anissarobert Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Does anyone have a daughter studying ballet in college? My dd is a junior who takes 6 ballet classes a week and is doing advanced pointe work. She will not be able to have a professional career due to a partial disability. (She has 12 fused vertebrae from scoliosis surgery.) She wants to continue to study ballet, and then teach or something like that. She definately wants to keep dancing, and performing. How does ballet work in college? Do you know of any good schools in the West? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memphispeg Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Been there, done that, will do it again! My dd goes to Vassar. She loves their dance program and dances every day. We also considered Smith, Amherst (5 college dance program members), Princeton, Connecticut College (mostly modern), Duke (the prettiest studios), Barnard (took a really beautiful ballet class), Harvard (looked v. active), Indiana University - Bloomington. Some of these places had dance majors, some not. Vassar does not have a dance major but, students have done internship things with dance companies. IU has a v. famous ballet program that might work to get teaching certification (it is in the school of music). Younger ballerinas have been trying for Butler, University of Oklahoma, SMU, Fordham. Most of them are looking to major in dance. I don't know about schools out west but, UC Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz are looking good to my younger dd. I would advise looking v. closely at the programs (check You tube for performance videos) and go and visit the campus and take a ballet class. Also talk to students involved in the dance program. It is hard to find good schools with a good number of students taking classes. My oldest dd also looked for schools where she would be able to solidly major in something else.....she is a philosophy major. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anissarobert Posted February 11, 2011 Author Share Posted February 11, 2011 Thank you so much for the ideas. She wants to stay in the northwest, but ballet programs are few and far between around here. What really complicates things is the fact that she would also like to major/minor in classical languages. The small liberal arts colleges that have good classics programs have dismal ballet programs. Dd is determined to find a school that has both, and is within driving distance of Idaho. :confused: As long as I'm dreaming I'd like a pony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murmer Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Oddly enough there is U of U in Utah I believe they have a strong dance program. UVU in Provo has an AMAZING ballet program they actually sponsor Utah Regional Ballet Company but they are very strict on getting into their program. BYU in my opinion does not have a strong ballet program but has extraordinary modern, ballroom and folk programs, BYU specifically has a program for teaching dance that includes student teaching and teaching certificate at the end. I do not know about any of their humanities programs. Odd thought is could she find a college she likes and then find a seperate dance studio...I join an outside company when I went to college and danced with them for all 4 years I was there, of course I was never good enough to major just wanted to enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memphispeg Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 This may be along the lines of what Murmer said. There are some good dance companies in Portland Ore and Seattle Wa. The schools in those areas might have some sort of co-op arrangement with the dance companies. I thought Reed and Lewis and Clark might have something (I'd call them, web-sites seem vague about this). Also Evergreen, Willamette, U of Ore? I've been drilling around a bit looking at schools in that area but, it has been hard to find concrete evidence of active dance companies.....I'm sure they're there if you can find them. Oh, dd just mentioned that U. of Arizona is excellent....great company, good classes, etc. Dance depts. seem strangely-placed, some are considered PE, some in the Theater Departments. Good luck on your search and let us know how you do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xuzi Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Oddly enough there is U of U in Utah I believe they have a strong dance program. UVU in Provo has an AMAZING ballet program they actually sponsor Utah Regional Ballet Company but they are very strict on getting into their program. BYU in my opinion does not have a strong ballet program but has extraordinary modern, ballroom and folk programs, BYU specifically has a program for teaching dance that includes student teaching and teaching certificate at the end. I do not know about any of their humanities programs. Odd thought is could she find a college she likes and then find a seperate dance studio...I join an outside company when I went to college and danced with them for all 4 years I was there, of course I was never good enough to major just wanted to enjoy. UVU is in Orem. ;) (ya, I know they're right next to eachother, but still... :tongue_smilie: It's my Alma Mater and it is an *awesome* school!!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anissarobert Posted February 13, 2011 Author Share Posted February 13, 2011 Thanks to all three of you! I have been looking at Arizona, and it looks great. They even have a first-rate classics department, but I hate for her to go so far away! Memphispeg-We have looked at some of the small colleges in Oregon and Washington. We are very low income and she is going to need to go to a school that wants her, and I think some of these are good bets, but most of them don't have classics or dance. I had not thought about having her dance somewhere else. If there was a co-op agreement, it might be affordable. We have noticed the same thing about dance. It can be in arts, PE, theater,... Murmer-I have looked a bit at U of U, but I don't know if they would let her in with her back. I have not looked at UVU, but I will look at it too.