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Home » Academics » Academic Schools and Departments » Department of Theatre and Dance » Programs of Study » Minors in Theatre, Dance and Dance Education

Minors in Theatre, Dance and Dance Education

Because communication skills are critical to just about every area of human endeavor, Elmhurst offers minors in theatre, dance and theatre arts education.

Minor in Dance

The minor in dance will provide students with strong dance technique, rich historical information, valuable choreography and teaching tools and flexibility to further design their own emphases in the area of dance study. Approval by the dance faculty is required.

A minor in dance requires the successful completion of 5.0-5.5 course credits in the dance curriculum including:

  • THE 221 Dance Appreciation
  • THE 310 Dance Ensemble
  • THE 421 Choreography of Dance

Five .50-credit technique classes, with at least two at the 400 level from the following:

  • THE 208 Middle Eastern Dance
  • THE 302 Ballet
  • THE 303 Jazz Dance
  • THE 304 Tap Dance
  • THE 305 Social Dance and Period Styles
  • THE 306 Modern Dance
  • THE 402 Advanced Ballet
  • THE 403 Advanced Jazz
  • THE 404 Advanced Tap
  • THE 405 Advanced Social Dance and Period Styles
  • THE 406 Advanced Modern Dance

Minor in Dance Education

The minor in dance education is designed to prepare students for positions in secondary and middle schools as dance teachers and choreographers. The curriculum of the minor provides a strong foundation in a variety of core technique courses. Additionally, the program offers a historical perspective of dance and the methodology behind dance creation and its pedagogy. These skills are then applied to live dance productions.

Students seeking licensure should maintain a relationship with both the Department of Education and the Department of Communication Arts and Sciences. In compliance with Illinois requirements for a secondary endorsement, the minor in dance education fulfills 24 semester hours in the dance endorsement area, at least 12 of which are at the 300/400 level. Students are required to complete minor courses with grades of C or higher, while maintaining 2.75 minor GPA, in accordance with Illinois licensure requirements.

Students pursuing the minor in dance education must take all of the following core courses:

  • THE 221 Dance Appreciation
  • THE 310 Dance Ensemble
  • THE 410 Teaching of Dance
  • THE 421 Choreography of Dance

Five of the following technique courses, at least two of which are at the 400 level:

  • THE 302 Ballet (.50 credit)
  • THE 303 Jazz Dance (.50 credit)
  • THE 304 Tap Dance (.50 credit)
  • THE 305 Social Dance and Period Styles (.50 credit)
  • THE 306 Modern Dance Techniques (.50 credit)
  • THE 402 Advanced Ballet (.50 credit)
  • THE 403 Advanced Jazz (.50 credit)
  • THE 404 Advanced Tap (.50 credit)
  • THE 406 Advanced Modern Dance Technique (.50 credit)

Minor in Theatre

A minor in theatre consists of two terms of either Theatre Practicum or Musical Theatre Practicum, for credit or non-credit, in addition to any four courses from the theatre major. The department chair must approve any exceptions. Note the following limitations: only two courses in any area of applied theatre; only two sections of THE 176–476 Improvisation Ensemble and only one course in dance technique.

Minor in Theatre Arts Education

This minor is designed to prepare teacher education candidates for licensure endorsement in theatre as a supplement to their primary area of teacher preparation and licensure. The minor prepares students by offering a diverse range of theatre performance technique, history, literature and investigations into staging and pedagogy. The flexibility within the minor also permits students to focus their preparation on specific areas of theatre study suitable for a variety of positions within curricular and extracurricular programs in middle or secondary schools.

Students pursuing the minor in theatre arts education must take all of the following courses:

  • THE 226 Acting Technique I
  • THE 227 Development of the Theatre
  • THE 228 Stagecraft

Two courses in theatre history and/or literature:

  • THE 314 History of Musical Theatre
  • THE 329 World Theatre and Drama in Cultural Context
  • THE 331 History of Western Theatre I
  • THE 332 History of Western Theatre II
  • THE 350 Play Analysis
  • THE 470 Avant-Garde Theatre
  • THE 471 Holocaust Theatre
  • ENG 336 Contemporary Literature
  • ENG 345 Shakespeare
  • Theatre literature elective

One course (1.00 credit) in performance technique or design/tech:

  • THE 301 Voice and Movement for the Stage
  • THE 325 Oral Interpretation
  • THE 326 Acting Technique II
  • THE 338 Costume Construction
  • THE 340 Creative Drama
  • THE 426 Acting Techniques III
  • THE 428 Design for the Stage

Dance technique courses or improvisation ensemble taken for credit may be combined to satisfy this requirement.

One course in theatre staging or pedagogy:

  • THE 340 Creative Drama
  • THE 421 Choreography of Dance
  • THE 424 Directing
  • THE 440 Teaching Theatre Arts

Two terms (credit or noncredit) practicum:

  • THE 175/275/375/475 Theatre Practicum (.25 credit or noncredit) or THE 176/276/376/476 Musical Theatre Practicum (.25 credit or noncredit)

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