Department/School Profile
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Department/School: Dance |
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Mission: The mission of the BFA in Dance is to provide a broad coverage of dance training, including dance technique and performance skills, choreography, historical and cultural dimensions of dance, and principles of teaching. Students will be prepared to teach dance in a public/ private school setting, or to continue dance study at the graduate level or in the professional dance context. |
PROFILE
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Majors: Bachelor of Arts in Dance Bachelor of Arts in Dance (Teacher Certification) Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance (Mexican Dance) |
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Graduate Programs: None |
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Students
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Faculty
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Campus Department Offering |
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Stats & Highlights: The Department supports four Dance companies specializing in Ballet Folklórico, Ballet, Flamenco and Modern Dance. These companies undertake numerous public concerts. The Dance Department has A strong record of community engagement, especially with public school dance programs. Students have the opportunity to present at regional American College Dance Association Conferences.
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UTRGV Dance Department & Alumni Success Stories The UTRGV Ballet Folklórico Company have performed in four ACDA South-Central Regional Gala concerts and were also selected to perform at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in National Gala Concerts in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018. In 2018, the company was honored with the distinction of being selected to perform at the historically famous Jacob's Pillow Summer Festival. In 2013, UTRGV dance faculty, Min Kim's work Bitter Sorrow was selected for the ACDA South-Central Regional ACDA Gala concert. In 2015, BA dance major, Courtney Wantland's work Fin was selected for the ACDA South-Central Regional Gala concert. Many UTRGV Dance graduates are employed as dance educators in several school districts and private dance studios throughout South Texas and beyond. Others have advanced to complete graduate studies earning MFA and MA degrees in Dance. Jessica Peña (BA, 2014) is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Performance as Public Practice in the University of Texas at Austin's Department of Theatre and Dance. Former BA and BFA dancers Erick Perales (BA, 2019) and Lupe Garza (BFA, 2020) are dancers in the NYC based dance company, Ballet Nepantla. https://www.balletnepantla.com/ Raul Passamentt (BFA - Mexican Dance, 2022) and Jennifer Lozano (BA, 2017) are dancers with Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández based in México City. https://www.balletfolkloricodemexico.com.mx/ The Alumni Dance Company was established in 2018 by Assistant Professor, Miguel Peña and is showcased in the summer Ballet Folklórico production, Leyendas. Money generated through ticket sales goes towards the Francisco Muñoz Endowed Scholarship to benefit future dance majors that pursue a study of Méxican Ballet Folklórico dance. In collaboration with the Director of the Center of Latin American Arts, Katherine McAllen, Dance faculty member, Sonia Chapa, was awarded the Alice Kieberg Reynolds grant in the amount of $20,000 in 2022 for the A La Música y Arte Project. The project includes productions and presentations of flamenco dance concerts, Latin American music workshops, and student art exhibitions in the Rio Grande Valley. Funds are also being used to cover expenses of UTRGV students and faculty travels to Madrid, Spain to study flamenco music and dance. |