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MA in Dance (American Dance Studies)

Program Description

Live Oak, Performance & Choreography by FSU School of Dance Professor ANJALI AUSTIN. Photo by Carrie Seidman

Live Oak, Performance & Choreography by FSU School of Dance Professor ANJALI AUSTIN. Photo by Carrie Seidman

The focus of the Master of Arts (American Dance Studies) is on the critical study of dance through publicly engaged scholarship. Committed to scholarly and embodied research, the program investigates the significance of emergent and historical movement practices across stage, street, screen, and social dance forms. From the study of dance history and historiography to cultural criticism and dance ethnography, coursework emphasizes diverse approaches to the role of dance in cultures across the hemispheric Americas. The curriculum highlights FSU’s unique location in the American South and Florida panhandle—a nexus of African, European, First Nations, and Caribbean movement vocabularies. The program engages students with dance’s wide-ranging global contexts through investigations grounded in diaspora and transnationalism, foregrounding questions related to power, culture, identity, contemporaneity, sustainability, and social movements. American Dance Studies prepares students for careers or continued studies in diverse areas of the dance field. Whether toward a future PhD Degree in dance or professional work in related areas of dance administration, dance archival studies, arts library science, dramaturgy, or performance, both capstone and thesis tracks pursue a rigorous course of study and development of independent, creative research projects geared toward student interests.

The MA in Dance (American Dance Studies) degree candidate should have an extensive background in dance and an undergraduate degree in an appropriate area of study such as (but not limited to) fine or performing arts, history, American studies, cultural studies, anthropology, or humanities. At least a 3.0 undergraduate grade point average or an appropriate score on the verbal and quantitative portions of the Graduate Record Examination is required for admission. Admission into the degree program will be determined on the basis of these university-wide requirements, three required letters of recommendation, and the applicant’s required essay. The student’s progress is assessed continuously throughout their graduate study and there is a formal review of the candidate by the ADS faculty in semester two. A probationary period may be established if a student is having difficulty and needs special attention. The amount of work required, in addition to the minimum dance curricular requirements and the minimum University-wide requirements, depends upon the student’s undergraduate preparation.

Graduate Application

Curriculum Requirements

Capstone Track:

All ADS candidates enter into the capstone track, which culminates in an interdisciplinary research project, public showing, and scholarly synthesis paper. The MA in American Dance Studies capstone track requires a minimum of thirty-six semester hours of graduate-level course requirements, normally constituting a two-year course of study. This minimum must contain twenty-one to twenty-four semester hours of required courses, including three semester hours of a seminar in dance research, nine semester hours in American dance history, three semester hours in dance theory, three semester hours in special topics in dance, three semester hours of capstone work, and an internship related to the individual’s research, which may be taken for zero to three hours. Additionally, the candidate must earn the remaining degree hours (totaling thirty-six) in elective courses. This remaining amount varies between twelve and fifteen hours, depending on the internship credit. Elective courses may be taken outside the School of Dance in relevant research fields (e.g. in American and Florida Studies, History, African American Studies, Women’s Studies, Humanities, Music, Theatre, or Art History).

The student is required to include some movement experience in his or her degree program. The kind and scope of practical work will vary among students, depending on his or her professional and educational background, and the individual program of study will be developed with the adviser. The student must also complete the university-wide requirement regarding foreign language proficiency. This requirement may be met by one of the following: 1) Achieving a satisfactory performance on the Graduate School Foreign Language Test; 2) Labanotation or Laban Analysis (Effort Shape) coursework with a 3.0 (B) average; 3) Completion of twelve semester hours of college level foreign language; 4) Four years of a single language at the high school level. Credit for foreign language courses may not be counted toward elective requirements.

  1. Seminar: Seminar in Dance Research, Three semester hours: DAN 5191.
  2. Dance History: Dance in the Global Gulf, Dance Migrations and Mobilities, Contemporary Stage and Social Movements, New York City: Arts and Resources, three semester hours each. Students select from among these course offerings to total nine semester hours: DAN5147, DAN5148, DAN5149, and DAN5950r.
  3. Theory of Dance: Three semester hours: DAN 5128.
  4. Special Topics in Dance: Three semester hours: DAN 5930.
  5. MA Capstone: Three semester hours: DAN5971r.
  6. Internship: Zero to Three semester hours: DAN5940r.
  7. Electives: twelve to fifteen semester hours.

