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.

Boats Leaving, choreographed by Doug Varone, 2019 UMass Amherst Fall Faculty Concert. Photo by Derek Fowles.

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.

A dancer dances in a middle of a circle of people squatting. Their arms are outstretched. The lighting is dark but the dancers exhibit lots of energy.

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
A group of dancers in colorful clothing are arranged in a clump on stage. They are mid jump with their heads and arms towards the right side of the image.

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

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.

Fall 24 Travel Packages for Dance Classes by Campus.

 

Spring 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 122H 01 Beg./Int. Hip Hop Djeffrey Jean-Philippe Amherst College M/W | 4:00 PM - 5:20 PM
DANCE 132 01 Introduction to Hip Hop Shakia Barron Mount Holyoke College TTH 10:30AM-11:45AM
DANCE 232 01 Intermediate Hip Hop Shakia Barron Mount Holyoke College TTH 01:45PM-03:00PM
DANCE 236 01 Funk Styles Shakia Barron Mount Holyoke College MW 01:45PM-03:00PM
DAN 146 01 Beginner Hip Hop Dance Niki A. Farahani Smith College W 1:20 PM - 2:35 PM; M 1:40 PM - 2:55 PM
DAN 246 01 Intermediate Hip Hop Daniel Guzman Smith College M W 10:50 AM - 12:05 PM
DANCE 131 01 Jazz Dance II Lauren Cox UMass Amherst TU TH 1:00PM 2:15PM
DANCE 191P 01 S- Hip Hop Duane Holland, Jr UMass Amherst TU TH 2:30PM 3:45PM
DANCE 192A 01 Sem - Tap I Duane Holland, Jr UMass Amherst F 4:00PM 5:15PM
DANCE 192A 02 Sem - Tap I Duane Holland, Jr UMass Amherst F 4:00PM 5:15PM
DANCE 233 01 Jazz Dance IV Lauren Cox UMass Amherst TU TH 4:00PM 5:15PM

Spring 2024 Dance Courses: Technique - Ballet

Subject Course # Sect # Course Title Instructor(s) Institution Meeting Times
THDA 220H 01 Int./Adv. 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 TTH 01:45PM-03:00PM
DANCE 222 01 Intermediate Ballet Barbie Diewald Mount Holyoke College TTH 09:00AM-10:15AM
DAN 120 01 Beginning Ballet 1 Gabriella Jae Carmichael Smith College M W 10:50 AM - 12:05 PM
DAN 223 01 Intermed Ballet 2 Caitlin Angela Canty Smith College TU TH 1:10 PM - 2:35 PM
DAN 227 01 Intermediate Pointe Technique Kate Martel Smith College W 7:00 PM - 8:20 PM
DAN 325 01 Advanced Ballet 2 Eleanor Goudie-Averill Smith College M W 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
DAN 327 01 Advanced Pointe Technique Kate Martel Smith College W 7:00 PM - 8:20 PM
DANCE 121 01 Ballet II Thomas Vacanti UMass Amherst M W F 11:15AM 12:05PM
DANCE 223 01 Ballet IV Thomas Vacanti UMass Amherst M W 2:30PM 3:45PM
DANCE 325 01 Ballet VI Thomas Vacanti UMass Amherst M W 2:30PM 4:15PM

Spring 2024 Dance Courses: Technique - Modern/Contemporary

Subject Course # Sect # Course Title Instructor(s) Institution Meeting Times
THDA 115H 01 Contmp Dance: Beg. Jenna Riegel Amherst College M/W | 11:00 AM - 12:20 PM
THDA 219H 01 Contemporary Partnering Jenna Riegel Amherst College TU/TH | 4:00 PM - 5:20 PM
HACU 0206 1 Contemp Dance Tech Half Course Gabrielle Revlock Hampshire College 02:30PM-03:50PM TU;02:30PM-03:50PM TH
DANCE 107 01 Intro to Ballet & Modern Eleanor Goudie-Averill Mount Holyoke College TTH 01:45PM-03:00PM
DANCE 216MA 01 Intermediate Modern Eleanor Goudie-Averill Mount Holyoke College TTH 03:15PM-04:30PM
DANCE 318 01 Advanced Modern Chavi Bansal Mount Holyoke College MW 11:30AM-12:45PM
DAN 113bu 01 Contemporary:T-Butoh Maddy Sher Smith College M W 5:00 PM - 6:15 PM
DAN 113fn 01 Contemporary:T-Fundamentals Maddy Sher Smith College TU TH 2:45 PM - 4:00 PM
DAN 216 01 Intermed Contemporary 2 Frankie Baron Smith College M W 10:50 AM - 12:15 PM
DAN 318 01 Adv Contemp 2 Angie Hauser Smith College TU TH 10:50 AM - 12:15 PM
DANCE 114 01 Modern Dance II Duane Holland, Jr UMass Amherst TU TH 10:00AM 11:15AM
DANCE 216 01 Modern Dance IV Chloe London UMass Amherst M W 5:30PM 6:45PM

