College and University Dance Companies in the United States: A Descriptive Study

Abstract

Despite the proliferation of faculty-directed, student dance companies on college and university campuses, little has been published about them. These companies serve important functions in the curriculum in many dance departments and programs, and can be thought of as pedagogical entities that teach a variety of artistic, technical, and practical skills. College and university dance companies deserve study so that dance educators can better understand the ways in which these groups contribute to the education of their students. This exploratory study was intended to provide both quantitative and qualitative information about faculty-directed college and university dance companies in the United States. The topics surveyed include dance department size and makeup, leadership in companies, requirements, number of concerts per year, genre of dance, guest artists, auditions, training of directors, dance company size, profiles of students, goals, and strengths and weaknesses of the companies, among others. The data present an overview that can be used by dance educators to understand the structure and function of student dance companies.