Dance Is Major at Creighton University
The Midwest is alive with dance and no more so than at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. The program has recently been upgraded to a major course of study in the College of Arts and Sciences. This change is mostly student driven as the numbers of undergraduate students taking dance has significantly increased over the past five years and there has been a marked amount of interest in pursuing dance as a major.
Classes range from ballet, tap, jazz, modern, choreography, repertoire and pedagogy to nutrition and anatomy and graduates of this program will certainly have the necessary skills to make it in the extremely competitive dance world as either performers or teachers. We aspire for our graduates to enter the real world and be competitive in the work place with not only strong technique and sound dance knowledge but with discipline, a well-rounded liberal arts education and sound ethics.
Creighton University meets all of these requirements. A private Jesuit college; it is ranked number one in the Midwest with a 450 year old education history rooted in the Catholic tradition. It encourages students to explore different disciplines within the context of the institution's Jesuit, Catholic heritage fostering a passion for learning and a zeal for making a difference in the world.
Dance majors will enter the four year program through an audition process. Not only will their dance skills be evaluated but they will also be required to have an interview with the auditioning panel. The course is rooted in the classical ballet tradition but all students are required to take other techniques to prepare them for all the different demands of today's choreographers.
The faculty is top class with teachers and choreographers who are recognized both nationally and internationally. Dance coordinator Lisa Carter believes in exposing the students to as many different teachers and choreographers as possible and actively works to recruit guest teachers and choreographers to introduce the students to styles other than the Royal Academy of Dance and European-based techniques that make up the dance curriculum core.
Creighton dance students get to perform each semester in a show which takes place on the main stage of the Lied auditorium and is open to the public. "These performances are very beneficial to the students as they solidify class technique and give the students the chance to perform and show the audience what dance is all about" says Carter. Repertoire not only includes mainstream ballets such as "Giselle," "Coppelia," "The Nutcracker" and other well known repertoire but also faculty, students and guest choreography.
Students have the opportunity to perform, choreograph, build sets, design and build costumes, work in the box office and stage-manage behind the scenes. It's a wonderful all-round experience.
As students near graduation they are encouraged to apply to graduate schools, work on their resume, create audition tapes and write letters to companies. "The faculty is always there to help and assist the students" says Carter and that is what is so wonderful about this department. Because this is a new major we will go the extra mile; not entrenched or bound by any boundaries we are free to try new things, and aim for excellence.