M.F.A. in Dance
The Program
The Master of Fine Arts in Dance constructs opportunities for highly motivated choreographers to conduct both research in dance and an assessment of contemporary issues in dance aesthetics, history, and culture. The focus of this program is the development of experimental choreography that challenges cultural assumptions and is informed by a critical and reflective perspective. Core courses focus on what constitutes an experiment in contemporary dance, improvising choreography, systems of representation used to create choreographic meaning, and the collaborative process. Through close cooperation with the Ph.D. in Dance History and Theory, students explore the dynamic relationships between theory, method, and objects of study.
The program is especially designed for the practicing artist who desires to return to an institutional context for advanced study. The program seeks applicants who desire to contextualize their aesthetic inquiry through the study of history, cultural, and political perspectives on dance. Students will be asked to examine their own artistic work production from these various perspectives, as they produce new work. They will be involved in a rigorous investigation of contemporary aesthetic issues as formulated in their own research projects.
A final project demonstrates a thorough investigation and committed execution of a defined choreographic problem.
Admission
Applicants to the M.F.A. in Dance must demonstrate significant professional experience as an active choreographer making and producing work, and must have a B.A. or a B.F.A. degree from an accredited institution. A video sample of choreography is required. Scores on the GRE are not required, although it is recommended that applicants take the GRE if their GPA is below a 3.0.
Application
Applicants are encouraged to complete the Preliminary Information Form. The Preliminary Information Form will be delivered to Department of Dance, where your interests and qualifications will be considered before receipt of the official Graduate Division application, which usually takes longer to complete. Applicants are also required to file an "official" application electronically to the Graduate Division at http://www.graddiv.ucr.edu/admtoc.html.
Course Work
Students must complete 40 units of course work (10 courses) and 12 units of independent research for a final project.
The core curriculum, normally to be completed in the first two years of residency, shall comprise the following 16 units:
Dance 240: Improvising Choreography: Scores, Structures, and Strategies (4 units)
Dance 241: Creating the Experiment: Identifying the New (4 units)
Dance 242: Dancing Representation: Figures, Forms, and Frames (4 units)
Dance 243: Collaborating in Dance Making: Material, Methods, and Interactions (4 units)
In addition, students must complete 16 units from the following dance history and theory courses:
Dance 254: Political Approaches to Dance Studies (4 units)
Dance 255: Historical Approaches to Dance Studies (4 units)
Dance 257: Rhetorical Approaches to Dance Studies (4 units)
Dance 258: Cultural Approaches to Dance Studies (4 units)
One 4-unit Dance 200-level seminar course in history and theory, excluding Dance 280 and Dance 290 to Dance 299.
Students must take 8 units of elective courses relevant to their specific research project. These courses may be offered within or outside of the department, or they may be fulfilled through the option of field study, an off-campus period of study integral to the student’s successful completion of the master’s project.
An additional 12 units are taken through Dance 297 or Dance 299 for work on phases of the final project. During the second year, students form a committee consisting of three faculty members, one of whom may be outside the department. The committee approves the project proposal and supervises the final project. The student’s progress through the program culminates in the final project, which reflects a serious investigation of a specific choreographic problem.
No foreign language requirement.
Written and/or Oral Qualifying Examination
During the second year, the student writes a 5-15 page proposal for the final project to be approved by the committee.
Final Project
The final project could take the form of a concert of dances or some other performance event in which the student’s research is made evident. Because of the experimental nature of the program, it is difficult to specify the exact form the project may take. For example, students may 1) undertake to create site-specific dances occurring in different locales over several months, 2) organize opportunities for interactive choreography with distinct groups of performers, or 3) choreograph a dance to be viewed on CD-ROM. Whatever the final form, the project must demonstrate a thorough investigation and committed execution of a defined aesthetic concern. The final project includes a written requirement to be completed within one quarter following the performance event. This document, 20-40 pages long, outlines the aesthetic focus of the student’s research and provides a historical and philosophical contextualization for the project.
Normative Time to Degree
The normative time toward the completion of the M.F.A. in Dance is 9 quarters.
Financial Aid
University of California, Riverside offers support in the form of Fellowships and Teaching Assistantships.
For more information, contact:
Student Affairs Officer
Department of Dance – Box NF
University of California, Riverside
Riverside , CA 92521-0328
Tel: (951) 827-3343
Fax: (951) 827-4651
E-mail: PAadvising@ucr.edu
Subject Line: Performing Arts Student Advising