Artistic Opportunities

Performance

Opportunities for performing in the Hampshire dance program and Five College dance department are frequent and richly varied. At Hampshire, there are four to seven concerts of student, faculty, and guest artists' work produced each year.

Hampshire students also have abundant opportunity to perform in concerts produced on other Five College campuses. Each school has its own theater (some have several), and offers at least one student and one faculty concert per year. There is also an annual Five College dance department concert which rotates among the campuses.

Dances are cast through both auditions and informal networking. Every fall there are auditions for Five College dance department faculty choreography, MFA student work, Division III and senior thesis concerts, and others. The touring company of the University of Massachusetts dance program, University Dancers, also holds an audition in the fall that is open to all Five College dance department students.

Choreography

Students interested in choreographing have several opportunities in which to present their work. In addition to the Division III and Five College student concerts, Hampshire students can present work at the annual Hampshire dance program winter concert. Students are required to participate in the winter concert fall critique series, a venue in which students are mentored by faculty and peers through the creation and development of their work. The dance program also hosts an annual informal works-in-progress showing in the spring, open to anyone.

Production

A concert not only needs dancers and choreographers, it also needs a crew. Technical experience is vital to understanding all aspects of performing, and is required of all dance students. The show simply can't go on without a crew. Each show needs a stage manager and assistant stage manager, house manager, light board operator, sound operator, and more. Training in the technical aspects of production is an important learning experience done in a comfortable and fun environment, and no previous experience is necessary.