A Well-Rounded Curriculum

The UNLV Department of Dance is committed to preparing the next generation of professional dancers, choreographers, educators, and creative artists. Through rigorous technical training, creative inquiry, and collaborative performance experiences, students develop the versatility, discipline, and artistic perspective needed for careers in today's evolving dance profession.

Dance Degree Programs

Ballet dancer in a pink tutu and pointe shoes extending one leg and arm.

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance

Our curriculum emphasizes technical excellence, critical thinking, artistic exploration, and professional practice. Students are encouraged to understand not only how movement is created and performed, but also the creative, cultural, and collaborative processes that shape dance as an art form.

The Department of Dance offers three bachelor of fine arts degree programs:

  • Performance and Choreography
  • Production Design and Management
  • Professional Dancer

Minors

Dancer with long braided hair extending one arm upward under purple lighting.

Sometimes one dance or design class changes the way you move in the world. Sometimes several classes can inform the direction of your life.

The Department of Dance proudly offers minors that allow students from a wide range of majors to explore movement, performance, and creative expression.

Depending on their interests, students can choose from the following programs:

  • Minor in Dance
  • Minor in Dance Production Design and Management
  • Minor in Pilates

Certificates

Four dancers embracing one another as part of choreography for a dance performance

The Pilates certificate (DK Body Balancing MethodTM) prepares students for professional certification and careers as Pilates instructors, fitness professionals, movement educators, and practitioners in the health, wellness, and performing arts industries. It includes 550 hours of education, internship, and observation.

Through comprehensive coursework and supervised practical experience, students develop the knowledge, technical skills, and teaching experience needed to work confidently with a wide range of clients and populations.

The curriculum emphasizes anatomy, alignment, core stability, movement principles, and professional practice while fostering safe, effective, and intentional movement. Students gain a strong foundation in Pilates methodology through classroom instruction, observation, internship experiences, and hands-on teaching.

Courses for Non-Dance Majors

Two dancers leaning into each other during a performance

Many of our dance courses are available for non-majors. Little or no previous experience is necessary. We offer a range of courses, including appreciation, movement, history, and kinesiology.