FAQ
This page answers frequently asked questions regarding the Department of Dance. Prospective students should contact the Office of Admissions for applications and deadlines.
If you feel your questions are still not answered after reading this page please send an email to Marjorie Folkman, mfolkman@barnard.edu .
Do I need to audition to participate in the Department of Dance?
No. Audition tapes that are sent to the Department of Dance or the Admissions Office will not be reviewed or returned. Admission to both Barnard and Columbia is primarily based on a student's academic standing. Once admitted, a student can take any dance course that is appropriate for their level.
How can I take a tour of Barnard ?
Contact the Admissions Office at admissions@barnard.edu, or visit their website at http://barnard.edu/admiss, or call (212) 854-2014.
How many dance studios are there?
The Department has four dance studios and dressing facilities on campus. All studios have sprung floors, professional floor surfaces, barres, and media systems.
How big are the dance classes?
This is largely dependent on the size of both the studio and the course being taught. On average, there are 15-18 students per technique class. Lower Level courses (Modern I, Ballet I) tend to have the biggest population. Academic courses also range in class size: the Applied Anatomy for Human Movement course may have 10-20 students, the Dance in New York City courses may have 18-50 students, Performance Courses may have 6-24 students.
Is there live accompaniment for dance courses?
Yes. All technique courses have live accompaniment. Robert Boston is the Music Director.
Are there more modern or ballet courses?
There are six levels of ballet and modern every semester. It is common for there to be more than one section of each level due to high demand. The department does not work within one syllabus of a discipline (Vaganova, Cecchetti, Graham or Limón, for example). This allows the department to reflect the breadth of theory and practice in the dance world.
Who can take a dance course?
The Department of Dance provides academic and technical studies in dance for undergraduates. All courses, except for Senior Seminar in Dance, Senior Repertory in Dance, and Senior Research in Dance, which are only open to majors and concentrates, are open to Barnard College, Columbia College, the School of General Studies of Columbia University, and SEAS. Graduate students at Columbia will need to download and fill out the Add/Drop Form and have their instructor sign it to register.
How are Barnard and Columbia related?
Columbia University embraces many colleges and schools. Barnard College, Columbia College, the School of General Studies and the Fu School of Engineering and Applied Sciences are the four undergraduate colleges of Columbia University. The Department of Dance at Barnard College is the Department of Dance for all four colleges. If you are a matriculated Columbia College, or School of General Studies, student Majoring and/or Concentrating in Dance, your Major/Concentration work in Dance will be done at Barnard College.
How do I register for dance courses?
All registration is done online.
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Can Barnard College students receive credit for dance technique classes?
One-point dance technique courses taken by non-dance majors for credit over and above the physical education requirement are included in the maximum of 18 points of studio, performing art, or professional school courses which may be credited toward the degree; a maximum of twelve courses in dance technique can be credited. (Dance majors have no limit, but cannot receive credit for a lower level after a higher or for the same level more than twice.) The default value for dance technique courses is 0; a student may receive academic credit for a dance technique class only if she has completed or is concurrently completing the Physical Education requirement, and only upon filling out the Request Credit for a Dance Technique Class in Slate. Ballet I and Modern I receive a P/F grade and have no prerequisite. Global and Somatic Forms courses require a placement audition at the first class meeting or permission of the instructor and are grade bearing courses.
How many dance courses can I take per semester?
You can take as many courses as will fit into your schedule.
How is level determined in technique courses?
The first class of the semester serves as an audition/placement class. Individual professors determine whether students are the appropriate level for their course. Dance technique courses tend to be very popular so it is important to attend the first class of the semester.
How many dance majors are there?
Approximately 1200 students take dance classes per week. There are approximately 30 majors and minors.
How many faculty members are there?
There are 6 full-time, 35 part-time and guest artists, and 3 full-time staff.
Are there performance opportunities?
Absolutely. Please check the calendar page for a detailed description of major performances we do on and off campus.
Can I major in two departments?
Yes. In fact, most dance majors are double majors.
Does Barnard provide career counseling?
Yes. Visit Beyond Barnard for all current information and internship opportunities.
What do dance majors do when they graduate?
Former dance majors become professional dancers, choreographers, doctors, teachers, professors, executives, art administrators, and everything else you could possibly imagine.
Can I audit a dance course?
No. All dance courses must be taken for credit and students must be officially enrolled in them through the Office of the Registrar.
What is Advanced Studio?
For Barnard College students
Advanced Studio is primarily used by junior and senior students and is a way to continue study within a level of studio technique courses for credit or to move down a level for reasons specific to the student.
