Dance Department

Dance Classes 2025-2026 School Year

Freshman Options: Starter series (Social Dance, Tap, Contemporary, Ballet, etc), yoga Foundational Dance Technique, Advanced Dance Technique, Dance Artistry 

Sophomore, Junior, & Senior options: Social Dance, Tap, Contemporary, Ballet, etc), yoga  Foundational Dance Technique, Advanced Dance Technique, Dance Artistry, Dance Ensemble, Dance 1010

Half Year

Tap Dance 

This course is designed to introduce students to the joys of tap dance. This is an all levels course made for students who have never ever tapped all the way up through students who have years of experience. It will focus on learning and embodying foundational tap vocabulary and developing  skills in musicality, technical precision, balance, and coordination. 

Contemporary Dance 

This course is designed to introduce students to the beautiful world of modern/contemporary movement. This is an all levels course made for students who have never ever done contemporary and those who dance but want to explore this style more deeply. It will focus on learning and embodying foundational contemporary vocabulary as well as learning about modern dance history and basic dance analysis. 

Yoga

This course is designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of yoga practice. It will focus on developing an appreciation for the body and an awareness of its movement capabilities in a yogic context. Students will learn foundational yoga asanas, a variety of breathing and mindfulness techniques, and basic yoga philosophy. Students will work to improve dancers flexibility, strength, balance and coordination through participation in yoga flows.   

Musical Theatre Dance

A survey course designed around learning about the wide range of dance styles found in the world of musical theatre performance. Focus will be paid to exploring style tendencies, developing character through movement, and learning about musical theatre dance history. 

Dance 1010 (CE Course) 

Concurrent Enrollment with Weber

This course provides an introduction to dance as a means of cultural expression.  It is designed for 10-12 grade high school students designated as Concurrent Enrollment students at Weber State University.  This course works to explore dances of particular non-dominant cultures as a tool for understanding cultural characteristics. The course explores human movement as an identifier and descriptor of culture, specifically non-dominant cultures within the United States and their global cultural lineages. Throughout the semester, the course will focus on universal functions of human movement and the diverse ways in which those functions are expressed across multiple aesthetic systems and cultural practices of selected dance traditions.

The course contributes to an understanding of dance/movement as a means for recognizing and appreciating difference.  Embracing difference in this way is based upon the assumption that movement (ranging from pedestrian to highly stylized actions) reveals underlying values that are part of the social, cultural and aesthetic traditions that are apparent in contemporary America social, cultural and aesthetic traditions. As current students within the United States, each of us is inextricably tied to these value systems and practices. In designing an open forum in which to analyze and discuss those ties, this course will provide insight into both personal and cultural identity and appreciating differences.

Advanced Dance Technique 

Prerequisite: By Instructor Placement/Audition Only 

This course is an advanced level dance class centered on advancing student application of theatrical dance forms such as modern, jazz, and ballet. Students will engage with advanced level movement progressions and loco-motor skills, striving to increase balance, advance coordination of multiple skills simultaneously, embody more difficult virtuosic poses and movements, and further artistic expression, musicality and stamina in movement performance. This class culminates in a performance as part of our end of year show. It is a required course for all Artistry and DCO students. 

Full Year 

Foundational Dance Technique

Previous dance experience required. 

This course is designed to develop the fundamentals of Theatrical dance techniques.. As a beginning- intermediate level course, students will focus on establishing and further developing their technical application of modern, jazz, and ballet techniques as well as on exploring global dance forms. Emphasis is placed on developing and increasing balance, learning to coordinate multiple skills simultaneously, developing  floor work, investigation of individuality through improvisation/freestyle, introduction to virtuosic poses and movements, and developing artistic expression, musicality and stamina in movement performance. Students will advance their understanding of the elements of dance, increase their exposure to dance vocabulary applicable to each embodied style and deepen their understanding of the history of the dance styles explored.

Artistry

Prerequisite: By Audition Only 

The Dance Artistry Ensemble is a dance class focused on learning the foundational skills of choreography and performance. This is an intermediate/advanced level class that requires a deep awareness of the body, a strong foundation of core dance techniques, and experience with a variety of dance styles. Students must audition to join this class and only a select number of students will be selected to participate each school year. Stylistically this course aims to expose students to dance movement styles that will differ from those experienced in local studio settings but that are informed by the needs of theatrical dance study. This course has a strong focus on developing performance skills and embodying a variety of style qualities. The students in this course will be required to perform in two shows during the year. This course also emphasizes audition techniques and helps prepare students for professional work in jazz dance related fields.

Dance Company

Prerequisite: By Audition Only 

Dance Company is a dance class and performance group focused on developing skills in

choreography and performance. This is an advanced level class that requires a deep awareness of the body, a strong foundation of core dance techniques, and experience with a variety of dance styles. Students must audition to join this company and only a select number of students will be selected to participate each school year. Stylistically this course aims to expose students to dance movement styles that will differ from those experienced in local studio settings but that are informed by the needs of theatrical dance study in university and performance in professional settings. The students in this course will be required to perform a number of times during the year and create choreography in groups and individually. As the emphasis of this class is primarily on performance and choreography, it is recommended that dancers interested in collegiate dance study also enroll in Dance III to ensure they continue to develop their technical skills.