Spring 2024 Dance Courses: Technique - Additional Technique Offerings

Subject Course # Sect # Course Title Instructor(s) Institution Meeting Times
DAN 113bu 01 Contemporary:T-Butoh Maddy Sher Smith College M W 5:00 PM - 6:15 PM
DAN 119 01 Beginning Contact Improv Niki A. Farahani Smith College TU TH 1:20 PM - 2:35 PM
DAN 133 01 Dance for Every Body Laura Pattee David,Yun Lee Smith College W 2:45 PM - 4:00 PM; M 3:05 PM - 4:20 PM
DAN 141sw 01 Forms:T-Swing Caitlin Angela Canty Smith College TU TH 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
DAN 143ka 01 T-Kathak Rachna Agrawal Smith College TU TH 1:20 PM - 2:35 PM
DAN 144 01 Tango I Laura Grandi Smith College W 2:45 PM - 4:00 PM; M 3:05 PM - 4:20 PM
DAN 202 01 Strength&Flex/Movemnt Interm Frankie Baron Smith College M W F 8:15 AM - 9:15 AM
DANCE 292D 01 S- Acting for Dancers Tracy Einstein UMass Amherst M W 11:15AM 12:05PM
DANCE 292D 02 S- Acting for Dancers Tracy Einstein UMass Amherst M W 11:15AM 12:05PM

Spring 2024 Dance Courses: Creative Studies: Choreography, Composition, and Improvisation

Subject Course # Sect # Course Title Instructor(s) Institution Meeting Times
THDA 110 01 The Creative Process Jungeun Kim Amherst College TU/TH | 9:00 AM - 10:50 AM
THDA 111 01 Language of Movement Jenna Riegel Amherst College M/W | 2:00 PM - 3:50 PM
THDA 248 01 Socially Engaged Perform Jungeun Kim Amherst College TU | 2:30 PM - 5:20 PM
THDA 254 01 Experiments Across Media Wendy Woodson Amherst College TU/TH | 2:00 PM - 3:50 PM
THDA 355 01 Solo Performance Wendy Woodson Amherst College TU/TH | 11:30 AM - 12:50 PM
HACU 0151 1 Interdisciplinary Dance Making Lailye Weidman Hampshire College 01:00PM-02:20PM TU;01:00PM-02:20PM TH
HACU 0214 1 Queer Dance Lailye Weidman Hampshire College 10:30AM-11:50AM M;10:30AM-11:50AM W
DANCE 218 01 Improv./Africanist Perspect. Shakia Barron Mount Holyoke College MW 10:00AM-11:15AM
DANCE 252 01 Intermediate Composition Chavi Bansal Mount Holyoke College MW 03:15PM-04:30PM;MW 03:15PM-04:30PM
DANCE 272PM 01 Dance&Payatt Mvmt/Asian Dias. Chavi Bansal Mount Holyoke College TTH 10:30AM-11:45AM;TTH 10:30AM-11:45AM
DANCE 390 01 Senior Capstone Seminar Barbie Diewald Mount Holyoke College F 01:45PM-03:00PM;F 01:45PM-03:00PM
DAN 151 01 Elem Dance Composition Chris Aiken Smith College TU TH 2:45 PM - 4:50 PM
DAN 216 01 Intermed Contemporary 2 Frankie Baron Smith College M W 10:50 AM - 12:15 PM
DANCE 151 01 Elem Composition Duane Holland, Jr UMass Amherst TU TH 11:30AM 12:45PM

Spring 2024 Dance Courses: Scientific Aspects of Dance

Subject Course # Sect # Course Title Instructor(s) Institution Meeting Times
DANCE 338 01 Mobilizing the Hippocampus Barbie Diewald,Marta Sabariego Mount Holyoke College MW 01:45PM-03:00PM;MW 01:45PM-03:00PM

Spring 2024 Dance Courses: Music, Movement, and Rhythmic Analysis

Subject Course # Sect # Course Title Instructor(s) Institution Meeting Times
MUS 218 01 Colq: Music & the Moving Body Maeve Sterbenz Smith College W 1:20 PM - 2:35 PM; M 1:40 PM - 2:55 PM
DANCE 192R 01 S-BodyPercussion & Rhythm Flow Richard Barshay UMass Amherst F 12:20PM 3:30PM
DANCE 287 01 Rhythm Analysis:Dancers Prsptv Jesse Bay UMass Amherst TU TH 2:30PM 3:45PM

Spring 2024 Dance Courses: Related Topics and Seminars

Subject Course # Sect # Course Title Instructor(s) Institution Meeting Times
THDA 225H 01 The Craft of Speaking II Ron Bashford Amherst College TU/TH | 11:30 AM - 12:50 PM
DANCE 390 01 Senior Capstone 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 377sa 01 T-Adv St Histry&Aesthet-Salsa Lester Tomé Smith College M 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM
DAN 399 01 Senior Seminar Angie Hauser Smith College M 1:40 PM - 4:20 PM
DANCE 171 01 Dance In The 20Th C Ann Biddle UMass Amherst M W 12:20PM 2:00PM
DANCE 292D 01 S- Acting for Dancers Tracy Einstein UMass Amherst M W 11:15AM 12:05PM
DANCE 292D 02 S- Acting for Dancers Tracy Einstein UMass Amherst M W 11:15AM 12:05PM
DANCE 392A 01 S-Dance Education II Ann Biddle UMass Amherst W F 9:05AM 11:00AM
DANCE 394CI 01 Emerging Choreographers Molly Lynch UMass Amherst TU TH 11:30AM 12:45PM
DANCE 493D 01 S- NYPOP Lauren Cox UMass Amherst M W 12:20PM 2:00PM
DANCE 495A 01 Sem-Senior Project Duane Holland, Jr UMass Amherst F 8:00AM 11:00AM

Spring 2024 Dance Courses: Graduate Courses

Subject Course # Sect # Course Title Instructor(s) Institution Meeting Times
DAN 500ms 01 Grad Sem:T-Music&Sound Jake Meginsky Smith College F 9:25 AM - 12:05 PM
DAN 500vc 01 Grad Sem:T-Video&Camera Tori Lawrence Smith College TU TH 9:25 AM - 10:40 AM

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Melinda Buckwalter

Melinda Buckwalter

Managing Director of Five College Dance