Dance Major
Admission Requirements and Procedures
Students interested in the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. program are expected to meet the following general criteria:
- Superior talent and potential for a performing career as a dance artist, and good technique training in modern dance and classical ballet
- Evidence of academic ability as described in the Admission chapter of this bulletin
Candidates should complete the following admission procedures:
- Submit the dance application to the Ailey School by November 1 and the academic application to the Fordham University Office of Admission also by November 1. Applicants should apply for need- and merit-based financial assistance by February 1. Those applicants with questions may contact the Office of Undergraduate Admission at enroll@fordham.edu or 718-817-4000.
- Take the dance audition by invitation in New York or another city in January, February, or March.
While this program does not have a definitive age limit, B.F.A. students are expected to be of an appropriate age to be able to participate fully in all aspects of the program and accomplish the rigorous dance requirements for graduation within the established time frame. Students who wish to transfer into the B.F.A. program must satisfy the dance and academic criteria for advanced standing at both the Ailey School and Fordham University. The program's four-year length of study may be shortened to three years in the case of very advanced dance students with strong previous undergraduate records. Ailey and Fordham are committed to excellence through diversity. Male-identifying students and students of color are especially encouraged to apply.
Students in good academic standing may pursue a second major or add a minor to their course of study. Many students have pursued African and African American Studies, economics, English, math, new media & digital design, psychology, etc. However, students must continue to prioritize the requirements of the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. in Dance program.
Students with dance potential who do not meet the B.F.A. admission criteria are encouraged to audition for the Ailey School's other professional training programs and to reapply to the B.F.A. program.
CIP Code
50.0301 - Dance, General.
You can use the CIP code to learn more about career paths associated with this field of study and, for international students, possible post-graduation visa extensions. Learn more about CIP codes and other information resources.
Please note that each course number describes a course that runs for one semester, either fall or spring.
Academic Courses
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Curriculum 1 | ||
| ENGL 1102 | Composition II | 3 |
| ENGL 2000 | Texts and Contexts | 3 |
| THEO 1000 | Faith and Critical Reason | 3 |
| PHIL 1000 | Philosophy of Human Nature | 3 |
| Understanding Historical Change (HC attribute) | 3 | |
| Social Science (SSCI attribute) | ||
| Foreign Language 2 | 6 to 8 | |
2 courses in any modern or classical language or one advanced course for advanced language students | ||
| Advanced Disciplinary Study (one of the following): | 3 | |
| Philosophical Ethics | ||
Sacred Texts and Traditions (STXT attribute) | ||
| Values Seminar (VAL attribute) | ||
| Dance Academics | ||
| DANC 1720 & DANC 1721 | Anatomy and Kinesiology I and Anatomy and Kinesiology II | 6 |
| MUSC 1210 & MUSC 1211 | Music for Dancers I and Music for Dancers II | 6 |
| DANC 2001 & DANC 2010 | World Dance History and Black Tradition in American Dance | 6 |
| THEA 4301 | Performance and Art | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Any two liberal arts courses 3 | 6 to 8 | |
- 1
Specific information about core requirements can be found on the following pages: Composition II; Texts & Contexts; Faith & Critical Reason; Philosophy of Human Nature; Understanding Historical Change; Social Science; Philosophical Ethics; Sacred Texts and Traditions; Values Seminar
- 2
More information about the foreign language requirement can be found on the Fordham website. When referencing this page, please note that B.F.A. students must only complete two courses of a foreign language; a single five-credit, 1001-level course of a foreign language also fulfills the requirement.
- 3
To view possible liberal arts courses, visit department pages.
