Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Overview
The dance major at Drexel University has a unique curriculum design and focus. Rather than focusing on training performers, this program combines rigorous academic coursework with extensive stage and studio dance experiences to prepare students for two possible career paths within dance, dance/movement therapy, and dance in education. Students participating in this major will earn a B.S. degree in dance with an optional minor in psychology.
Students focused on dance / movement therapy will prepare for jobs as dance/movement therapists, who are psychological counselors working in a variety of settings including hospitals, out patient clinics, and residential treatment centers. Students pursuing this option will earn a B.S. degree in dance at the Westphal College, through the Department of Performing Arts, for the first four years of study. They will then have the option to continue on to two years of study to earn an M.A. in Creative Arts in Therapy from the Hahneman Creative Arts in Therapy Program, through the College of Nursing and Health Professions at Drexel to become a registered dance/movement therapist.About the Dance Movement Therapy Program
The second career focus, dance in education, prepares students for jobs as elementary school teachers (grades Kindergarten through 6) who may also serve as school dance specialists. Students choosing this option will earn a B.S. degree in dance through the Department of Performing Arts and may elect to continue for a fifth year of study to earn an M.S. in the Science of Instruction through the School of Education. Students who successfully complete the five year B.S. / M.S. option in education will then be recommended to the State for a Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate in the area of Elementary Education for K-6 certification general education.
The student who enters the dance major at Drexel University is an academically achieving student who has a passion for dance, but does not see him or herself as necessarily pursuing a career exclusively in performance. He or she is looking for extensive experiences to improve as a dancer, choreographer, and performer while being stimulated academically. This student wants to study dance- both physically and cognitively- in college while being offered the possibility of gainful employment after graduation.
Philadelphia Dance Conference 2008 - Limon Centennial Celebration
April 6 & 7, 2008
The focus of this conference will be a celebration of the 100th birthday of dancer/choreographer Jose Limon. Jose Limon (1908-1972) was a crucial figure in the development of modern dance: his powerful dancing shifted perceptions of the male dancer, while his choreography continues to bring a dramatic vision of dance to audiences around the world. Limon’s choreographic works have been recognized as masterpieces and the Company itself has become a landmark of American dance.
Examples of related topics for papers and workshops to be considered for this conference include: the Humphrey-Limon tradition, dance reconstruction, Limon’s role as a dance pioneer, the role of men in shaping early modern dance, the pedagogical uses of dance history, Mexican-American choreographers, etc.
Drexel University invites proposals for conference sessions that are centered on the conference theme. Conference sessions will include:
- Paper Presentations: sharing original research, teaching applications, explorations, or analysis of related themes (30-45 minutes)
- Panels or Roundtable Discussions: Discussing topics related to the conference theme (45 minutes)
- Workshops: Presenting methodologies and applications in a participatory environment (90 minutes)
Please read Proposal Guidelines if you wish to participate. Submissions are due by Feburary 1, 2008
Performing Arts Brochure
Interested in learning more about the Performing Arts programs at Drexel? Click here (or on the image) to see the Department of Performing Arts 2007-2008 Season Brochure.
