The Hartt School | Music Dance Theatre

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Student Performances

Mainstage Concerts

Hartt's Dance Division produces two main-stage concerts every year showcasing students in the works of the most significant choreographers past and present. Concerts are fully produced and often in collaboration with live music from the Hartt Music Division. In addition, dance students perform in Musical Theater and Opera productions as well as in an ever expanding roster of mentored interdisciplinary collaborative events.
Senior Composition Concert

As part of their composition curriculum, senior dance majors present two black box concerts a year for which they create group choreographies and commission solo choreography for themselves from professional choreographers. They hold auditions to cast their undergraduate classmates in their work, and manage every aspect of the production from advertising and fundraising to designing costume and lighting. The educational experience exactly mirrors that of a professional choreographer's responsibilities.
Professional Productions

While matriculating to graduation, students in good standing are selected and paid to perform with many professional companies including Hartford Stages, Hartford Symphony, Full Force Dance Theatre, Eastern Connecticut Ballet and others.

Undergraduate Programs

Ballet Pedagogy Emphasis

The Hartt School offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with programs in Dance Performance or Ballet Pedagogy (teaching), which are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD). Hartt dancers develop their skills through many performance opportunities, teaching internships and participation in a rigorous conservatory-style curriculum with expert instruction from world-renowned faculty and guest artists. Performance opportunities begin freshman year and are available to all majors. Students train in classical ballet, modern dance and contemporary techniques with additional coursework in music, dance composition, pedagogy, performance techniques, kinesiology, repertory, technology in dance, and dance history. It is our goal to graduate technically competent, knowledgeable artists, capable of adapting to the varied demands of a career in dance and prepared to lead the field of dance into the future.

The Ballet Pedagogy emphasis is designed to prepare students for a career in dance education on the highest level. The Hartt School boasts the only professional and nationally accredited undergraduate Ballet Pedagogy program in the United States. Students are trained to teach ballet to all ages in professional school and university dance programs. This major strongly emphasizes pedagogical structure and theory, covering different styles and schools of ballet and modern dance, from the earliest pre-ballet to coaching the advanced dancer. This emphasis incorporates classroom teaching and internships in both The Hartt School Community Division's dance classes and in area public schools. Students in the teaching program participate fully in the many performance opportunities available to Hartt's dancers.

This program offers future dance educators the opportunity to develop their craft and artistry in a challenging yet nurturing environment while expanding their ability to function as engaged and educated citizens throughout their careers.

Performance Emphasis

The Hartt School offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with programs in Dance Performance or Ballet Pedagogy (teaching), which are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD). Hartt dancers develop their skills through many performance opportunities, teaching internships and participation in a rigorous conservatory-style curriculum, with expert instruction from world-renowned faculty and guest artists. Performance opportunities begin freshman year and are available to all majors. Students train in classical ballet, modern dance and contemporary techniques with additional coursework in music, dance composition, pedagogy, performance techniques, kinesiology, repertory, technology in dance, and dance history. It is our goal to graduate technically competent, knowledgeable artists, capable of adapting to the varied demands of a career in dance and prepared to lead the field of dance into the future.

The Dance performance emphasis is designed to prepare students for careers in dance as professional performing artists. Students in this program focus on technique, performance, and choreography as well as some pedagogical training. In addition, they partake of the considerable resources of academic excellence available through the University of Hartford. This program offers future dance performers the opportunity to develop their craft and artistry in a challenging yet nurturing environment while expanding their ability to function as engaged and educated citizens throughout their careers.