51����

Why Choose a Dance Major at 51����?

Dance nurtures your mind, body, and soul. Dance allows you to express yourself and your faith. The 51���� offers an unmatched undergraduate dance program in partnership with the Fort Wayne Ballet Conservatory of Dance.

From the books to the barre.

Immersed in the world of professional dance from Day One, you will train and perform alongside members of the state’s premier ballet company while earning a bachelor of arts from 51����. With a primary focus on ballet, our conservatory curriculum also features training in:

• Contemporary dance
• Jazz
• Tap
• Character
• Repertoire
• Choreography
• Dance history, theory, and teaching

With a strong foundation in the liberal arts, you’ll develop your ability to interpret ideas and emotions in dance, while studying human anatomy will deepen your understanding of movement and the mechanics of dance.

Rooted in the Franciscan tradition of faith and reason, your entire 51���� educational experience will strengthen your character and prepare you to become a grounded, ethical professional in whatever field you choose.

Why Fort Wayne?

51����’ hometown of Fort Wayne is flourishing with arts and culture, making it an incredibly inspiring place to hone your craft. Arts Campus Fort Wayne, just about two miles from campus, is a vibrant downtown area full of creative organizations and experiences. Among its residents is Fort Wayne Ballet.

Studio to Stage: Real-World Experience

Through our partnership with Fort Wayne Ballet and other local and regional arts organizations, you’ll get plenty of professional dance experience:

Campus and Community Performances

Show off your skills and learn about the inner workings of productions:

• Perform with the Fort Wayne Ballet in its biannual production of The Nutcracker and its annual spring production
• Plan or perform in student-led productions on campus

Teaching and Performance Artist Internships

Gain teaching, choreography, and arts management experience through a range of internship options with Fort Wayne Ballet. You can even rotate through various departments to learn more about the many layers of a professional arts organization, from sales and marketing to fundraising.

Talent Scholarships for Dance Majors

Students can audition at the Ballet or virtually. Faculty members review the performance audition and make evaluations based on technique, musicality, artistic quality, and other applicable criteria.

Faculty and Facilities

You’ll learn from dedicated, passionate scholars in your general education and liberal arts courses on campus and from talented, renowned dancers from Fort Wayne Ballet Conservatory of Dance.

A Faculty of Performance Artists

You’ll study alongside  who’ve taught and performed around the globe, including:

• Karen Gibbons-Brown, artistic director, is an award-winning dancer with an impressive list of performance credits and teaching experiences.
• Eleonora Pokhitonova Hartung, a graduate of the prestigious Bolshoi Ballet Academy of Moscow, Russia, is Fort Wayne Ballet’s master teacher, choreographer, and character ensemble director.
• Tracy Tritz is an ABT-certified instructor and serves as the ballet mistress and outreach director.

The Auer Center for Arts and Culture

The Auer Center for Arts & Culture, just 2.5 miles from campus, is home to the Fort Wayne Ballet. As a 51���� dance major, you’ll spend plenty of quality time honing your technique in this bright, airy facility.

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Campus and Community Involvement

As a dance major, you’ll feel at home at 51����. Our campus is full of artists and creators who get together to create, learn, worship, and make a difference in the community through clubs and activities such as:

• Artists in Action
• Dance Club
• Dead Artists Society
• Jesters
• Music Technology Club
• Student Activities Council

After Graduation: Dance Major Careers

Your degree in dance can lead to a career as a performance artist in dance and theater companies across the nation, as well as a variety of arts-related roles within schools, nonprofits, and recreational organizations. Possibilities include:

• Artistic director
• Choreographer
• Company dancer
• Dance instructor
• Studio owner
• Arts administrator

Where You’ll Find Our Graduates

51���� graduates are making a difference in the Fort Wayne arts community and beyond at places such as:

• Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne
• Elite Dance Center
• Fort Wayne Ballet
• Gold Canyon School of Ballet