Dance
Five College Dance comprises the dance departments of our member campuses, with each offering its own distinctive program while collaborating as a uniquely rich inter-campus consortium with abundant possibilities for dance students.
Rennie Harris masterclass & "Popsicles can do so much" by Jungeun Kim, photos by Derek Fowles. Rehearsal of "Dance 1" (1979) by Lucinda Childs, photo by nikki lee.
On This Page
Mission
Five College Dance advances embodied practice as a critical mode of inquiry, expression, and civic engagement across cultural and historical contexts. We cultivate new generations of artists, scholars, and practitioners to shape the field of dance and dance studies.
Historical
Established in 1978, Five College Dance (FCD) is a creative and intellectual collaboration organized between the dance departments and programs at Amherst, Hampshire, Smith, Mount Holyoke Colleges and University of Massachusetts Amherst. A community of undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, musical accompanists, visiting scholars and artists, we create and amplify access to rich, varied artistic and academic opportunities in dance.
Our House, choreographed by Shakia Barron, 2018 Mount Holyoke Fall Faculty Concert. Photo by Charles Flachs.
Our member dance departments and programs collaborate by:
- Coordinating a shared undergraduate dance curriculum with diversely trained faculty and varied course offerings in dance technique, performance, composition and theory
- Producing at least one major repertory project most years, open to all five college students
- Providing performance opportunities on each campus for all five college students
- Opening the great majority of campuses’ events, workshops, professionalization opportunities, masterclasses, residencies, symposia, and field trips to all five college students
Reflect/Respond: A Limón Dance Legacy Concert at UMass Amherst, 2019. Photo by Derek Fowles.
Five College Dance Provides
- Production management and technical supervision for all FCD concerts, events, and auditions, as well as for any FCD contributions to the annual American College Dance Association conference.
- Annual production workshop for students producing their own shows, plus additional production-related learning opportunities
- Annual lecture by a major scholar and/or artist in the field
- Annual concert with a faculty- and guest-choreographed work submitted from each school, featuring students from all campuses
- News from the departments, FCD, and alumni
- Masterclasses from professional dance artists on the UMass Center for Fine Arts season
- Centralized communication hub (social media, listserv, website) to share with students and faculty dance-related events, professional opportunities, news, and programs from the campuses, FCD, the local community, and beyond
- Coordination and facilitation of musician accompanists for most campuses’ technique classes
- Photographing and archiving professional photos of FCD performances and events
- Collaborations with non-dance departments/units and external arts organizations
- Support for the work of individual departments, students, and faculty that benefit the consortium
Links to Campus Dance Programs
Dance Course Grid & New Classes
Please Note: If you don't see classes from all campuses currently listed, they will appear as the campuses release their course schedules for the semester. The five campuses release their schedules on different dates. Visit this page for specific dates. These course listings are meant for advising periods. During the corresponding semester, please check the college course websites for the most up to date listings.
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Fall 24 Travel Packages for Dance Classes by Campus.
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Meet the New Dance Faculty at Five College Dance.
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Approved Courses for the Dance Major / Minor for Fall 24.
THDA 126H & 255 at Amherst + Dance 191C & 391R at UMass
Neri Torres is the new Five College Dance Joint Lecturer in Dance of Africa / African Diaspora. Fall 24 semester, she teaches Afro-Cuban technique (Dance 191C) and Afro-Cuban repertoire (Dance 391R) at UMass as well as Afro-Cuban technique (THDA 126H) and Dance & Society (THDA 255) at Amherst College. Look for her at Smith and Mount Holyoke in the spring!
HACU-0239-1: Dance Production with Matthew Adelson
Tuesdays, 1:00 - 3:50PM
In this course, students will be introduced to many aspects of dance production practices and techniques. This includes multiple areas of design (lighting, costumes, audio, video and scenery) and issues arising in production management; including budgeting,
pre-production planning, scheduling, rehearsal and staff supervision as well as conflict
resolution. Additionally, there will be some classes devoted to the larger field of arts
management, specifically related to dance presentation and producing. These will be
presented by the instructor, as well as by guest lecturers, sourced from the professional
world in the western Massachusetts area and beyond, including New York, Boston, etc.
THDA 111 at Amherst College
New dance faculty Angelica Monteiro, a storyteller, movement artist, and educator from the Brazilian Amazon, teaches the Language of Movement at Amherst College this fall. This intro course focuses on movement as a language that communicates our thoughts, emotions, beliefs, habits and sensations. Each week different practices and themes will be introduced to offer multiple viewpoints, different ways of moving, approaches to dance and performance making, and compositional methodologies.
