Dance
Refine your artistry, experiment with new ideas, and invent authentic movement vocabulary.
The dance minor is housed in the theatre department. As an integral part of a performing arts program, it requires courses in both dance and theatre.
Dance is one of the most diverse and inclusive programs on campus. Participants in classes and performances include students who have a range of experience from years of formal training to no prior exposure to dance. We focus on artistry and encourage student choreographers to experiment with new ideas and to investigate and invent authentic movement vocabulary. Our classes encourage you to develop technique and skills with a somatic approach that incorporates an understanding of kinesthetic functioning of the body and a consideration of the significance of body/mind integration. We believe in empowering students to create and produce dance at the highest possible level.
Arts@LC
Explore all of our conservatory-caliber fine arts offerings and the ways you can enhance your artistic passions, no matter your major.
Outside the Classroom
- Additional Production Opportunities: Each spring term the LC Dance Company produces Dance Y, a non-credited, lower-tech performance that is similar to Dance Extravaganza, involving as many as 14 student choreographers to make new work.
- ACDC: Every spring term we bring students to the Northwest Regional American College Dance Conference where they take classes and perform work for adjudicition. 35 to 40 college and university dance programs from around the region are in attendance.
- Dance Study Overseas and Off-Campus: Our students can travel to New York, London, and numerous other locations on programs where they can incorporate dance study as part of the curriculum.
- Professional Opportunities: On occasion, local choreographers or guest artists will invite students to intern or work closely with their companies as assistants or performers.
- Guest Artists: The dance department sponsors numerous opportunities for students to engage with professional artists throughout the year. Most notably we offer a residency program for students to work with nationally recognized choreographers and performing artists who come to campus to workshop a piece that is performed as part of the Dance Extravaganza. We also invite professionals from the community and around the globe to teach master classes each semester. Previous guest artists include David Dorfman, Tiffany Mills, Minh Tran, Gregg Beilemieier, and Jamie Hampton.
Venus Edlin BA ’23More about VenusThere is a lot of freedom in what you can study as a RHMS major, but also a good balance with practical skills. I love how important the field is, because how meaning is conveyed impacts every person’s life.
Sydney Owada BA ’19More about SydneyMy favorite class was Medieval Manuscripts with Karen Gross, in which we studied the history of manuscript production and paleography. The practical aspect of this class stands out in my mind as a unique aspect of the type of education Lewis & Clark facilitates: unconventional and widely applicable.
Katrina Kuzmina BA ’23More about KatrinaMy favorite class has been the marketing seminar through the Bates Center. I got acquainted with ethical marketing practices that broadened my perspective. Now I’m applying for marketing internships and want to find a way to connect it to my future career!
