School of Communication at Northwestern University :: Dance

The Dance Program provides students and faculty with numerous opportunities to choreograph and perform starting in the first year.

Dance Works is produced annually by the Theatre Interpretation Center for their Mainstage Season. Northwestern University dance faculty and guest choreographers set pieces to be performed by dance students. All students taking dance classes are eligible to audition for this production. Auditions occur during fall quarter. Rehearsals begin in fall quarter, with the performances at the end of winter quarter. The performances are held in the Josephine Louis Theatre. Graduate theatre students design lighting and costumes for the concert.

Another performance opportunity through the Dance Program is the New Movement Project (formerly the NU Dance Ensemble) which presents student choreography performed by students. This is a wonderful opportunity for the student to explore choreography with guidance from a dance faculty advisor. These performances are held in the Ballroom Studio Theatre in the Marjorie Ward Marshall Dance Center during fall and spring quarters. New Movement Project is part of our community outreach program that also performs at area festivals, senior centers and schools.

The New Movement Project enriches and enhances the dance experience of actively motivated members of the dance community. The New Movement Project utilizes its resources as well as departmental, university, and community partnerships to provide students with elements of the dance experience that enhance the curriculum.

Through the ensemble, students find support for their own artistic discoveries and can participate in the endeavors of other members, including those that reach beyond the university community. The organization's programming initiatives include producing the Fall Dance Concert, hosting guest artists for residencies and workshops, and sponsoring individuals' own projects as they discover more about themselves through movement. Specific program decisions are made by an active core of student leaders with faculty guidance from Molly Shanahan. Through each element of participation in the ensemble students gain tools that will provide useful in the professional dance arena.

Students may also produce their own concerts in conjunction with course work or independent projects. The Dance Major Concert and the Senior Showcase are some examples of performances that the students develop. The Music Theatre Certificate Program offers additional performance and choreographic opportunities, as do student organizations that produce musical theatre and concert dance. Outside of the Dance Program, there are several groups that interest dancers: Boomshaka, Ladycats, Dance Marathon, WAA-MU, Graffiti Dancers, NU Social Dance, Tonik Tap and The Dolphin Show, to name a few.