College of the Arts
School of Theatre and Dance
Dance Division
D101 Center for the Performing Arts
1325 Theatre Drive
Kent OH 44242-0001
Contact Information
Phone: 330/672-2069; Fax: 330/672-2889
E-mail:: dance@kent.edu
Website: http://www.dance.kent.edu
Program Head: Barbara A. Verlezza
Associate Director/Dance Coordinator
Phone: 330/672-0125
Email: bverlez1@kent.edu
Faculty
Faculty
Jennifer Black, Assistant Professor, musical theatre dance, jazz, tap
Ambre Emory-Maier, Assistant Professor, ballet
Catherine Meredith, Assistant Professor, modern, composition/improvisation, dance history, Artistic Director of the Kent Dance Ensemble
Jeffrey Rockland, Associate Professor, ballet, dance pedagogy
Barbara A. Verlezza, Associate Professor, modern, dance history, composition, dance pedagogy, dance as an art form
Taylor Ashton Adjunct jazz, dance & technology
Hannah Blake Adjunct dance as an art form
Theresa Holland Adjunct ballet
Carrie Langguth Adjunct dance as an art form
Samuel McIntosh Adjunct hip hop, jazz
Beverly Petersen-Fitts Adjunct ballet, modern, jazz, tap, swing
DeAnn Petruschke Adjunct ballet
Erin S. Smith Adjunct ballet, modern, jazz, tap
Mark Smith Adjunct tap
Program Philosophy
Our Mission: The Dance Division combines the rigor of conservatory training with a liberal arts education, recognizing and supporting our students as individuals and artists contributing to an ever-changing world.
Our Vision: The Dance Division will lead as curators of learning and innovation, producing students who discover, explore, and expand the global dance field and society at large.
The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program in Dance Performance develops technically sound, intellectually diverse, and creatively expressive dance artists and scholars who can contribute significantly to the art form and society. The curriculum provides students with opportunities for strong and varied technical preparation in contemporary dance forms including modern, ballet, jazz, and improvisation. Opportunities for performance and choreography, along with dance theory courses, complete a degree focused on the artist/scholar.
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance Studies allows students who have previous dance experience and a strong interest in another subject area, within or outside of the arts, the opportunity to combine the two into one plan of study. The curriculum provides students with a solid foundation in dance techniques and dance academics while allowing flexibility to incorporate another area or minor. The B.A. degree program encourages exploration of areas that can be combined with dance to enhance opportunities for future employment.
The division is strongly supported by courses in dance composition, dance history, dance and technology, and dance pedagogy, taught by an experienced and active faculty of artist/teachers. A minimum of three concerts are offered annually.
Accredited by National Association of Schools of Dance
Degrees Offered: BFA and BA degrees (120 credits); Dance Minor (20 credits)
Degree Requirements: 120 credits
Faculty: 6 FT, 9 PT
Academic Facilities School of Theatre and Dance: 3 dance studios, rehabilitation studio, classrooms, and offices in the Roe Green Center for the Performing
Production Facilities: 500-seat proscenium, 250-seat flexible, 200-seat black box theatre
Productions: 3+: Faculty, Kent Dance Ensemble, BFA Senior Dance Concert, Student Dance Festival, Black Box Series, Musical Theatre
Institution Type: public research institution/state university
Location: NE Ohio
Undergraduate Enrollment (Kent main campus): 20,418; In department: 25 majors; 70 minors; 20 musical theatre majors and theatre studies dance minors; 450 non-majors/semester
Annual Tuition: $12,464 resident; $21,570 nonresident
Annual Room and Board: $12,676
Department Financial Aid: Creative Artists Awards, merit scholarships through Honors College, and other School scholarships
Pre-professional Student Company: Kent Dance Ensemble, Artistic Director, Catherine Meredith
