Opportunities
DMSR
Dance Major Student Representative
Dance Council
Our Role:
Service
We are here for YOU, as an example, a friend and a source of information for all things related to the Department of Dance.
Resources
The Dance Council functions as a resource for dance students. Contact us with any concerns or comments about the department.
Communication
We are committed to informing students of department happenings and facilitating conversation between the different areas of dance.
ACDA
BYU Dance is an institutional member of the American College Dance Association, whose primary focus is to support and promote the wealth of talent and creativity that is prominent throughout college and university dance departments. ACDA’s sponsorship of regional conferences and the national dance festival provides a unique venue for students and faculty to engage in three days of performances, workshops, panels, and master classes taught by instructors from around the region and country. The conferences also provide the valuable opportunity for students and faculty to have their dance works adjudicated by a panel of nationally recognized dance professionals in an open and constructive forum. These conferences are the primary means for college and university dance programs to perform outside their own academic setting and to gain exposure to the diversity of collegiate dance throughout the United States.
SDEO
The BYU Student Dance Education Organization (SDEO) assists members in their pursuits to teach dance as an artistic process and to widely advocate for dance. SDEO connects members to local, regional, and international artists and dance education organizations such as the Utah Dance Education Organization (UDEO), the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO),and dance and the Child international (daCi). The organization seeks to provide its members with opportunities to develop faith, intellect, and character
Choreography
Ballet Showcase Workshop
Student choreographers create and set original choreographic works on Ballet Showcase Company dancers, mentored by faculty in the Department of Dance. These creative processes cultimate in a performance of diverse classical and contemporary works.
dancEnsemble
The members of Dance Ensemble, dancEnsemble, a contemporary modern dance company, wrestle with the creative process from inception to performance by creating and dancing in the majority of the pieces presented in concert. Each company member is a part of an intensive choreographic process of heavy workshopping by company members and mentoring by the faculty director resulting in a concert that reflects the students’ personal voices.
Dance in Design
Dance in Design is an annual event within the department for students who want to showcase their choreographic process seeking critical feedback in a supportive environment. 5-10 student choreographers receive feedback from faculty and student peers at each event. This opportunity may assist choreographers on their journey to present a final capstone choreography, a composition assignment from class, or simply a passion project.
Performance
Senior Capstone
Multiple choreographic senior capstone projects are created each semester. Students are encouraged to perform in senior projects both as an opportunity to increase their performance skills and experience but also as an opportunity to contribute to the supportive dance community that we enjoy in the BYU dance department.
Faculty Research
Students have many opportunities to grow and receive mentorship through involvement in faculty research projects. This could include performing in faculty choreographies which have toured to various renowned dance festivals in New York City, Arizona, Philadelphia, and other locales, allowing students networking opportunities and experiences in the professional dance world beyond campus. Additionally, faculty-led dance research film projects offer students exciting and character-building experiences in site-specific dance environments such as Moab, Utah, and the Salt Flats. Other research has taken students and faculty as far abroad as India studying spirituality and dance as well as social justice and dance modalities.
Performing Companies
For information on how to become part of BYU’s dance performing companies, see the Areas/Auditions pages: