Earn Your Bachelor of Arts in Dance Education Degree
The Bachelor of Arts in Dance Education at GCU is offered by the College of Fine Arts and Production in conjunction with the College of Education. This collaboration allows dance education graduates to pursue teaching dance in school settings. The curriculum includes one hundred hours of practice-based experiences in local schools, a semester of student teaching, and prepares graduates for initial teacher licensure.
The dance education degree program includes dance coursework along with a broad teaching and education foundation. Students learn about classroom and teaching techniques, as well as dance history, kinesiology and choreography. The coursework all comes together as students learn the cornerstones of dance education, which include dancing, performing, composing, knowledge of history, culture and context, movement analysis and dance critique.
Dance education majors have the opportunity to perform and participate in concert productions such as the Winter and Spring Dance Concerts, the GCU Elementary and Middle School Dance Tour, and Student Spotlight Dance Concerts. Through these programs, GCU faculty help dance education majors cultivate the collaboration, innovation, critical thinking and cultural literacy needed for successful careers.
Focus on Teaching and Dance Technique in the BA Dance Education Program
In the Bachelor of Arts in Dance Education program, students build much more than teaching and dance skills. They also learn the dispositions and practices of professional educators. Through dance instruction, graduates of this dance education program serve their communities and help dancers grow into their talent.
The coursework in this dance education degree program prepares graduates in:
- Modern, Ballet and Jazz technique
- Choreography and improvisation
- Performance
- Planning and direction of productions
- Dance history
- Dance pedagogy, methods and assessment
- Curriculum design
- Instruction for diverse learners
- Integration of dance, technology and media
Prepare for a Future in Dance Education and Performance
The Bachelor of Arts in Dance Education degree program balances theory and practice, preparing future dance teachers to instruct and demonstrate dance, as well as inspire and empower students to grow and work hard through the discipline of dance.
Since this Bachelor of Arts in Dance Education program provides such in-depth training in both education and dance, graduates are able to pursue certification for teaching in a K-12 setting. This certification allows them to work as dance instructors in private or public schools. Some graduates also go on to work in dance-related businesses.
If you have a passion for dance and a drive to shape its future, you may be a dance educator at heart. Find out by looking into the Bachelor of Arts in Dance Education degree program at GCU.
General Education Requirements
General Education coursework prepares Grand Canyon University graduates to think critically, communicate clearly, live responsibly in a diverse world, and thoughtfully integrate their faith and ethical convictions into all dimensions of life. These competencies, essential to an effective and satisfying life, are outlined in the General Education Learner Outcomes. General Education courses embody the breadth of human understanding and creativity contained in the liberal arts and sciences tradition. Students take an array of foundational knowledge courses that promote expanded knowledge, insight, and the outcomes identified in the University’s General Education Competencies. The knowledge and skills students acquire through these courses serve as a foundation for successful careers and lifelong journeys of growing understanding and wisdom.
Requirements
Upon completion of the Grand Canyon University's University Foundation experience, students will be able to demonstrate competency in the areas of academic skills and self-leadership. They will be able to articulate the range of resources available to assist them, explore career options related to their area of study, and have knowledge of Grand Canyon's community. Students will be able to demonstrate foundational academic success skills, explore GCU resources (CLA, Library, Career Center, ADA office, etc), articulate strategies of self-leadership and management and recognize opportunities to engage in the GCU community.
Course Options
- UNV-103, University Success: 4
- UNV-303, University Success: 4
Requirements
Graduates of Grand Canyon University will be able to construct rhetorically effective communications appropriate to diverse audiences, purposes, and occasions (English composition, communication, critical reading, foreign language, sign language, etc.). Students are required to take 3 credits of English grammar or composition.
Course Options
- ENG-105, English Composition I: 4
- UNV-104, 21st Century Skills: Communication and Information Literacy: 4
- ENG-106, English Composition II: 4
- COM-263, Elements of Intercultural Communication: 4
Requirements
Graduates of Grand Canyon University will be able to express aspects of Christian heritage and worldview. Students are required to take CWV-101/CWV-301.
Course Options
- CWV-101, Christian Worldview: 4
- CWV-301, Christian Worldview: 4
Requirements
Graduates of Grand Canyon University will be able to use various analytic and problem-solving skills to examine, evaluate, and/or challenge ideas and arguments. Students are required to take 3 credits of college mathematics or higher.
Course Options
- MAT-144, College Mathematics: 4
Requirements
Graduates of Grand Canyon University will be able to demonstrate awareness and appreciation of and empathy for differences in arts and culture, values, experiences, historical perspectives, and other aspects of life (psychology, sociology, government, Christian studies, Bible, geography, anthropology, economics, political science, child and family studies, law, ethics, crosscultural studies, history, art, music, dance, theater, applied arts, literature, health, etc.). If the predefined course is a part of the major, students need to take an additional course.
Course Options
- PSY-102, General Psychology: 4
- INT-244, World Religions: 4
- SOC-100, Everyday Sociology: 4
Program Core Courses
Course Description
This course is an introduction to the techniques of the classical ballet, including alignment, positions, port de bras, and allegro combinations. It includes fundamental concepts, skills, movement vocabulary, and artistic expression specific to ballet.
Course Description
This course is an introduction to the style, technique, and rhythmic structures of jazz dance with emphasis on increasing movement capabilities and personal expression. It includes fundamental concepts, skills, movement vocabulary, and artistic expression specific to jazz.
Course Description
This course is a study of somatic practices in dance. Students explore and discuss issues related to one body practice. Topics include body awareness, alignment, injury prevention, and movement observation.
Course Description
This course is designed to prepare the student for a dance concert production in a theatrical setting. Through the rehearsal process and culminating performances, students gain dance proficiency by working in a range of styles and choreographic approaches. Students audition choreography and may be cast as dancers, understudies, stage managers, and production assistants. Prerequisite: Audition.
Course Description
This technique course is designed to increase skill in classical ballet. It includes intermediate concepts, skills, movement vocabulary, and artistic expression specific to ballet. Prerequisite: DAN-100.
Course Description
This course is a refinement of beginning skills, with an emphasis on development of technical abilities and performance qualities. It focuses on intermediate concepts, skills, movement vocabulary, and artistic expression specific to jazz. Prerequisite: DAN-101.
Course Description
This course is designed to prepare the student for a dance concert production in a theatrical setting. Through the rehearsal process and culminating performances, students gain dance proficiency by working in a range of styles and choreographic approaches. Students audition choreography and may be cast as dancers, understudies, stage managers, and production assistants. Prerequisite: Audition.
Course Description
This course is an introduction to the movement techniques of modern dance. It includes fundamental concepts, skills, movement vocabulary, and artistic expression specific to modern dance.
Course Description
This course is designed to introduce students to the elements of technical theater specific to a dance production and to prepare students to organize a production in a variety of media. The course covers the fundamentals of lighting and costume design; sound/music/video recording and other multimedia devices; and basic elements of production management, such as contracts, labor issues, budgets, facility rentals, marketing and fundraising.
Course Description
This course is a survey of Arizona history and government, as well as American government. It meets the teacher certification requirement for Arizona government and American government.
Course Description
This course provides a thematically arranged study of the theories and principles of psychology that have influenced instructional practices. Behavioral and cognitive approaches to learning, motivation, and instruction are explored. Practicum/field experience hours: None. Fingerprint clearance not required.
Course Description
This course is a refinement of beginning skills with an emphasis on development of technical abilities and performance qualities. It includes intermediate concepts, skills, movement vocabulary, and artistic expression specific to modern dance. Prerequisite: DAN-120.
Course Description
This course is designed to increase skill in classical ballet technique. It includes advanced concepts, skills, movement vocabulary, and artistic expression specific to ballet. Prerequisite: DAN-250.
Course Description
This course is designed to increase skill in jazz technique. It includes advanced concepts, skills, movement vocabulary, and artistic expression specific to jazz. Prerequisite: DAN-260.
Course Description
This course is designed to prepare the student for a dance concert production in a theatrical setting. Through the rehearsal process and culminating performances, students gain dance proficiency by working in a range of styles and choreographic approaches. Students audition choreography and may be cast as dancers, understudies, stage managers, and production assistants.
Course Description
This course presents the historical, legal, theoretical, and sociological foundations of programs of instruction for English language learners. It includes an examination of the role of culture in learning and instructional program models, with a focus on Structured English Immersion. Teacher candidates are instructed in immersion strategies and the use of assessment data. Practicum/field experience hours: 10. Fingerprint clearance required.
Course Description
This course focuses on the exercises and activities necessary to develop strength, flexibility, endurance, and technical dance skill. It includes advanced concepts, skills, movement vocabulary, and artistic expression specific to modern dance. Prerequisite: DAN-270.
Course Description
This writing intensive course focuses on the anatomical and mechanical principles that relate to human movement; the analysis, management, and prevention of dance injuries; the analysis of body types and technical ability; and the means by which to improve dance ability. Aspects of teaching safe technique classes and alternative methods will also be explored.
Course Description
This course focuses on the elements of time, space, and energy as related to choreographic design. It is a study of these primary dance elements and their intrinsic role in developing diverse understandings of dance.The course considers design in the related fields of music and art as relevant to choreographic design and communication in dance.
Course Description
This course focuses on creating and developing movement through dance improvisation in solos, duets, and groups. Contact improvisation and partnering, the uses of improvisation in choreography and performance, and the creative process are explored. Students are guided toward finding their own artistic voice through movement, discussion, and writing.
Course Description
This course is designed to prepare the student for a dance concert production in a theatrical setting. Through the rehearsal process and culminating performances, students gain dance proficiency by working in a range of styles and choreographic approaches. Students audition choreography and may be cast as dancers, understudies, stage managers, and production assistants.
Course Description
This writing intensive course is a study of the histories and aesthetic systems of selected world dance traditions emphasizing interconnections between aesthetic practice, religious and social needs, and the impact of cultural convergence on dance.
Course Description
This course is designed to prepare the student for a dance concert production in a theatrical setting. Through the rehearsal process and culminating performances, students gain dance proficiency by working in a range of styles and choreographic approaches. Students audition choreography and may be cast as dancers, understudies, stage managers, and production assistants.
Course Description
Students study and utilize a variety of dance technologies, such as computer software, hardware, networking, multimedia, interactive media, and the internet in order to foster inquiry, collaboration, and interaction in the classroom to meet the needs of a diverse 21st century student population.
Course Description
Students study the historical, philosophical, and sociological influences that have shaped dance, dance education, and the issues faced by educators today, as well as the challenges of the future that await persons now entering the teaching profession. The course also examines the unique learning needs of exceptional students. Emphasis is placed on definitions, etiology, characteristics, and prevalence of various exceptionalities; laws and litigation protecting the rights of students with special needs and their families; current issues affecting persons with special needs; social perceptions, assessment, inclusion, and transition; and basic curriculum accommodations and supportive services for teaching students with special needs in the dance classroom. Practicum/field experience hours: 10. Fingerprint clearance required.
Course Description
This course is a study of and experience in various approaches to the choreographic process as related to artistic concepts and to the philosophy of art as espoused by various traditional and contemporary dance artists and as developed by the individual student. Prerequisite: DAN-385.
Course Description
This writing intensive course is a comprehensive comparative study of Western theatrical dance forms. The focus is on significant trends and individuals who shaped the development of modern dance, ballet, jazz, and vernacular dance, from ancient Greece to the modern era.
Course Description
This course is designed to prepare the student for a dance concert production in a theatrical setting. Through the rehearsal process and culminating performances, students gain dance proficiency by working in a range of styles and choreographic approaches. Students audition choreography and may be cast as dancers, understudies, stage managers, and production assistants.
Course Description
This course explores an integrative arts model, using methods and assessments for teaching theatre and dance in elementary curriculum. Lesson planning and curriculum design are tied to state standards for theatre and dance education. Practicum/field experience hours: 20. Fingerprint clearance required.
Course Description
This course encompasses traditional and contemporary approaches of dance education and examines effective teaching practices in settings including elementary and secondary schools, private dance organizations, and community-based settings. Practicum/field experience hours: 10. Fingerprint clearance required. Prerequisite: DAN-355.
Course Description
This course is a supervised experience in choreographing a dance for public performance arranged through a cooperative effort of the student and supervisor. Prerequisite: DAN-390.
Course Description
This course is designed to prepare the student for a dance concert production in a theatrical setting. Through the rehearsal process and culminating performances, students gain dance proficiency by working in a range of styles and choreographic approaches. Students audition choreography and may be cast as dancers, understudies, stage managers, and production assistants.
Course Description
This course is a study of methods for developing and conducting the dance program in middle schools and high schools. Methods, materials, topics, and issues in dance education are used to prepare dance education majors to enter the teaching profession. Practicum/field experience hours: 15. Fingerprint clearance required. Prerequisite: DAN-390.
Course Description
This course addresses alignment for dancers, using Pilates mat exercises. The course addresses how breath , strength, and coordination may facilitate greater ease and efficiency in movement.
Course Description
In this course, teacher candidates continue to examine the fundamentals of the legal, historical, and educational foundations of Structured English Immersion and other instructional programs for English language learners. Theoretical principles of language acquisition and the role of culture in learning are examined. Methods of assessment are identified and analyzed. Teacher candidates identify strategies to promote English language development and improve student achievement. They plan, deliver, and evaluate instruction for English language learners. Practicum/field experience hours: 15. Fingerprint clearance required.
Course Description
This course consists of a K-12 classroom-based student teaching experience. The teacher candidate is assigned an approved school with a certified cooperating teacher, a university supervisor, and a student teaching course instructor. The course includes practical classroom experiences, research and analysis, and teaching duties that support the compilation and creation of a Teacher Work Sample (TWS). Fingerprint clearance required. Prerequisites: Fingerprint Clearance; successful completion of all courses in program of study and content area; senior status; a 2.8 GPA; successful completion of state mandated basic skills and content area exams or Praxis I® (Basic Skills) and Praxis II® (Content Area); Arizona residents are required to take the Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessments. All paperwork for student teaching must be submitted by the due date the semester prior to student teaching.
Program Locations
Join Grand Canyon University’s vibrant and growing campus community, with daytime classes designed for traditional students. Immerse yourself in a full undergraduate experience, complete with curriculum designed within the context of our Christian worldview.
On-campus program disclosures (4.5 years) Additional Disclosures
* Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Program subject to change.