Dance Technique and Creative Courses
In their first year, all students are required to take ballet and either Horton or modern daily. Thereafter, students are required to take ballet, Horton, and modern each semester, reaching the most advanced level in a minimum of two of these three major techniques during the senior year.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Dance Techniques | ||
| Ballet | ||
| DANC 1501 & DANC 1502 | Ballet I and Ballet II | 6 |
| DANC 2510 & DANC 2511 | Ballet III and Ballet IV | 6 |
| DANC 3501 & DANC 3502 | Ballet V and Ballet VI | 6 |
| DANC 4510 & DANC 4511 | Ballet VII and Ballet VIII | 6 |
| Horton | ||
| DANC 1601 & DANC 1602 | Horton I and Horton II | 6 |
| DANC 2610 & DANC 2611 | Horton III and Horton IV | 4 |
| DANC 3601 & DANC 3602 | Horton V and Horton VI | 4 |
| DANC 4610 & DANC 4611 | Horton VII and Horton VIII | 4 |
| Modern | ||
| DANC 1701 & DANC 1702 | Modern I and Modern II | 5 |
| DANC 2710 & DANC 2711 | Modern III and Modern IV | 4 |
| DANC 3701 & DANC 3702 | Modern V and Modern VI | 4 |
| Pointe or Jumps and Turns | ||
| DANC 2530 | Pointe I | 0 |
| or DANC 1520 | Jumps and Turns I | |
| DANC 2531 | Pointe II | 0 |
| or DANC 1521 | Jumps and Turns II | |
| DANC 2535 | Pointe III | 0 |
| or DANC 2520 | Jumps and Turns III | |
| DANC 2536 | Pointe IV | 0 |
| or DANC 2521 | Jumps and Turns IV | |
| Partnering | ||
| One of the following courses: | 1 | |
| Modern Partnering I | ||
| Improvisation II (effective Spring 2021) | ||
| New Directions Choreography Lab (effective Spring 2021) | ||
| Other Dance Techniques | ||
| DANC 2420 & DANC 2425 | Jazz I and Jazz II | 4 |
| DANC 2430 | West African Dance | 2 |
| Somatic Courses | ||
| Select one of the following: | 2 | |
| Body Conditioning I | ||
or DANC 1621 | Body Conditioning II | |
| Barre a Terre I | ||
or DANC 1631 | Barre a Terre II | |
| Yoga I | ||
or DANC 1641 | Yoga II | |
| Gyrokinesis I | ||
or DANC 1651 | Gyrokinesis II | |
| Creative Courses | ||
| DANC 1910 | Improvisation | 1 |
| DANC 1920 & DANC 1921 | Dance Composition I and Dance Composition II | 4 |
| DANC 2021 & DANC 2022 | Dance Composition III and Dance Composition IV | 4 |
| Performance | ||
| DANC 3410 & DANC 3411 | Repertory Workshops I and Repertory Workshops II | 4 |
| DANC 4810 & DANC 4811 | Senior Project in Performance and Senior Project in Performance | 6 |
| Capstone | ||
| DANC 4001 | Senior Seminar | 3 |
| DANC 4040 | Dance Methodology | 2 |
Learning Goals
The Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. in Dance program trains students to hone their professional skills, prepare for life as a professional dancer, and be among the vanguard of the finest and most versatile dancers. Students follow a diverse curriculum that includes a carefully designed sequence of dance and liberal arts courses, encouraging students to achieve their artistic and academic potential.
Students will be exposed to a variety of academic disciplines that will help them cultivate the critical intelligence and creative imagination necessary for them to flourish as artists and humans. They will be immersed in diverse academic learning experiences that encourage curiosity, animate broad and deep engagement, develop writing, research, and analytical skills, and foster a commitment to social justice.
Students will develop a deep scientific understanding of the body and its movements in their study of anatomy and kinesiology. Students will also garner a broad understanding of the world history of dance and music, and in particular the important history and legacy of African and African American dance, music, and other cultural forms that inform the teachings and ethos of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and its Ailey School.
Availability
The major in dance is available at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC).
