Office of Academic Affairs
Performing Arts - Dance Studio
Bachelor of Arts
La Roche College Dance Department
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the La Roche College Dance Department is to prepare the student to be able to compete and perform in the professional world of dance. We are committed to giving our students the best training available today in an honest and realistic light. Here at La Roche College Dance Department, we strive to educate, teach and coach our students in a nurturing and compassionate way, developing each of their individual talents through a comprehensive and cohesive academic and dance environment.
The La Roche College Dance Department is a ballet based program offering a Bachelor of Arts Degree in professional performance and pedagogy. We offer a dance major and a dance minor. The concentration of the dance department is primarily classical ballet; however we offer a full range Bachelors of Arts Degree program with all of the other dance elements which include: modern technique, tap, jazz, ethnic, character, and dance composition.
The Dance Majors degree is essentially designed as a professional performance preparation degree for those students wishing to pursue a professional career in a concert or repertory dance company. The dance majors must complete 65 dance credits. The dance majors must also complete 30 academic credits which include dance academic classes such as dance history I and II, dance pedagogy, kinesiology and the science of nutrition. Ballet technique, pointe technique, male technique, pas de deux, variations, repertoire and production, and pedagogy are required for graduation from our program. 126 credits total are required for graduation with a Bachelor of Arts degree from La Roche College as a dance major.
The Dance Minor program offers an integrated dance and academic approach for students who wish to focus on teaching rather than performing. The dance minor is offered as an opportunity for students to fulfill career or personal interest or to facilitate in-depth study in a field of secondary interest. The concentration and emphasis of the minor is classical ballet. The other elements such as jazz, modern, ethnic, character, tap, and pedagogy help to complete the dance minor. A total of 29 dance credits are required to receive a minor in dance.
The Faculty of the La Roche College Dance Department are ex-professional dancers and dance educators with extensive background in the elements of which they teach. The faculty is committed to nurturing and developing the talents and abilities of the student through our extensive experience and backgrounds. The La Roche College Dance Department is a small and intimate environment, enabling the faculty to work with, coach and develop the student individually and give the student the type of attention and development that he or she may not receive in a larger institution.
The La Roche College Dance Department offers many performance opportunities including an annual spring showcase at the Byham Theatre in the cultural district of downtown Pittsburgh. Students will perform pieces from all of the elements taught within the program, as well as dance in pieces of guest choreographers and instructors brought in to work with the students. The faculty, guest choreographers and instructors help the student develop and maintain a solid foundation of performance and choreographic skills. Guest choreographers and instructors have been from Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Point Park University, Buffalo City Ballet, and Bodiography Contemporary Ballet Company.
Upon graduation, alumni have joined local and regional contemporary ballet companies. Some alumni have opened their own studios, others have gone to take dance faculty positions at other colleges, and others have remained to teach within the greater Pittsburgh and surrounding areas.
The La Roche College Dance Department does not hold open auditions. Students interested in La Roche College Dance Department should apply to the college institution first. Following the application process, the student should call the dance department and schedule an audition appointment. Entrance into the dance department is by audition only, and based primarily on the level of the student’s ballet technique.To find out about auditions and to download a La Roche College Dance Department 2009-2010 Season Brochure CLICK HERE. (Informational Flyer in PDF Format)
To successfully complete the Performing Arts Dance Studio major, the following course work is required:
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