In Fall 2025, incoming LMU dance students will have the option to choose from one of three distinct degree pathways: a B.A. in Dance, a B.A. in Choreography and Performance, or a B.A. in Dance Pedagogy and Social Action. The Department of Dance’s curriculum has also moved from 3 units to 4 units, which will provide students more contact time in classrooms and studios.
The B.A. in Dance will be a reduced version of the existing curriculum, making it the most conducive to double-majoring. It is geared towards students who want to be in a dance-related field, like physical therapy, or those who want to pursue a unique field but still want a foundation in dance. Students will take required courses for the degree in the first four semesters and have a reduced schedule in the following four semesters so they can satisfy another other major.
The B.A. in Choreography and Performance is for students who want careers in dance performance or choreography. In response to recent developments in the field, this program will prepare students for concert dance and commercial dance, allowing students to professionalize their skills across various mediums. It has a vigorous schedule that requires students to dance all four years, so they are prepared to land jobs on stage and screen.
The B.A. in Dance Pedagogy and Social Action also requires students to dance all four years but will poise them for various positions as dance teachers, be that in secondary education, private studios, or the competition and conference circuits. They will also be equipped to pursue career paths that use dance as a tool for community and social engagement.
LMU has a unique offering that attracts students who have a variety of interests. This new curriculum will help students hone niche expertise, while still delivering a B.A. in Dance at a liberal arts institution. And since 54% of the classes are shared across all three degree programs, students will still benefit from belonging to a tight-knit community.
“We really value community at LMU. We don’t want leveling to get in the way of students all being together with their various interests. By having so many of the classes shared, we retain community,” says Rosalynde LeBlanc, dance department chair.
The changes that will occur will strengthen the already well-established program. LMU’s mission of educating the whole person will remain paramount; programming will continue to emphasize diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism; and career preparedness will continue to center social justice. Current LMU dance majors will have the options to finish out their current B.A. in Dance as it gets phased out over the next three years, or transfer into one of the new degrees.
“These new initiatives are both pedagogical (which asks the appropriate questions: “what to teach, why to teach it, and how to teach it?”) and professionalizing—as we prepare students for diverse career pathways,” says CFA Dean, Bryant Keith Alexander.
LMU Career Catapult Initiatives (CCI) will be more incorporated into the curriculum rather than just being offered as a volunteer option. The professional development programming, funded by parents of CFA Alums, CFA councilmember Jean Rosenthal and Nick Freygang, is a key component to this new chapter for LMU Dance as it helps students identify and refine their marketable skills and better prepare them to encounter the unique challenges found in the Los Angeles dance scene (and beyond). Dean Alexander notes that the generosity of the donors continue to make a transformative difference in the life of our programs; a paying it forward for future generations of CFA graduates.
“We are preparing students to be changemakers in the vast field of dance. This means we need to prepare them to have a career!” LeBlanc says. “With this new curriculum, students will graduate from LMU with an emphasis on their diploma that sets them apart from others and gives them a defined trajectory in an industry that is often times difficult to navigate.”
Stay tuned for more information about the new dance curriculum in the Spring.