acceptance into specific courses. Students majoring in dance or indicating strong curricular commitment to dance will be given enrollment preference in all permission-of-instructor courses.