New Students

Whether you plan to pursue the dance major or minor, or you just want to explore movement for the first time, here are some classes to consider taking your first year.

• Dance Technique Classes (modern, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, African, Flamenco, Kuchipudi) For questions about which level of technique class to take, contact a faculty member. Generally, level 1 is for someone who has never taken a dance class or has minimal dance experience; level 2 is for beginning-intermediate movers; level 3 is for intermediate movers; and level 4 is reserved for upperclassmen who are advanced movers. First year students should not register for level 4 without permission of the instructor. Most first year students with a very strong dance background will start in level 3 classes. Instructors may recommend a level change during the first two weeks of class. All technique classes fulfill the PE requirement. African, Flamenco, and Kuchipudi are offered in alternating years.
• Movement Improvisation (DANC 150R) will help you understand your movement style and trust your authenticity as a mover. The exploration of moving possibilities will reveal new movement vocabularies and create new connections within a community of diverse movers. This course is a prerequisite for DANC 250 Choreography I, which is a required class for dance majors and minors. DANC 150 fulfills the PE requirement.
• Emory Dance Company/EDC (DANC 207R) is an opportunity to perform new work! Auditions are held during the second week of the semester for students enrolled in a dance technique class (check our calendar for dates). In the fall, faculty and guest artists choreograph new work. In the spring, students choreograph group works. If you are selected, you will receive academic credit (1-2 hrs). For each piece, students rehearse about three hours per week. EDC Performances are in November and April. 
• Freshman Seminar: Contemplate, Create, Debate (DANC 190 - offered fall semester) You will create, perform, produce, examine, and begin to define your aesthetics by taking in as much art and culture as one can in a semester!
• Hip-Hop Dance and Identity (DANC 228) fulfills the race and ethnicity general education requirement. This course unifies people across racial and ethnic barriers and offers tools for self-expression by considering race, sexuality, class, authenticity, and gender. (not offered in 2025-26)
• Experiential Anatomy (DANC 336 - offered spring semester) is designed for dancers, movers, and aspiring movement practitioners to develop a deeper anatomical understanding of the body and to explore anatomical relationships through neuromuscular exercises. It is taught by Emma Faulkner, a physical therapist for the Atlanta Ballet.
• History of Western Concert Dance (DANC 220 - offered spring semester) fulfills the humanities and arts general education requirement. This course requires permission of the instructor and is open only to students intending to major or minor in dance.