• Female dancer in a pike jump, dark hair in tight bun, dark blue leotard with sheer 3/4-length sleeves.
College of Performing Arts

BA in Dance

» Bachelor of Arts in Dance

There are two dance degree programs at Chapman: the Bachelor of Arts in Dance and the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance.

  • All dance majors begin in the BA program.
  • In your sophomore year you can choose to apply to the BFA program or continue in the BA program.

In the BA program you’ll receive rigorous dance training in modern, jazz and ballet techniques. You’ll also build a strong liberal-arts foundation to become a well-rounded, thinking dancer with a firm grasp of both performance and theory.

You’ll be able to hone your dance skills, perform in your first year, take electives, and even double-major in an additional academic subject.


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Elijah Richardson ('18)
Dance alumnus
Recently named one of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch," Elijah Richardson is making a name for himself in the Chicago dance world and beyond.

A new home for dance at Chapman

Our new state-of-the-art Sandi Simon Center for Dance includes:

  • Five dance studios, including a performance studio
  • A dedicated health clinic
  • Student lounge
  • Classrooms, rehearsal studios and all the other facilities a top dance program needs and deserves.

Tour the Department of Dance

Register for an in-person or virtual tour of the Department of Dance. The 45-minute tour includes a look at our brand new Sandi Simon Center for Dance, including dance studios, classrooms and performance spaces. Learn more and register below.

Outside of Sandi Simon Dance Center

In-Person Dance Tour

Chapman dance students

Virtual Dance Tour

Ido Tadmor
Presidential Fellow
World-renowned dancer Ido Tadmor doesn't just teach classes at Chapman. He also accompanied Dance students on a 10-day summer travel course to his native Israel.

Related programs

Chapman dance students

BFA in Dance Performance

Two Chapman dance students

Dance Minor

Many of our dance students double-major in dance and another discipline. You can explore all of Chapman’s undergraduate majors and minors with our program finder.

Contact Us


Program Questions
dance@chapman.edu

Admission Questions
copaadmit@chapman.edu

College of Performing Arts News


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Named one of the best college dance programs in the United States.

2023-24  Best College Dance Program by DanceUS.org

Best College Dance Program 2022-23 by DanceUS.org

Best College Dance Program 2019-20