Confused about how to register for an FCD course?
Look no further! Five Colleges, Inc. wants to make your registration process as seamless as possible so they have made this cross-registration How To for you. Follow these steps and be sure to email the instructor to tell them of your interest. Happy Dancing!
Fall 2024 Dance Courses: Technique - The Continuum of Black American Dance Forms - West African/Jazz/Hip Hop
| Subject | Course # | Sect # | Course Title | Instructor(s) | Institution | Meeting Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THDA | 126H | 01 | Afro-Cuban Dance | Neri Torres | Amherst College | TU/TH | 11:30 AM - 12:50 PM |
| LCSEM | 0109 | 1 | West African Dance History | Amy Jordan | Hampshire College | 10:30AM-11:50AM M;10:30AM-11:50AM W |
| DANCE | 142 | 01 | Intro to West African Dance | Mustapha Braimah | Mount Holyoke College | MW 03:15PM-04:30PM |
| DANCE | 234 | 01 | House Dance | Shakia Barron | Mount Holyoke College | TTH 01:45PM-03:00PM |
| DANCE | 237 | 01 | Intermediate Tap | Ian Berg | Mount Holyoke College | T 07:15PM-09:45PM |
| DAN | 146 | 01 | Beginner Hip Hop Dance | Daniel Guzman | Smith College | M W 10:50 AM - 12:05 PM |
| DAN | 246 | 01 | Intermediate Hip Hop | Miss Angelica Polk | Smith College | TU TH 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM |
| DANCE | 130 | 01 | Jazz Dance I | Lauren Cox | UMass Amherst | TU TH 2:30PM 3:45PM |
| DANCE | 191C | 01 | S- Intro to Afro Cuban | UMass Amherst | M W 4:00PM 5:15PM | |
| DANCE | 232 | 01 | Jazz Dance III | Lauren Cox | UMass Amherst | TU TH 11:30AM 12:45PM |
| DANCE | 334 | 01 | Jazz Dance V | Lauren Cox | UMass Amherst | TU TH 11:30AM 12:45PM |
Fall 2024 Dance Courses: Technique - Ballet
| Subject | Course # | Sect # | Course Title | Instructor(s) | Institution | Meeting Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THDA | 120H | 01 | Dance: Beg./Int. Ballet | Kate Martel | Amherst College | TU/TH | 10:00 AM - 11:20 AM |
| DANCE | 107 | 01 | Intro to Ballet & Modern | Eleanor Goudie-Averill | Mount Holyoke College | MW 11:30AM-12:45PM |
| DANCE | 222 | 01 | Intermediate Ballet | Eleanor Goudie-Averill | Mount Holyoke College | MW 01:45PM-03:00PM |
| DAN | 120 | 01 | Beginning Ballet 1 | Gabriella Jae Carmichael | Smith College | TU TH 1:20 PM - 2:35 PM |
| DAN | 210 | 01 | Hybrid Techniq:ModerntoBallet | Caitlin Angela Canty | Smith College | M W 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM |
| DAN | 222 | 01 | Intermediate Ballet 1 | Kate Martel | Smith College | M W 10:50 AM - 12:15 PM |
| DAN | 324 | 01 | Advanced Ballet 1 | Eleanor Goudie-Averill | Smith College | TU TH 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM |
| DANCE | 120 | 01 | Ballet I | Thomas Vacanti | UMass Amherst | TU TH 1:00PM 2:15PM |
| DANCE | 222 | 01 | Ballet III | Thomas Vacanti | UMass Amherst | M W 11:15AM 12:05PM |
| DANCE | 324 | 01 | Ballet V | Thomas Vacanti | UMass Amherst | M W 11:15AM 12:30PM |
| DANCE | 391D | 01 | S-Ballet Pointe/Variations | Thomas Vacanti | UMass Amherst | M W 12:20PM 1:10PM |
Fall 2024 Dance Courses: Technique - Modern/Contemporary
| Subject | Course # | Sect # | Course Title | Instructor(s) | Institution | Meeting Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THDA | 315 | 01 | Dance: Adv. Contemporary | Jenna Riegel | Amherst College | TU/TH | 4:00 PM - 5:50 PM |
| THDA | 315H | 01 | Dance: Adv. Contemporary | Jenna Riegel | Amherst College | TU/TH | 4:00 PM - 5:50 PM |
| DANCE | 107 | 01 | Intro to Ballet & Modern | Eleanor Goudie-Averill | Mount Holyoke College | MW 11:30AM-12:45PM |
