CHRISTOPHER VANEMAN, dean
The School of the Arts at Converse College inspires, teaches, and trains artists by fostering communication, creativity and scholarship, and nurtures appreciation for the visual and performing arts.
The School of the Arts (SOA) at Converse College values and believes in the Arts as a path to: Passion, Inspiration, Imagination, Discovery, Expression, Transformation, and Joy.
The faculty in Art and Design, Theatre and Dance, and the Petrie School of Music train students to be working professionals in the arts. All students in the School of the Arts will take the following interdisciplinary courses in collaboration, personal brand development, and professionalization:
The Department of Theatre & Dance provides opportunities which enable students to develop their skills and talents in theatre arts and dance to foster a better understanding of the contribution that live performance makes to the process of educating the whole person in a liberal arts environment. Through the availability of experiences in a number of areas, students will find a wide variety of challenges and means of expression. The program of study places emphasis on the aesthetic and practical decisions inherent to these areas, thereby strengthening the student’s general intellectual capabilities and growth as an artist.
By the time of graduation, majors in theatre should demonstrate basic competencies in each area of theatre and should be able to compete successfully for positions in graduate school and in the professional job market.
The General Education Program is a requirement for all degrees. The requirements listed below are approved for the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Fine Arts.
| ENG 101 | 3 hours |
| Language and Culture | 9 hours |
| MTH 108 or higher | 3 hours |
| One course designated as Quantitative reasoning | 3–4 hours |
| Health and Well-being Wellness | 2 hours |
| Activity course | 1–2 hours |
| Humanities | 6 hours |
| Literature | 3 hours |
| Fine Arts | 6 hours |
| Natural Science | 7–8 hours |
| Social Science | 6 hours |
| Total | 49–52 hours |
Graduation requirements but not a separate course:
In order to earn a minor or a major in theatre or musical theatre, students must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 across all of their theatre or musical theatre courses. Minor and major GPAs are based on the grades earned in all theatre (and major required dance and music for the Musical Theatre degree or dance for Dance minors) classes taken at Converse. Transfer credits from other institutions do not figure into the required calculation for minor or major GPAs.
Dance courses may be taken as electives by anyone interested in dance, or students may choose to minor in dance. Introductory technique courses provide the opportunity for students to improve their technique in specific course genres, enhance their visual skills, spatial awareness, rhythm and creativity. In intermediate courses, students continue to build on these skills, and begin to focus on techniques necessary for the particular genre being studied. In advanced level courses, students gain an extension of an understanding and exploration of a genre. Students will gain experience through improvisation, compositional studies and different styles within the genre. DAN 190: History of Dance is available to students as an option in the fine arts requirement in the General Education Program. Technique courses may be taken as partial fulfillment of the physical education requirement of the General Education Program.
This beginner studio dance class is for students with limited or no dance training. Students will be introduced to the basic elements of both ballet and jazz, and will be taught basic dance locomotor skills, basic dance steps and simple combinations of both dance forms. Students with no previous ballet or jazz training should take this class prior to enrolling in either Ballet I or Jazz I.
DAN 106 or permission of instructor.
DAN 110 or permission of instructor.
DAN 111 or permission of instructor.
DAN 113 or permission of instructor.
DAN 114 or permission of instructor.
An in-depth study of one specific area of dance performance. Offering based on available staff/student interest. Because course content will vary, it may be taken more than once for credit.
Permission of the Instructor.
DAN 106, DAN 206 or permission of instructor.
DAN 110, DAN 210, or permission of instructor.
DAN 111, 211 or permission of instructor.
DAN 113, 213 or permission of instructor.
DAN 114, 214 or permission of instructor.
DAN 106.
DAN 106.
