Bachelor of Science in Dance Management

The Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment is dedicated to preparing dancers to work as performers, teachers, choreographers, and arts/entertainment managers. Students selected through the audition process enter as dance majors. They take a foundation curriculum of dance technique, arts management and production, teaching dance, choreography, dance history, music fundamentals, and general education courses in the first two years. Students are placed in one of the three dance major degree tracks (Dance Performance, Dance Teacher, or Dance Management) for their junior and senior years. Placement in the degree for which students are best matched is based on the students’ interests and faculty evaluation of their skills, knowledge, and accomplishments. The dance management degree is focused on developing employable dancers and managers for the entertainment industry. The dance management program has three core focuses: dance technique training, arts management instruction and business administration. The dance training core focuses on tap, jazz, theatre dance and ballet as used in musical theatre. The arts management and business administration cores focus on developing the knowledge and cultivating the expertise essential to managing successful arts organizations. Students develop technical and professional skills necessary to have life-long careers in show business. Oklahoma City University offers ten levels of instruction in each technique of tap, jazz, and ballet. Each semester students rotate through four to five teachers in each technique to expose students to multiple styles of instruction and choreography. By constantly being exposed to multiple professors each semester, students learn to adapt their personal style and technique preparing them to be comfortable in any audition situation. Equally important as educational growth, the professional development of students is central to the philosophy of the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment. Students will learn how to take responsibility of their career path through career preparation courses and co-curricular activities. Arts Management Dance management majors take a variety of arts management classes to equip them with a wide variety of skills that will help ensure success in any entertainment career path. Arts management courses include: Performing Arts Tour Management study the characteristic of a successful tour manager employed by a performing arts organization Presenting and Sponsoring Performances examine the considerations needed to produce, sponsor, or present the performing arts Managing Non-Profit Arts Organizations study management topics from the perspective of the general manager Entertainment Technology foster an understanding and appreciation of the mechanics and processes involved in creating and producing an entertainment event Development and Fund-Raising understand the techniques needed to raising funds and financially supporting a nonprofit organization Managing Dance Studios educating students on how to establish, operate, and build a successful dance studio Stage Management examine stage management topics for a broad range of theatre and entertainment events.