Total: Thirty-six semester hours.

Thesis Track:

MA students wishing to create a traditional, scholarly research thesis in culmination of their degree are invited into the thesis track in semester two, after consultation with the ADS faculty. The MA in American Dance Studies thesis track requires a minimum of thirty-six semester hours of graduate-level course requirements, normally constituting a two-year course of study. This minimum must contain twenty-four semester hours of required courses, including three semester hours of a seminar in dance research, nine semester hours in American dance history, three semester hours in dance theory, three semester hours in special topics in dance, and six semester hours of thesis work. Additionally, the student must earn twelve semester hours of elective courses, which may be taken outside the School of Dance in relevant research fields (e.g. in American and Florida Studies, History, African American Studies, Women’s Studies, Humanities, Music, Theatre, or Art History).

The student is required to include some movement experience in his or her degree program. The kind and scope of practical work will vary among students, depending on his or her professional and educational background, and the individual program of study will be developed with the adviser. The student must also complete the university-wide requirement regarding foreign language proficiency. This requirement may be met by one of the following: 1) Achieving a satisfactory performance on the Graduate School Foreign Language Test; 2) Labanotation or Laban Analysis (Effort Shape) coursework with a 3.0 (B) average; 3) Completion of twelve semester hours of college level foreign language; 4) Four years of a single language at the high school level. Credit for foreign language courses may not be counted toward elective requirements.

  1. Seminar: Seminar in Dance Research, Three semester hours: DAN 5191.
  2. Dance History: Dance in the Global Gulf, Dance Migrations and Mobilities, Contemporary Stage and Social Movements, New York City: Arts and Resources, three semester hours each. Students select from among these course offerings to total nine semester hours: DAN5147, DAN5148, DAN5149, and DAN5950r.
  3. Theory of Dance: Three semester hours: DAN 5128.
  4. Special Topics in Dance: Three semester hours: DAN 5930.
  5. Master’s Thesis in Dance History: Six semester hours: DAN 5973.
  6. Master’s Thesis Defense: Zero semester hours: DAN 8976.
  7. Electives: Twelve semester hours.

Total: Thirty-six semester hours.

The American Dance Studies (ADS) program is currently on hiatus and will begin accepting applications again in late 2023 for the 2024-2025 academic year. If you would like more information about the ADS program, curriculum, and/or opportunities, please contact Dr. Jeff Bray (jbray@fsu.edu), who will connect you with an advisor.

Graduate Financial Aid

Graduate Assistantships are available to qualified students and often combines teaching and research or a combination of different work responsibilities. When applying, it is important to include as much information as possible about special abilities, interests, and experience.

  • Teaching Assistantships: To be eligible for an assistantship, the student must first successfully complete the apprenticeship program (see below).
  • Research Assistantships: These involve work in specialized areas such as costumes, publicity, production, etc. Applicants must demonstrate ability in their chosen area.
  • Apprenticeship Program: Candidates for apprenticeships must have a substantial background in dance history, theory and/or research, to be determined in consultation with the ADS advisor upon admittance to the program. Participation as an ADS teaching apprentice includes serving as TA in at least two semesters of one or more of the undergraduate dance courses (DAN2100, 2101, 3144, 3145, 3146). Apprentices must also complete all University PIE training and the Dance History Pedagogy course. If it is not offered, this course may be satisfied via DIS. After successfully completing this apprenticeship, the student is eligible for consideration as a teaching assistant, which often entails leading a section of DAN2100: Dance Appreciation.

How to Apply for Aid: Download, complete and return the Graduate Apprenticeship Application.

For more information about graduate programs, contact:

Anjali Austin
Graduate Program Director
School of Dance
P.O. Box 3062120
Florida State University
Tallahassee FL 32306-2120
aaustin@fsu.edu