Dance
Bachelor of Arts
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Did You Know?
We offer a dual degree Dance/Pre-PT to DPT |
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Move With Passion.
The Dance major and minor programs at Springfield College are challenging, dynamic, diverse, and consistently on the edge of contemporary trends in dance. Our emphasis is on educating the whole person in spirit, mind, and body.
In our dance major, you’ll develop your individuality, creativity, dance knowledge, and technique while preparing for a career in dance, a related field, or graduate programs in dance education, dance/movement therapy, somatics, or similar studies.
Springfield College Partnership with Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival
Through the College partnership with Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, dance students have year-round, complete access to live performances, the festival dance archives, lectures, workshops, interviews, and in-person networking with international artists in residence. Dance students also have the opportunity to attend summer workshops and/or obtain internships at Jacob’s Pillow for college credit.
Auditions
Auditions are required. Auditions take place in the dance studio on the Springfield College campus, they may also coincide with an undergraduate open house.
BA Dance students are required to audition by March 1 in person or via video submission
Dance/Pre-PT to DPT students are required to audition by February 1 in person or via video submission
Meet the Dance Faculty
Sarah
Zehnder
Director of Dance
Sarah Zehnder is an NYC-based dance artist. Her company, Zehnder Dance, was established in 2010 and is known for commanding physicality, boldness, and architectural precision. It has been produced nationwide, performing in such prestigious festivals as Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out, Reverb International Dance Festival, Pasadena Dance Festival, DUMBO Dance Festival, the MAD Festival, Midwest RAD Festival, and the Women in Dance Project (NYC and Chicago). Her work has been presented at Dixon Place, Ailey Citigroup Theatre, Manhattan Movement and Arts Center, Gowanus Arts, Triskelion Arts Center, 92nd Y, Greenspace, and the Center for Performance Research.
Tatiana
Desardouin
Tatiana Desardouin is of Haitian origin, born and raised in Switzerland, and a professional dancer, dance instructor, dance consultant, choreographer, organizer, curator, and culture bearer with a Master's degree as an adult educator from the University of Geneva. Tatiana is very involved in the growth of the Swiss hip-hop scene and has been teaching and mentoring since 2005. She is the director and choreographer of Passion Fruit Dance Company, a street dance theater and educational company which she founded in 2016. The company's mission is to explore the human experience, address social issues such as racism, and strive to inspire young artists to share their voices.
McCoy
Jamison
McCoy Jamison, an internationally trained teacher, dancer, and choreographer, is the passionate founder of Latin Dance Made Easy. After discovering dance in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he trained intensively at the prestigious Jaime Aroxa Academy, he continued his studies in the U.S. and Cuba, covering numerous styles of Latin and African social dance. In addition to creating online dance lessons, Jamison runs weekly Latin dance events featuring salsa, bachata, merengue, and kizomba. He teaches the Latin Dance Forms course at Springfield College. He also offers DJ services and dance lessons for parties, weddings, festivals, and community events. When he’s not dancing, Jamison is spending time with his two energetic sons, making culinary magic as a home chef, and working on his craft of digital design and marketing. He is excited to help add more joy and connection to your life through Latin dance!
Iddi
Saaka
Iddi Saaka is an award-winning West African dance and music performance artist and teacher who specializes in Ghanaian dance and music as well as contemporary dance. Saaka holds a Diploma (with distinction) from the University of Ghana and an MFA in Dance from the University of California, Los Angeles. He has performed and taught nationally and internationally in several venues including Los Angeles, New York, Connecticut, North Carolina, Florida, Israel, Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Guinea. In 2003, he performed for the president of Israel. He has created original multifaceted works that address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Ghana and Malawi and has worked with youths in detention centers across Connecticut as well as with physically challenged youth in Israel, using dance and music to equip them with lifelong skills such as anger management, respect for cultural diversity, and self-dignity.
Maureen
Shea
Maureen Shea is a dance artist, researcher, and Pilates instructor. Originally from Canada, Maureen graduated from the Professional Performance program in Contemporary Dance in 2001 at The School of Dance (Ottawa) and danced for choreographers Sylvie Desrosiers, Yvonne Coutts, and Marc Boivin. Maureen founded the Grasshoppa Dance Exchange in 2002 to create and perform dance works in public spaces for unsuspecting audiences. In 2007 she moved to Massachusetts and continued to develop her choreographer’s voice, primarily by teaching creative contemporary dance for children and by creating dozens of dances that were performed in local community settings. In 2018, she began the Master of Arts program in the dance department at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM) where she is currently completing her thesis on the subject of Movement-observation analysis (MOA) as an observation tool for Pilates instructors.
Kodee
Van Nort
Kodee Van Nort began her dance experience on the plains of Western Nebraska with Vaudeville veteran, Iris Besaw. Kodee has an extensive background in dance including a Bachor of Arts in Theater and Dance from the University of Wyoming and a Master of Fine Arts in dance performance, choreography, and pedagogy from Sam Houston State University. During her performing career, she was able to explore a variety of roles from ballet to musicals and theater. Kodee has shared her passion for dance with students at the University of Wyoming, Western Nebraska Community College, Western Oregon University, Sam Houston State University, Austin Dance Company, University of Kentucky, Contemporary Dance Theater, Cincinnati Ballet, Miami Valley Ballet Theatre, and St. Xavier High School. Kodee serves on the Ohio Dance board, is an active member of the National Dance Education Organization, and is a Language of Dance Master Practitioner.
Angela
Vital-Martowski
Angela Vital-Martowski was a University of Massachusetts Amherst Chancellor’s Award recipient and received her certificate in ballet Pedagogy from the Hartt School at the University of Hartford. She is trained in the Vaganova technique. Combining dance and fitness has become a passion and she is certified in all forms of Zumba, Barre Method, and Hoop fitness. Angela has been teaching for over 20 years all over New England, including in her own studio, The Dance Studio of Wilbraham, where she has been the artistic director for 18 years. Vital-Martowski is a member of The National Dance Education Organization, National Dance Week and Corp de Ballet (an organization for ballet in higher education). She has been a part of the Springfield College faculty for 13 years teaching ballet and mentoring and hosting interns from the College dance program.
What job can I get with a degree in Dance?
A degree in Dance from Springfield College opens up numerous dynamic career paths. As a professional dancer, you might find yourself performing in dance companies, theaters, musicals, or on screen. Alternatively, you could channel your creativity into choreography, designing routines for various productions and competitions. Teaching is another rewarding avenue, where you can inspire the next generation of dancers at studios, schools, and community centers.
Data is from the 2024 Occupational Outlook Handbook from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
Dancers and choreographers use dance performances to express ideas and stories. There are many types of dance, such as ballet, tango, modern dance, tap, and jazz. Dancers spend years learning dances and perfecting their skills. They usually perform as part of a group and know a variety of dance styles, including ballet, tap, and modern dance. In addition to traditional performances in front of a live audience, many perform on TV, in videos on the Internet, and in music videos, in which they also may sing or act. Many dancers perform in shows at casinos, in theme parks, and on cruise ships.
Art directors work with art and design staffs in advertising agencies, public relations firms, or book, magazine, or newspaper publishing to create designs and layouts. They also work with producers and directors of theater, television, or movie productions to oversee set designs. Their work requires them to understand the design elements of projects, inspire other creative workers, and keep projects on budget and on time. Sometimes they are responsible for developing budgets and timelines.