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Credits | |
| DANC 1501 | Ballet I | 3 |
| DANC 1601 | Horton I | 3 |
| DANC 1630 | Barre a Terre I | 2 |
| DANC 1910 | Improvisation | 1 |
| DANC 2530 | Pointe I | 0 |
| DANC 1720 | Anatomy and Kinesiology I | 3 |
| ENGL 1102 | Composition II | 3 |
| HIST 1100 | Understanding Historical Change: American History | 3 |
| Credits | 18 | |
| Term 2 | ||
| DANC 1502 | Ballet II | 3 |
| DANC 1602 | Horton II | 3 |
| DANC 2430 | West African Dance | 2 |
| DANC 2531 | Pointe II | 0 |
| DANC 1721 | Anatomy and Kinesiology II | 3 |
| ENGL 2000 | Texts and Contexts | 3 |
| SOCI 1025 | Sociology of American Culture (Social Science Core) | 3 |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Term 1 | ||
| DANC 2510 | Ballet III | 3 |
| DANC 2610 | Horton III | 2 |
| DANC 1701 | Modern I | 2 |
| DANC 2535 | Pointe III | 0 |
| DANC 2420 | Jazz I | 2 |
| DANC 3540 | Ballet Partnering I | 1 |
| DANC 2021 | Dance Composition III | 2 |
| MUSC 1210 | Music for Dancers I | 3 |
| THEO 1000 | Faith and Critical Reason | 3 |
| Credits | 18 | |
| Term 2 | ||
| DANC 2511 | Ballet IV | 3 |
| DANC 2611 | Horton IV | 2 |
| DANC 1702 | Modern II | 3 |
| DANC 2536 | Pointe IV | 0 |
| DANC 2425 | Jazz II | 2 |
| DANC 1921 | Dance Composition II | 2 |
| MUSC 1211 | Music for Dancers II | 3 |
| PHIL 1000 | Philosophy of Human Nature | 3 |
| AFAM 1650 | Black Popular Culture (Liberal Arts Elective) | 4 |
| Credits | 22 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Term 1 | ||
| DANC 3501 | Ballet V | 3 |
| DANC 3601 | Horton V | 2 |
| DANC 2710 | Modern III | 2 |
| DANC 3410 | Repertory Workshops I | 2 |
| DANC 2021 | Dance Composition III | 2 |
| DANC 2001 | World Dance History | 3 |
| SPAN 1001 | Introduction to Spanish I (Foreign Language Core; equivalent to two courses) | 5 |
| Credits | 19 | |
| Term 2 | ||
| DANC 3502 | Ballet VI | 3 |
| DANC 3602 | Horton VI | 2 |
| DANC 2711 | Modern IV | 2 |
| DANC 3411 | Repertory Workshops II | 2 |
| DANC 2022 | Dance Composition IV | 2 |
| DANC 3740 | Modern Partnering I | 1 |
| DANC 2010 | Black Tradition in American Dance | 3 |
| THEA 4301 | Performance and Art | 3 |
| PHIL 3000 | Philosophical Ethics (Advanced Disciplinary Study) | 3 |
| Credits | 21 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Term 1 | ||
| DANC 4510 | Ballet VII | 3 |
| DANC 4610 | Horton VII | 2 |
| DANC 3701 | Modern V | 2 |
| DANC 2650 | Dunham Technique | 2 |
| DANC 4810 | Senior Project in Performance | 3 |
| DANC 4001 | Senior Seminar | 3 |
| DANC 4040 | Dance Methodology | 2 |
| DANC 4000 | Art and Ethics (Senior Values Seminar) | 4 |
| Credits | 21 | |
| Term 2 | ||
| DANC 4511 | Ballet VIII | 3 |
| DANC 4611 | Horton VIII | 2 |
| DANC 3702 | Modern VI | 2 |
| DANC 4030 | Limon Technique | 2 |
| DANC 3499 | Independent Study Choreography | 2 |
| DANC 4811 | Senior Project in Performance | 3 |
| VART 1135 | Visual Thinking (Liberal Arts Elective) | 3 |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Total Credits | 153 | |