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School of Dance
137 Putnam Hall
Athens, Ohio 45701
Ohio University dancers perform Travis D. Gatling’s new work, “Be-Longing.”
Undergraduate Dance Programs
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Undergraduate Dance Programs

A Dance Degree: Empowerment through Art and the Pursuit of Originality

Our Dance Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree helps students explore all aspects of dance as a field and discover their own capabilities as performers, makers, teachers, writers, and collaborators.

Our Dance—Performance and Choreography Major (B.F.A.) curriculum emphasizes a broad foundation in dance while centering the creative process and the development of individual student voice. Our rigorous program prepares dancers for vibrant, lasting careers by embedding the study of varied techniques and composition into every semester. Complementary coursework in dance pedagogy, dance history, kinesiology, dance production, movement analysis, and interdisciplinary studies of the arts provides a well-rounded education in all aspects of dance as a field. Students gain practical experience teaching in community contexts and acquire professional skills for producing a dance concert.

We also offer three minors: Performance and Choreography, Somatic Studies, and Dance History/Theory. Our Certificate in Dance Production is for dance, theater, musical theater, and theater production/design/technology students. Ohio University is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Dance.

Bachelor's Degrees in Dance

Add a Certificate or Minor

What Can You Do with a Dance Degree?

 Career opportunities available to the dance B.F.A. graduate include:

  • Choreographer for concert, theater, video, film, fashion, or public events
  • Dancer in companies, theatrical productions, or cruise ships
  • Teaching Artist in K-12 schools, cultural centers, community organizations
  • Teacher in dance studios, K-12 schools
  • Dance for health programs for older adults or special populations
  • Body-based therapeutic work such as Pilates, Bartenieff Fundamentals, massage therapy, exercise physiology
  • Graduate study in Dance/Movement Therapy or Physical Therapy
  • Dance writer, critic, or historian
  • Company manager or arts administrator
  • Graduate study in choreography, Arts Administration, or Community Dance
Ohio University students perform Coming Together at the 2026 Winter Dance

A Safe Space for Exploring Contemporary Dance

The organization respects people and their unique experiences and has used dance as an art to create an environment where every voice is heard.
Athens Black Contemporary Dancers

Students Workshop New Musical in Under 30 Hours

Dance and Theater students and faculty workshopped a brand-new jukebox musical as part of the OU Fringe Festival.
2026 Fringe Festival

Dance Students Expand Range through Street Dance with Guest Artist Teena Marie Custer

Custer set the piece during an intensive weeklong residency, expanding students’ versatility and exposure to professional street dance practices.
Dancing with Guest Artist

Gets Hands-on Experience with Your Dance Degree

Our dance program provides important experiential learning opportunities for students. In addition to developing performance skills, so you’ll get the chance to participate in service projects, internships, and more.

  • Be a Teaching Artist Intern at Factory Street Studio

    The School of Dance offers opportunities for students to gain professional development through teaching artist internships at a local non-profit partner, Factory Street Studio. Interning teachers gain hands-on experience in dance education, arts administration, and choreography for children and teens in a community setting.

  • Get Experience through an Internship

    Take advantage of an internship to gain professional experience and/or earn academic credit. Our students have completed internships at Bates Dance Festival, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, the Yard on Martha’s Vineyard, OhioDance, Cathy Sharp Dance Ensemble in Switzerland, and many other organizations.

  • Join the Athens Black Contemporary Dancers

    Honoring the pivotal role dance has played in Black culture, the student organization Athens Black Contemporary Dancers (ABCD) is a student-run dance organization whose members are passionate about modern contemporary dance styles.

  • Perform New Works at the Winter Dance Concert

    The 2026 performance featured six new works choreographed by School of Dance faculty and national guest artists. These works presented a variety of dance genres and highlight the collaborative efforts of the faculty, students and guest artists. 

  • Join the Movement

    The Movement is an organization for Ohio University students interested in the performance and practice of dance, as well as other artistic and collaborative efforts involving the exploration of movement.

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