Level IV through VI or any of the Global Dance studio technique courses may be used to fulfill a Physical Education requirement and may additionally be taken for credit in both fall and spring semesters. After these four courses within one level are taken, a student may continue in the established level by registering for Advanced Studio.
If a Barnard student, for example, takes Modern IV in the fall and spring of first year, one of these courses fulfills the Physical Education requirement and credit will be given for the same level in the next semester. When the same student moves on to Modern V in both semesters of the second year, credit will register on the student’s program. If the student continues study in Modern V during the third year for both fall and spring semesters and desires credit for the courses, the student registers for Advanced Studio. The same is applicable for the senior year, if this model is used. May be used once a semester with a maximum of four times for credit.
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Fall 2015 |
Sp 2016 |
Fall 2016 |
Sp 2017 |
Fall 2017 |
Sp 2018 |
Fall 2018 |
Sp 2019 |
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Mod IV PE |
Mod IV 1pt |
Mod V 1pt |
Mod V 1pt |
Adv St 1pt (Mod V) |
Adv St 1pt (Mod V) |
Adv St 1pt (Mod V) |
Adv St 1pt (Mod V) |
There are often students who come in at the highest level, VI, of either ballet or modern classes. The first and second year scenario is the same as the example listed above. When a student takes Ballet VI during the first year, fall and spring semesters, one studio technique course will fulfill the Physical Education requirement and the point bearing credit will go towards either major or elective credits. The student will then use Advanced Studio for the remaining four semesters in the level VI course. May be used once a semester with a maximum of four times for credit.
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Fall 2015 |
Sp 2016 |
Fall 2016 |
Sp 2017 |
Fall 2017 |
Sp 2018 |
Fall 2018 |
Sp 2019 |
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Ballet VI PE |
Ballet VI 1pt |
Ballet VI 1pt |
Adv St 1 pt (Bal VI) |
Adv St 1 pt (Bal VI) |
Adv St 1 pt (Bal VI) |
Adv St 1 pt (Bal VI) |
Ballet VI 0 pts |
Sometimes a student begins at a high level of a studio technique course for a semester (or two) and then decides to move down a level or more. The mechanism of the college won’t grant credit for this digression, so the student can use Advanced Studio to receive credit for a studio technique class. May be used once a semester with a maximum of four times for credit.
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Fall 2013 |
Spring 2014 |
Fall 2014 |
Spring 2015 |
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Modern VI for Phys Ed |
Modern VI 1pt |
Adv St 1p (Modern V) |
Adv St 1pt (Modern V) |
For Columbia College students
Advanced level dancers (levels IV-VI) can take a Barnard studio technique course to fulfill the first Physical Education requirement, but the second semester of the requirement has to be taken at Columbia. However, when a dance major is declared, you can fulfill both semesters of the requirement at Barnard. In either case, you need to fulfill the swimming requirement.
Advanced Studio can be used once a semester with a maximum of four semesters.
Does a studio technique class fulfill a Physical Education requirement and how?
It can. Students are required to complete 122 points for the degree. Of those 122 points, a studio technique class fulfills the 1 course Barnard PE requirement and 2 may be used to fulfill the Columbia College requirement. Students must pass two courses (any combination of PE classes at BC or CU and/or varsity sports and/or dance technique), in different semesters, one by the end of the first year and the second by the end of the junior year. Students will receive 1 point for each of those courses, and may receive a maximum of 2 points for fulfilling the PE requirement. (Students entering as transfers but with fewer than 24 transfer credits are subject to this requirement.) Once a student has completed the PE requirement, she may receive credit for additional dance technique courses (see below), but she may not receive credit for any further PE courses that she takes.
Dance technique—for PE and for additional credit
Any student who has completed or is concurrently completing the PE requirement may receive credit for dance technique: no more than 2 points for the same level (e.g., Modern II), no credit for a lower level after receiving credit for a higher level (e.g., Modern II after receiving credit for Modern III), maximum of 12 points for non-Dance majors, unlimited for Dance majors. Credit for dance technique can come only after or concurrent with fulfillment of the PE requirement.
Example: a first-year who takes three dance technique courses in her first semester here and three in her second may receive credit for only one in the first semester (because she has not completed and is not concurrently completing the PE requirement) but may receive credit for all three in the second semester (1 point for PE and 2 for dance technique) depending on level. The maximum is 2 points (1 point for transfers) for courses in the PE department; only dance technique may receive more than 2 points.
It follows that a student who completes the PE requirement with dance technique, thus receiving 2 points for dance as PE, may receive an additional 12 points for dance technique, subject to the limits in the preceding paragraph. (A student who received 2 points for basketball, for example, may also receive an additional 12 points for dance. The 2 points for PE are not included in the dance technique maximum, whether or not they were taken in dance.)