-I don't think I could afford for her to take classes at a studio on top of college though. I work nights to pay for ballet now, but I have other kids who want to do more activities at some point. Thanks again! I am over my head with this stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole M Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 (edited) One other option to consider: Seattle University has a collaborative program with Pacific Northwest Ballet. Dancers can take classes that are scheduled to accommodate their dance rehearsals & classes. ETA: Whoops. I see memphispeg already mentioned the possibility of a collaborative program. Edited February 16, 2011 by Nicole M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anissarobert Posted February 20, 2011 Author Share Posted February 20, 2011 One other option to consider: Seattle University has a collaborative program with Pacific Northwest Ballet. Dancers can take classes that are scheduled to accommodate their dance rehearsals & classes. ETA: Whoops. I see memphispeg already mentioned the possibility of a collaborative program. Thank you so much! DD really wants to stay in the Northwest, so this is a good one to look into. For some reason it was not on our radar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 (edited) Oddly enough there is U of U in Utah I believe they have a strong dance program. UVU in Provo has an AMAZING ballet program they actually sponsor Utah Regional Ballet Company but they are very strict on getting into their program. BYU in my opinion does not have a strong ballet program but has extraordinary modern, ballroom and folk programs, BYU specifically has a program for teaching dance that includes student teaching and teaching certificate at the end. I do not know about any of their humanities programs. Odd thought is could she find a college she likes and then find a seperate dance studio...I join an outside company when I went to college and danced with them for all 4 years I was there, of course I was never good enough to major just wanted to enjoy. BYU has a serious classics program with several possible emphases. I'm not sure if UVU does or not. Thanks to all three of you! I have been looking at Arizona, and it looks great. They even have a first-rate classics department, but I hate for her to go so far away! Memphispeg-We have looked at some of the small colleges in Oregon and Washington. We are very low income and she is going to need to go to a school that wants her, and I think some of these are good bets, but most of them don't have classics or dance. I had not thought about having her dance somewhere else. If there was a co-op agreement, it might be affordable. We have noticed the same thing about dance. It can be in arts, PE, theater,... Murmer-I have looked a bit at U of U, but I don't know if they would let her in with her back. I have not looked at UVU, but I will look at it too.-I don't think I could afford for her to take classes at a studio on top of college though. I work nights to pay for ballet now, but I have other kids who want to do more activities at some point. Thanks again! I am over my head with this stuff. UVU is as cheap as dirt, by the by :lol:. They just made the transition from college to uni recently & the tuition hasn't changed much. Edited February 20, 2011 by LittleIzumi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anissarobert Posted February 20, 2011 Author Share Posted February 20, 2011 Thanks LittleIzumi-I know that BYU does accept non-LDS students, but do you know what the culture is like for the non-LDS who attend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 (edited) Thanks LittleIzumi-I know that BYU does accept non-LDS students, but do you know what the culture is like for the non-LDS who attend? They will probably find themselves invited to church activities constantly, and there is a dress/appearance code (like hair length, no beards--it's not an LDS thing but it's school rules) and a behavioral honor code, so that might be a large and strange adjustment. (It's weird for a lot of LDS students too. :tongue_smilie:) No smoking, drinking, overnight guests of the opposite sex, etc. No one will give them a hard time about being non-LDS, most people will be extremely friendly, and quite a few will be secretly hoping they see how great we are and want to convert. :tongue_smilie: The dance program is very popular here so I'm sure they'd make a lot of friends and have a pretty high cool factor :lol: being in that program. My roommates were in the ballroom program. Oh, a certain amount of religion classes are required for graduation, too. Some are LDS-based and many are not (I took World Religions). UVU has a much larger percentage of non-LDS students, AFAIK, but it's still a big part of the culture. Edited February 21, 2011 by LittleIzumi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anissarobert Posted February 21, 2011 Author Share Posted February 21, 2011 Thanks so much. I am from Idaho, and my extended family is LDS, so I am pretty comfortable with the idea of her applying there, but I was curious. I like the idea of her going to Utah, because it is in driving distance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 My dd is on a full ballet scholarship at UVU for the coming year and she is SO excited. They have an amazing program. I wouldn't recommend U of U right now, as their program is going through a lot of changes. Completely new dance "administration" and faculty there. There modern dance program is amazing if your dd is interested in that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Thanks LittleIzumi-I know that BYU does accept non-LDS students, but do you know what the culture is like for the non-LDS who attend? I am a proud BYU alumnus. LOL And, I'm LDS. Your dd would be required to take religion classes....they are required of all students. When I went there (ages ago), it was ten credit hours of religion (LDS religion, btw), so I think it was 5 classes, no more than 2 per sememster, in order to graduate. I would not recommend BYU for ballet. They are the absolute best in the nation for ballroom and one of the best for folk dancing, but ballet just isn't their thing. Which is why my own dd isn't going there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anissarobert Posted February 22, 2011 Author Share Posted February 22, 2011 Thanks for your help Diane. It is so good to hear the views of other ballet moms, because I know so little about dance. I will look into UVU a little further. I don't think they have a classics dept. though. Dd is really only interested in ballet. She like modern, but there are so many moves that she can't do because of her back. Trying to find colleges is so hard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memphispeg Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I just looked at Western Washington. Looks like they have a v. active dance program (ballet class, etc). Not sure about classics. We are looking for Marine Bio with an active dance program. Yes, trying to find colleges is hard but, it IS nice that we have some criteria(?). