Modern Dance Teaching BFA
College of Fine Arts
Arts Pass
Bennion
Center
Capstones
Program
Learning Abroad
Office of
Undergraduate Research
Courses
Getting Started
- Meet with an advisor to develop a course plan
- Take DANC 1310 & 1320: Technique, Theory, and Practice I & II
- Take DANC 1410: Beginning Improvisation & DANC 1420: 1st-Yr Workshop
- Get started with daily techniques courses
- Complete writing & math courses
Making Progress
- Connect with advisors in CFA & UITE regularly to discuss your course plan (refer to catalog for more info on course sequence)
- Enroll in GEs & education/pre-licensure courses
- Continue taking appropriate techniques courses for you
- Generate a degree audit to track your progress on GEs & degree requirements
- Complete Teaching Methods courses - DANC 4850 & 4851
Finishing Up
- Complete field practicum & student teaching courses
- Finish remaining GEs & degree requirements
- Review degree audit & meet with advisor
- Apply for graduation
Community
Getting Started
- Join ArtsForce & explore SoD student organizations
- Consider applying to the Honors College
- Attend CFA's welcome event ArtsBash & use ArtsPass to access events
- Network with arts education students at the ArtsLINK annual conference in spring
Making Progress
- Follow @UofUdance on social media
- Audition for and engage with departmental concerts & showcases
- Attend the Get Involved Fair to explore student groups on campus
- Use your ArtsPass to visit museums like the UMFA and attend cultural events on campus/in the community
- Join the Modern Dance Student Concert Committee or get involved with Healing in Motion
Finishing Up
- Find ways to network at your student teaching site
- Mentor incoming students & get involved with SAC
- Connect with the SoD & CFA's alumni networks
Knowledge & Skills
Getting Started
- Familiarize yourself with student wellness resources like the Dance Clinic and free nutritional consultations
- Learn about resources like UROP & FAF grants
- Connect with a UITE advisor to learn about the teacher licensure program
Making Progress
- Create opportunities to engage in research with a faculty member through UROP
- Apply for a FAF grant to seek financial support for student-driven extracurricular experiences
- Seek out available internships and teaching opportunities
- Present choreography in the Student Concert, or perform in fellow undergraduate & graduate student work
- Apply for student teaching by Feb. 1 (talk to UITE advisor about application requirements)
Finishing Up
- Complete student teaching experience
- Gain experience running a full production with the Modern Dance Student Concert Committee
- Finalize your teaching portfolio
Transformation
Getting Started
- Explore the CFA's Create Success Initiative
- Apply for scholarships & other financial aid options
- Connect with faculty & professionals to discuss various career paths
Making Progress
- Complete mandatory advising & continue to meet with advisors as needed to discuss your degree plan
- Explore international performance opportunities or other learning abroad programs
- Network & find professional development opportunities at events like the LINK Audition Festival
- Meet with faculty from graduate programs, if interested in continuing your studies
Finishing Up
- Share creative work at conferences like the American College Dance Association conference
- Present your choreography in the Senior Concert
- Participate in graduation events & activities
Impact
Getting Started
- Use ArtsPass to access events
- Meet with advisors in CFA & UITE to discuss your interests & set goals for your time in college
- Consider taking a CEL-course
Making Progress
- Explore ways to volunteer & engage in service projects with the Bennion Center
- Volunteer with Healing in Motion's weekly workshops and/or get involved with the SoD's Queer Dance Initiative
- Engage and interact in cultural events and activities offered by the U and in the larger cultural community (see events calendar)
- Consider applying to be an ArtsBridge Scholar and/or an Endowed BTS Arts Fellow in local BTS Schools
Finishing Up
- Get involved with the SAC or consider running for ASUU to gain leadership experience
- Propose an event, workshop, or project for funding by the FAF grant program
Careers
Getting Started
- Meet with CFA's internship coordinator to develop an internship plan
- Talk to your advisor & professors about performance opportunities
- Apply for an Emerging Leaders Internship
Making Progress
- Attend ArtsForce lectures, panels, & workshops to learn more about working in the arts
- Update your resume regularly to reflect your skills & experience
- Talk to an advisor about opportunities to build your resume through research, internships, and/or learning abroad experiences
- Begin thinking about your online professional profile and ways to showcase your work
Finishing Up
- Explore professional development resources with the Utah Dance Education Organization
- Refine your resume & teaching portfolio
- Apply for jobs or grad school
Start Your Career Journey
Find support at the Career and Professional Development Center (CPDC)
About the Major
The purpose of the Modern Dance Teaching BFA Kindergarten – Twelfth (K-12) Grade Licensure Program is to prepare you to become an elementary, junior high, middle school, and/or high school dance educator. Competent K-12 dance teaching requires both in-depth knowledge of subject matter (dance) and skill in applying educational concepts and principles that are developmentally appropriate. The College of Education’s Urban Institute for Teacher Education (UITE) oversees teacher licensure at the University of Utah. UITE is located in SAEC 2264. Note: Licensing is dictated by specific deadlines. If you are pursuing an educator license, you should contact the UITE as soon as possible to learn about deadlines, background check requirements, and student teaching. Teaching is a credentialed position. Teaching jobs are available across the country and around the world. Once a teaching license is obtained in one state, transferring your credentials is sometimes as easy as filling out a form and paying a registration fee.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate an understanding and embodiment of advanced and diverse technical, choreographic, performance, and teaching skills, particularly as it applies to teaching K-12.
- Develop a personal aesthetic, belief system in dance and clear sense of self as a developing artist thereby able to effectively articulate a philosophy contextualizing the essential role of dance and the arts in society in written and verbal discourse.
- Be aware of the breadth of the field, its myriad career possibilities and ways in which one may be involved in dance, and to develop a sense of one's own place in the field.
- Be prepared to successfully enter the profession as a dance educator in the public, private, or nonprofit sectors, and/or undertake graduate study in a top-level academic program.
- Develop working artistic communities through collaboration and interdisciplinary activities.
- Exhibit a commitment to adapting, modeling, and implementing multiple learning methods (including technology) in the dance space and various educational, community, and artistic contexts.
Plan & Prepare
At the U, we plan for our students to have an exceptional Educational Experience identified by four broad categories we call the Learning Framework: Community, Knowledge & Skills, Transformation, and Impact. This major map will help you envision, explore, design, and plan your personalized Exceptional Education Experience with the Learning Framework at the core. In addition to assisting you in planning your coursework and navigating the requirements of your major, this map will help you incorporate other kinds of experiences to expand your knowledge, support your development, and prepare you for the future you want.