DEPARTMENT OF DANCE
dance.osu.edu
As one of the premiere dance programs in United
States, the Department of Dance at The Ohio State
University is at the forefront of contemporary modern
dance through choreographic and performance
exploration, creative use of technologies, and
reimagining the documentation of dance traditions.
Visiting artists and scholars enrich all dimensions of the
program and regularly augment the resident faculty.
AT A GLANCE
One of the first departments
nationwide to offer a BFA, MFA,
and PhD in dance
A founding member of the
National Association of Schools
of Dance (NASD)
Top ranked graduate program
and the second ranked
undergraduate program in
North America (Dance Teacher
Magazine survey of 100 dance
department chairs in the United
States and Canada, 2001). No
survey has been conducted since
BY THE NUMBERS
1200 Non Major Students
300 Minors
100 Undergradaute majors
35 Graduate students
Dance Uptown: DIRT
18 Faculty
DANCE UPTOWN: DIRT
In May 2012, the Department of Dance takes dance to Ohio State’s
Agricultural campus—Ohio State’s roots. Internationally acclaimed
choreographers and dance faculty Bebe Miller and Esther BakerTarpaga are creating a unique series of dances for spaces in the
Department of Animal Science, dirt and all!
The event will be a celebration of Ohio’s agri economy and its creative
culture and in honor of the 150th year of the Morrill Land-Grant Act,
which established The Ohio State University.
Unique among dance departments nationwide in its
focus on embodied scholarship and use of technology
and movement analysis.
DEGREE PROGRAMS
Minor, Dance
BFA, Dance
MFA, Dance
PhD, Dance Studies
WE ARE ENGAGED IN DANCE
MAKING. FROM UNDERGRADUATE
STUDENTS’ EXPLORATIONS OF
DANCE MATERIALS, HISTORY,
AND NOTATION TO GRADUATE
STUDENTS’ INVESTIGATIONS OF
THEORY, ANALYSIS OF MOVEMENT,
AND MEANING IN DANCE, THE
DEPARTMENT OF DANCE THRIVES ON
MAKING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN
DANCING ITSELF, AND TALKING
ABOUT, DOCUMENTING, ANALYZING,
AND CREATING DANCE.
{Susan Van Pelt Petry, Chair, Department of Dance}
FACULTY
Faculty members are internationally renowned
choreographers, and performers with broad
professional experiences, teachers with records of
excellence and innovation, and artist/scholars defining
the burgeoning field of dance studies and hybrid
approaches to theory and practice
PROJECTS AND PARTNERS
COUNCIL OF DANCE ADMINISTRATORS (CODA)
Susan Van Pelt Petry serves on the board of trustees.
DANCE NOTATION BUREAU (DNB)
To advance the art of dance through the use of a system
of notation. Each year DNB assists in staging around
150-200 performances from scores. DNB’s Extension for
Education and Research is located at Ohio State.
EXPERIMENTAL MEDIA AND MOVEMENT ARTS
(EMMA) LAB
A joint creative research project of the Department of
Dance and Ohio State’s Advanced Computing Center for
the Arts and Design (ACCAD), integrating the body and
technology in myriad ways.
MOTION BANK
A four year project (2010-2013) with The Forsythe
Company, providing a broad context for research into
choreographic practice. The creation of on-line digital
scores in collaboration with guest choreographers are
publicly available at http://motionbank.org/en/
MOVEMENT RESEARCH, INC
One of the world’s leading laboratories for the
investigation of dance and movement-based forms.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS OF DANCE
(NASD).
Susan Van Pelt Petry is one of the founding members of
NASD.
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY WEXNER MEDICAL
CENTER
OSU Dance Wellness: Where Medicine Meets the Arts
A collaboration with The Ohio State University Sports
Medicine. Dancers and artistic faculty and staff work
with a team of rehabilitation specialists to promote
health and wellness for the performing artist/athlete.
On site and backstage care, pre-season screenings, and
an elective course in dance wellness are all provided.
Dance Downtown
DEPARTMENT OF DANCE
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
022 SULLIVANT HALL, 1813 NORTH HIGH ST
COLUMBUS, OHIO 43210
(614) 292-7977
Chair: Susan Van Pelt Petry
1.2012-LA