The body is an incredibly expressive creative medium, allowing dancers to connect physically to their art in very personal, meaningful ways.

The dance program at SMU Meadows develops disciplined, versatile dance artists through a balanced study of ballet, modern, and jazz techniques, theory and performances.

Master classes, short-term residencies, guest choreographers and visiting professionals enhance the creative environment; they have included Paul Taylor, Ann Reinking, Judith Jamison, Arthur Mitchell, Jacques d’ Amboise, Moses Pendleton, Yuriko, Douglas Becker, Laura Dean, Donald McKayle, Lynne Taylor-Corbett and Mel Tomlinson. Members of the companies of Paul Taylor, Alvin Ailey, Twyla Tharp, Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham, Frankfurt Ballet, Gotra Ballet and David Parsons also have been guests of the department.

A leader in the field of dance, the department embarks on documentation and preservation projects for major historical works and was the first university dance program to receive funding for such a project from the National Endowment for the Arts.

B.F.A. Dance Performance
The B.F.A. in Dance Performance is a 123-credit-hour program requiring four academic years for completion. The B.F.A. program provides a comprehensive sequence of technique classes in ballet, modern and jazz, and courses in choreography, dance history, stage production, repertory, Labanotation, kinesiology and music analysis, as well as related courses in theatre and art.

Minor in Dance
The Minor in Dance is available to majors in all disciplines, and is designed for students with previous dance training who wish to continue the pursuit of their interests within the context of their liberal arts studies.