| DANCE | 318 | 01 | Advanced Modern | Barbie Diewald | Mount Holyoke College | TTH 09:00AM-10:15AM |
| DAN | 113fn | 01 | Contemporary:T-Fundamentals | Dimitri Kalaitzidis | Smith College | TU TH 1:20 PM - 2:35 PM |
| DAN | 210 | 01 | Hybrid Techniq:ModerntoBallet | Caitlin Angela Canty | Smith College | M W 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM |
| DAN | 215 | 01 | Intermed Contemporary Dance 1 | Angie Hauser | Smith College | TU TH 10:50 AM - 12:15 PM |
| DAN | 317 | 01 | Adv Contemp Dance 1 | Angie Hauser | Smith College | F 10:25 AM - 12:15 PM |
| DANCE | 215 | 01 | Modern Dance III | Duane Holland, Jr | UMass Amherst | M W 5:30PM 6:45PM |
Fall 2024 Dance Courses: Technique - Additional Technique Offerings
| Subject | Course # | Sect # | Course Title | Instructor(s) | Institution | Meeting Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAN | 133 | 01 | Dance for Every Body | Sarah Young | Smith College | TU TH 2:45 PM - 4:00 PM |
| DAN | 141sw | 01 | Forms:T-Swing | Caitlin Angela Canty | Smith College | W 2:45 PM - 4:00 PM; M 3:05 PM - 4:20 PM |
| DAN | 144 | 01 | Tango I | Laura Grandi | Smith College | TU TH 2:45 PM - 4:00 PM |
| DAN | 202 | 01 | Strength&Flex/Movemnt Interm | Niki A. Farahani | Smith College | M W F 8:15 AM - 9:15 AM |
Fall 2024 Dance Courses: Creative Studies: Choreography, Composition, and Improvisation
| Subject | Course # | Sect # | Course Title | Instructor(s) | Institution | Meeting Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THDA | 111 | 01 | Language of Movement | Angelica Monteiro | Amherst College | M/W | 2:00 PM - 3:50 PM |
| HACU | 0161 | 1 | Desire Lines: Dance | Lailye Weidman | Hampshire College | 10:30AM-11:50AM TU;10:30AM-11:50AM TH |
| HACU | 0252 | 1 | Dance Repertory Process | Lailye Weidman | Hampshire College | 01:00PM-03:50PM M;01:00PM-03:50PM W;01:00PM-03:50PM M;01:00PM-03:50PM W |
| DANCE | 151 | 01 | Elementary Composition | Shakia Barron | Mount Holyoke College | MW 11:30AM-12:45PM |
| DANCE | 390 | 01 | Advanced Seminar | Barbie Diewald | Mount Holyoke College | F 01:45PM-03:00PM;F 01:45PM-03:00PM |
| DAN | 207 | 01 | Intermediate Repertory | Niki A. Farahani | Smith College | M W 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM |
| DAN | 207 | 02 | Intermediate Repertory | Eleanor Goudie-Averill | Smith College | TU TH 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM |
| DAN | 252 | 01 | Intermediate Dance Composition | Angie Hauser | Smith College | TU TH 1:20 PM - 4:00 PM |
| DAN | 252 | L01 | Intermediate Dance Composition | Angie Hauser,Hannah Littman | Smith College | TU 4:10 PM - 5:00 PM |
| DAN | 305 | 01 | Advanced Repertory | Chris Aiken | Smith College | W F 2:45 PM - 4:00 PM |
| DANCE | 192D | 01 | S-Improv & Mvmnt Exploration | Lauren Cox | UMass Amherst | M W 2:30PM 3:45PM |
| DANCE | 252 | 01 | Intermed Composition | Chloe London | UMass Amherst | TU TH 2:30PM 3:45PM |
| DANCE | 353 | 01 | Adv Composition | Yun Lee | UMass Amherst | TU TH 4:00PM 5:15PM |
| DANCE | 391R | 01 | S- Afro Cuban Repertoire | UMass Amherst | M W 5:30PM 6:45PM |
Fall 2024 Dance Courses: Scientific Aspects of Dance
| Subject | Course # | Sect # | Course Title | Instructor(s) | Institution | Meeting Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DANCE | 241AM | 01 | Anatomy of Movement | Barbie Diewald | Mount Holyoke College | MW 10:00AM-11:15AM;MW 10:00AM-11:15AM |
Fall 2024 Dance Courses: Music, Movement, and Rhythmic Analysis
| Subject | Course # | Sect # | Course Title | Instructor(s) | Institution | Meeting Times |
|---|
Fall 2024 Dance Courses: Related Topics and Seminars
