The Department of Dance at Tisch School of the Arts strives to prepare young artists for a life in dance.
Dance in New York City reflects our intense focus on technical training, choreography, and performance within an environment that cultivates critical thought, creative process, and the highest standard of physical self-expression.
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Program Overview
In addition to rigorous technical practice, students create new dance compositions and learn existing repertory from established New York City-based dance artists. We also provide opportunities to explore newer areas of dance research, including kinesiology and dance science, and the role of new technology in dance creation. Students share their own compositions with faculty in weekly showings; the program culminates in a final studio showing for faculty, family and friends.
Note: The Tisch Summer High School Program is not a leisure camp. While the average program runs daily, Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm, including academic classes, professional training, and/or studio and production time, students will often be just as busy in the evenings and weekends which also include curricular events and opportunities to work individually or collaborate with peers on assigned projects.
CORE CURRICULUM
Students take the following courses for a combined total of 6 units.
Dance Studio Practice is designed to develop a rigorous physical practice in the young dancer in preparation for college-level pre-professional dance training. This four-week course consists of three components: Dynamic Alignment and Conditioning, Ballet Technique, and Contemporary Technique. Course work focuses on learning to dance healthfully, emphasizing placement and alignment principles that lead to the most efficient use of the body. A comprehensive, organic approach to dance encourages students to develop versatility of style and an individual voice through physical practice.
Objectives
Strengthen concepts of efficient alignment while supporting a healthy dancing body
Clarify concepts of classical ballet technique as underlying foundations for technical expertise
Explore a variety of contemporary technical styles, including Cunningham, Limon, and Release techniques
Creative Research in Dance is designed to introduce students to college-level pre-professional practice in choreography and performance. This four-week course consists of three components: Composition, Repertory, and a series of special workshops in Improvisation, Anatomy/Kinesiology, and Dance and New Media. Course work focuses on the development of new choreography through creative generation of movement phrases and an exploration of spatial and temporal aspects of dance composition. Students will create short choreographies to be shared weekly for constructive critical feedback. Throughout the Repertory component students will learn and refine professional-level dance works to be performed in the Final Studio Showing.
Objectives
Introduce tools for generating novel movement compositions
Develop aspects of personal style in composition and performance
Explore the interpretation and performance of dance repertory
Investigate newer fields of dance research and integrate concepts from improvisation, kinesiology, and new media into dance practice
Classes take place Monday to Friday, from about 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with attendance at dance performances in the evenings. Weekends include special workshops, rehearsals, and guest dance company lectures and demonstrations.
This sample schedule is based on previous summers to give prospective students an understanding of the highly structured and rigorous training offered in the Tisch Summer High School Dance Program. This sample schedule is an overview of one of the four weeks in the program. Students accepted and confirmed for the program will be given their actual schedule on orientation day.
Program Fee (activities facilitated by Residential Life & Housing): $160
Housing for 4 weeks: $1,116
10 meals a week for 4 weeks: $680*
*As this is a residential program, students are automatically enrolled in the 10 meals a week plan for the length of the program. Students have the option of increasing their meal plan if they wish.
Tisch has a limited number of full scholarships for high school students to attend the Tisch summer programs. Scholarships are given to students who demonstrate the most financial need.
