Student Performance Opportunities

Dance Center

At the Dance Center, students have numerous performance opportunities throughout their years of study.

Student performance opportunities at the Dance Center give students professional-level experience with public performance. Each school year, the Dance Center puts on five performances:

Student Performance Night gives students experience in a professionally produced dance concert on a fully operating stage. Each choreographer works with the faculty advisor and a mentoring faculty member for feedback and guidance. The team leaders helm rehearsals, prepare cast information, secure costuming, work with the technical director on lighting and coordinate scheduling.

Each piece is created and rehearsed by the choreographers and dancers. Months before the performance, a juried “open stage” audition is conducted. The dances chosen reflect the wonderful range of talents and interests within Columbia’s student community. The Faculty Concert is a presentation of faculty works performed by students from the Dance Department. The concert provides a venue for faculty to create work as well as an opportunity for students to perform in a professional setting.

Repertory and Performance Workshop allows students to work with professional choreographers and experience working in a student dance company. Works are performed in conjunction with the Faculty Concert. Past Repertory Performance Workshop guest choreographers include Liz Lerman, Gesel Mason, Reggie Wilson, Molly Shanahan, Jan Erkert and Erica Wilson-Perkins.

Senior Concert is the culminating highlight for students completing a BFA with an interest in choreography. All aspects of the craft are brought together in a professional setting for students to experience the full range of responsibilities and opportunities associated with the presentation of their own choreographic work.

In the Works was created to give students the opportunity to receive feedback about their work. To keep the atmosphere encouraging towards experimental work, new work, and work-in-progress it will be a low tech, informal showing followed by a moderated feedback session.