| Subject | Course # | Sect # | Course Title | Instructor(s) | Institution | Meeting Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THDA | 218 | 01 | Dance Technique and Rep. | Jenna Riegel | Amherst College | F | 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM |
| THDA | 218 | 02 | Dance Technique and Rep. | Angelica Monteiro | Amherst College | F | 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM |
| THDA | 218H | 01 | Dance Technique and Rep. | Jenna Riegel | Amherst College | F | 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM |
| THDA | 255 | 01 | Dance and Society | Neri Torres | Amherst College | TU/TH | 2:00 PM - 3:50 PM |
| HACU | 0239 | 1 | Production Management for Danc | Matthew Adelson | Hampshire College | 01:00PM-03:50PM TU |
| DANCE | 171GC | 01 | Dance History: Global Context | Mustapha Braimah | Mount Holyoke College | TTH 10:30AM-11:45AM;TTH 10:30AM-11:45AM |
| DANCE | 305CR | 01 | Repertory: Contemporary | Mustapha Braimah | Mount Holyoke College | W 06:00PM-10:00PM |
| DANCE | 305ST | 01 | Repertory: Street Styles | Shakia Barron | Mount Holyoke College | M 06:00PM-09:00PM |
| DANCE | 390 | 01 | Advanced Seminar | Barbie Diewald | Mount Holyoke College | F 01:45PM-03:00PM;F 01:45PM-03:00PM |
| DAN | 171 | 01 | Dance History: Politicl Bodies | Lester Tomé | Smith College | M W 9:25 AM - 10:40 AM |
| DAN | 377ci | 01 | Adv Studies: Contact Improv | Chris Aiken | Smith College | M 1:30 PM - 2:55 PM; W 1:10 PM - 2:35 PM |
| DANCE | 261 | 01 | Dance Education Introduction | Ann Biddle | UMass Amherst | W F 9:05AM 11:00AM |
| DANCE | 272 | 01 | Dance And Culture | Ann Biddle | UMass Amherst | M W 2:30PM 3:45PM |
| DANCE | 368 | 01 | Writing About Dance | Ann Biddle | UMass Amherst | M W F 1:25PM 2:15PM |
| DANCE | 495A | 01 | Sem-Senior Project | Duane Holland, Jr | UMass Amherst | TU TH 1:00PM 2:15PM |
Fall 2024 Dance Courses: Graduate Courses
| Subject | Course # | Sect # | Course Title | Instructor(s) | Institution | Meeting Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAN | 500pc | 01 | Grad Sem:T-Philosoph Contemp | Lester Tomé | Smith College | M 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM |
| DAN | 553 | 01 | Choreography By Design | Chris Aiken | Smith College | TU TH 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM |
These Fall 24 FCD Courses fulfill requirements for the dance major / minor:
|
Course |
School |
Approved Course # |
Days |
|
Dance History |
MHC Smith |
DANCE 171 Braimah DAN 171 Tomé |
TTH MW |
|
Composition I |
AC MHC |
THDA 111 Monteiro DANCE 151 Barron |
MW MW |
|
Composition II |
Smith UM |
DAN 252 Hauser DANCE 252 Holland |
TTH TTH |
|
Composition III (or equivalent) |
UM |
DANCE 353 Lee |
TTH |
|
Dance and Culture |
UM |
DANCE 272 Biddle |
MW |
|
Scientific Foundations |
MHC |
DANCE 241 Diewald |
MW |
|
Senior Seminar |
MHC UM |
DANCE 390 Senior Capstone Diewald DANCE 495 Senior Seminar |
F TTH |
|
Education |
UM |
DANCE 261 Biddle |
WF |
|
Intermediate Hip Hop |
AC SC |
THDA 122 DAN 246 |
MW TTH |
|
Intermediate House Dance |
MHC |
DANCE 234 Barron |
TTH |
|
Advanced Modern/Contemporary |
AC MHC SC |
THDA 315 or 315H Riegel DANCE 318 Diewald DAN 317 Hauser |
TTH TTH F |
|
Intermediate Modern/Contemporary |
SC UM |
DAN 215 Hauser DANCE 215 Holland |
TTH MW |
|
Advanced Ballet |
SC UM UM |
DAN 324 Goudie-Averill DANCE 324 Vacanti DANCE 391D Vacanti |
TTH MW |
|
Intermediate Ballet |
MHC SC UM |
DANCE 222 Goudie-Averill DAN 222 Teaching Fellow DANCE 222 Vacanti |
MW MW MW |
|
Advanced Theory (with topic) |
Smith |
DAN 377 CI History & Practice Aiken |
MW |
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