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNC Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I just looked at Western Washington. Looks like they have a v. active dance program (ballet class, etc). Not sure about classics. We are looking for Marine Bio with an active dance program. Yes, trying to find colleges is hard but, it IS nice that we have some criteria(?). Look at Duke - you can double major in both and dance dept is getting better. http://www.biology.duke.edu/undergrad/requirements/concentrations/marine.html http://www.danceprogram.duke.edu/about Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anissarobert Posted February 22, 2011 Author Share Posted February 22, 2011 I just looked at Western Washington. Looks like they have a v. active dance program (ballet class, etc). Not sure about classics. We are looking for Marine Bio with an active dance program. Yes, trying to find colleges is hard but, it IS nice that we have some criteria(?). Thanks. I will look at it. I thought finding classics and ballet together was hard! I think marine biology and dance would be even more difficult. Is is good to have a plan, but I wish there were more small liberal arts colleges with good dance programs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 May be crossing this bridge in a few years as I am a dance academy owner and have a houseful of dancers. :) We have looked at the U of MN so far. We have a while to plan though as ds18 is not a dancer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memphispeg Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 LNC - My older dd looked at Duke and applied. We loved the dance program and everything else at the school. But, I think it would be this younger dd's reach school. We'll have to see how the SAT scores work out. She needs buckets of aid!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samuel Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 The University of Oregon has both classics and dance--the classics program is meant to be quite good. I can't think of a more different atmosphere than Provo! http://pages.uoregon.edu/classics/programs/undergraduate/majors.html http://dance.uoregon.edu/programs/ugradmajor.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole M Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 The University of Oregon has both classics and dance--the classics program is meant to be quite good. I can't think of a more different atmosphere than Provo! http://pages.uoregon.edu/classics/programs/undergraduate/majors.html http://dance.uoregon.edu/programs/ugradmajor.html A couple summers ago my son attended a two week choral festival at the University of Oregon, and loved, loved, loved it. Yes. Very different culture! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anissarobert Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 Thanks Samuel and Nicole. I was just looking at U of O. It is close which is a real bonus, but since we are a very conservative family, the culture is what worries me!:) She will probably apply there, and we are planning to visit soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyce Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Many schools focus on one type of dance more than another so if she only wants to do ballet look for a school that is known for it's ballet program. There is also a degree she can get that at my dd school is called Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance Education. That program specifically focuses on learning to teach dance not just Dance Performance. With that kind of degree it is a little harder to double major as their are more requirements like student teaching etc. but a minor is certainly possible. If she does want to double major it may take her an extra year. My Dd is double majoring, we required it because Dancing is not a guaranteed career and in many areas short lived because of injuries so we wanted Dd to have something else to lean on when she couldn't find a company that wanted her (They are very picky) or when she ended her career (she has no desire at this time to teach). Just some things to think about when you're looking around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anissarobert Posted February 25, 2011 Author Share Posted February 25, 2011 Thanks Alyce. Those are good things to consider. I think she has a much better chance of being accepted to a school with a teaching ballet program due to her back issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xuzi Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 UVU teaches both ballet, and "dance education". :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memphispeg Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Anissa - I looked at UO as well. The latest Dance page doesn't say much about ballet and all the faculty members seem to be modern-oriented. I haven't drilled into the course catalog. Might want to do that. I liked their marine bio stuff. But, it may be too big for the dd. She may need smaller. Tres groovy place though!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyce Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 but I do believe you saw it before they deleted it. If you have any more questions just let me know. It actually may be easier for you Dd to find a dance school with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance Education. Those schools don't have auditions so it's easier to get into the Dance Department and Do what's needed. If you're interested in east coast all I can speak to is NC but UNC Charlotte, UNC Greensboro and East Carolina all offer that degree. Dancing in our public schools is a big thing but to teach there you have to have a teaching degree. The degree will still help even if you're doing it to have a dance school of your own some day. If that's the case make sure she takes some business courses as well to help her run that end as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyce Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Now it is showing up, don't know what's up but this is something to think of in addition to what I've already said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anissarobert Posted February 25, 2011 Author Share Posted February 25, 2011 The board can be weird sometimes Alyce. I have noticed that as well. She wants to stay close to home, because we just don't have the funds to travel. If she goes too far away, we will never see her! Memphispeg-It is hard to find dance programs that are not mostly modern. There are not many ballet programs in the west, that I have found. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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