Guidelines on Study Abroad – Dance
The Dance Program recognizes the value of study abroad for dance majors and joint majors and encourages proposals from you that reflect your particular academic interests. Rigorous, in-depth experience in other cultures can have important impact on creative work, especially when dance is a medium of that experience. In order to propose study abroad, you must carry a 3.0 GPA overall and in courses counted toward your major. You must also demonstrate that you will be able to complete all major requirements by graduation.
Every student contemplating Study Abroad must have a compelling academic rationale approved by his or her advisor and the appropriate academic department or program. This rationale is stated in an essay included with your application (available from the Office of Off-Campus Study). A compelling academic rationale means that you will be taking courses that meet one or more of the following criteria:
The courses are not offered at Middlebury but are rigorous and appropriate to a liberal arts education;
The courses are not offered at Middlebury but are rigorous and appropriate to your major(s);
The courses are the equivalent of Middlebury courses but are unique in perspective;
The courses may or may not be offered at Middlebury but are unique in perspective because they involve study of the natural history, economics, history, politics or culture of the region where the school is situated.
It is incumbent upon you to provide any pertinent material requested by your faculty advisor prior to approval.
Provided you have the endorsement of your major advisor and are able to complete the requirements for the major in accordance with the guidelines outlined in the general catalog, the Dance Program considers a rigorous study abroad program in a foreign language (i.e, in a program approved by the requisite language department and the Office of Off-Campus Study) to constitute an academic rationale sufficient to meet the academic rationale for Study Abroad required of all students. If you plan to apply any of the credits you receive from this study to your dance major, your advisor must approve your plan in advance.
One semester of study or two?
Our experience suggests that one semester of study is appropriate for students emphasizing creative work and performance. More time away from the process of generating and producing work interrupts development at a crucial stage. However, decisions about program and time away should be made in consultation with your advisor. For some students, especially joint majors, a full year abroad may be appropriate and productive. We suggest that you undertake to sketch your four-year Middlebury course plan as soon as you begin to consider a dance major or joint major in order to determine whether you can fulfill the requirements of the major in the time available. It is important that you give yourself at least one semester—at least one core dance course—of re-entry time before you undertake senior independent work, or the TD500, after your return.
If you are interested in auditioning for the Dance Company of Middlebury, consult with the faculty director for the year you plan to be away in order to determine whether or not you will be able to participate. Dance Company requires two semesters of work for a single academic credit—typically, fall and January, but this may vary. Some programs abroad will require attendance that may interfere with the January work.
Summer Study
We encourage our students to continue to dance during the summer if finances and schedule allow. Summer study opportunities are available abroad. A number of domestic summer dance festivals offer scholarships and work/study opportunities. The Bates Dance Festival in Lewiston, Maine and the American Dance Festival in Durham, NC are highly recommended. Brochures are posted on the dance bulletin board as they arrive. Apply early. In some instances, and with prior approval by the Dance Program Director, it is possible to earn college credit in these programs.
Check the Study Abroad Resource Book in the Dance Office for current listings. Also check with the Off Campus Study Office in Sunderland.
Recommended programs (asterisked) which include specific curricula in dance.
These are programs that students have attended and with which they have had good experience. Investigate them further to determine whether they still offer significant coursework in dance. Programs offered by the School for International Training (SIT) immerse you in the arts and culture of a particular country and support you while you pursue independent research in dance. These programs are offered in English with intensive language study of the region embedded in the curriculum.
Other programs worth exploring, many in English, are also included (no asterisk).
No courses in dance are offered at our Middlebury programs abroad at this time. However, administrators on site may be able to help you find extra-curricular dance opportunities. Other for-credit opportunities through our Middlebury schools abroad may be possible. Consult with the Office of Off-Campus Study and your advisor to identify them.
France:
*Sarah Lawrence College
Wells College, Program for the Arts in Paris
Indonesia (Bali):
*School for International Training
Senegal:
*School for International Training
United Kingdom:
*Middlesex University, London
Butler University program at the Laban Centre for Movement and Dance, London
Other Programs worth exploring:
School for International Training (Arts and Culture programs) – Nepal, Czech Republic, Ghana, India
Australia: University of Wollongong, Monash University, University of Western Sydney
Brazil: Universidade Federal da Bahia
New Zealand:Whitireia Polytechnic (under consideration)
South Africa:University of Pretoria, University of Cape Town