Degrees in Dance

We are delighted that you are interested in the Dance Department at the University of California, Irvine. Our program is built upon the philosophy that dancers should be prepared to perform many types of dance. Our coursework is designed for students preparing to continue professionally as dancers, as choreographers, and as teachers, as well as for students who have a serious interest in the theory, criticism, documentation, kinesiology, or history of dance. Theoretical and historical courses are required to complement the practical work in technique classes, choreography, and performance.

There are ample opportunities for dance students to perform at UC Irvine. Each year the department presents three fully mounted, on-stage dance concerts. One is choreographed by faculty and guest artists; one is choreographed by graduate students; the third concert is created by undergraduate students. Additionally, the School of the Arts produces an opera or musical theatre work every year, providing additional performance opportunities for dance students.

The Dance Department offers two undergraduate degrees: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.). We also have a graduate program in dance.

The B.A. offers a general, well-rounded dance education; the B.F.A. requires additional work in performance or choreography. All students are auditioned for acceptance into the dance program before they are admitted to the University. Students may declare the B.F.A. in Performance after completion of one year of the program, while admission to the B.F.A. in Choreography requires a separate application process after completion of Dance 60 ABC (Choreography I).

The UCI Claire Trevor School of The Arts has four departments: Dance, Drama, Music, and Studio Art. All four departments are housed in the same area on campus, facilitating interdisciplinary exchange. The School is committed to the act of creating and performing -- and to the various ways of understanding the arts through the study of philosophy, aesthetics, criticism, history, and theory.

At the beginning of the school year, freshman and transfer students who have been admitted to the Dance major are auditioned and placed in technique classes according to their level of expertise and proficiency. For more information about our programs, please contact the UCI Dance Department.

Pictured: Tong Wang, Dance Visions 2018. Picture by Rose Eichenbaum