Five College Consortium
•Part of the Five College Dance Department (Smith, Amherst, Mount Holyoke, Hampshire, UMass Amherst)
•Nationally recognized model for excellence in dance in higher education
•Access to faculty and courses across all five campuses
Choreographic Focus
•Specialization in choreography, creative process, performance, improvisation and pedagogy
•Two public choreography presentations in the first year
•Ambitious thesis project in Theatre 14 with professional-level production support
•60-page written thesis combining research and analysis
Teaching & Pedagogy
•All students are teaching fellows, teaching three studio courses per year
•Instruction in dance pedagogy through two required courses
•Combination of hands-on experience, coursework and mentoring
Training
•Technique training in modern and postmodern dance, improvisation and contemporary ballet
•Courses in dance film, dance science, music in choreography and contemporary aesthetics
•Elective courses across the liberal arts curriculum of Smith and the Five Colleges
Facilities
•Theatre 14 in Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts
•Four dance studios including the Leeds Studio for Dance Research (renovated 2017)
•Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre for flexible staging
•Professional scene and costume shops
