Ballet at Barnard
After dancing 24+ hours a week during high school, I faced a question all dancers must ask themselves: will I dance in college?
Many of my friends at dance went on to apprenticeship or trainee programs with ballet companies or went to conservatory dance programs like Boston Conservatory at Berkeley and the Fordham/Ailey BFA program. Meanwhile, other friends at school were applying for more competitive academic schools, with no one continuing with their extracurricular activities in a serious sense. For me, I wanted something in between: high level dance training with a pathway that could lead me to a professional dance career AND rigorous academics with a more traditional college experience. In sharing my experiences, I hope you can understand more and get excited about Barnard’s vibrant dance scene!
Barnard’s Dance Department
In my experience, not everyone who is extremely interested and experienced in dance is necessarily a dance major. The department has no admission requirements so anyone, regardless of their dance level/experience, can be a major or minor. The main privilege of being a dance major is getting to reserve up to 2 hours of studio space per week and audit classes (allowing you to take more technique classes without hitting the credit limit.) You also get preference on waitlists for dance electives which can fill up quickly. Barnard students can declare their major at any time, however Columbia students must wait until second semester sophomore year. The department is not like a conservatory where you are in a “cohort” of dancers who all take classes together. You will take classes with a variety of people from all grade levels who are and aren’t majoring in dance. Technique classes meet once or twice a week and can pretty easily fit around your academic courses. Basically everyone majoring in dance is double majoring, so it is very doable. Beyond ballet, the department also offers modern, tap, jazz, Afro-Caribbean and more! The higher level classes sometimes have informal auditions for placement, but anyone can take the beginner classes regardless of dance experience.
Something to note is that the dance department is not involved in admissions in any way.
The main feature of the dance department is their semesterly Rehearsal & Performance class. Each semester, the department brings in 4 professional choreographers to choreograph or stage an existing piece. This is a 3-credit class that rehearses from 6–9 twice a week and culminates in a final performance. The choreographers are mainly contemporary/modern, however they will occasionally feature other styles. You must audition for the class and can only be cast in one piece per semester. ANYONE, regardless of if they’re a major or minor, can audition and be casted. This is very common.
Beyond the Department: Clubs!
Many dancers at Barnard are involved in student dance groups. There are three ballet groups: Columbia Ballet Collaborative (CBC), Columbia Repertory Ballet (CRB), and Columbia University Ballet Ensemble (CUBE). For these groups, most rehearse on the weekends for 2–4 hours. They bring in professional choreographers and offer a pretty high level of dancing. It’s very possible to be in multiple ballet groups. For me personally, I have only danced with CBC and have had a great experience. Many of the dancers are coming from professional careers so as a younger dancer it is really inspiring and informative to get to know them. Everyone is also super friendly and interested in dancing in a supportive, flexible environment–certainly less petty and drama filled than high school can be.
Beyond ballet, there are many many many more groups for other styles! I don’t have time to mention them all, but I recommend looking at the Columbia Student Groups List.
The Dance Capital of the World: New York City
The significance of being in New York City as a dance student cannot be understated. The access to research resources, performances, classes, and auditions could not be better. Many students will frequently take class at Steps on Broadway or Broadway Dance Center. Student discounts for shows are also easy to come by. My freshman year I was able to go to the New York City Center Fall for Dance Festival and saw the opening night performance of Ailey!
In Conclusion… the vibes
At the end of the day, Barnard is an academics first school. You likely will not be able to dance the same number of hours as a student in a BFA program, but this isn’t to say you won’t be able to train at a high level. Barnard’s dance program is one of the best amongst the ivy-caliber liberal-arts colleges. The range of classes/clubs, experience of teachers, and accessibility to the greater dance industry is fantastic. If you are focused in classes and make meaningful connections with teachers, it is absolutely possible to dance professionally after graduation. That being said, no one will tell you exactly what to do. There are no specific requirements telling you how much to dance, what classes to take, or what you should do at every step along the way. While this is a little overwhelming, it is also really great because it lets each dancer dictate their level of involvement and choose what works best for their goals. Barnard has a fantastic and supportive alumni network to get advice from and all the professors in the department are super knowledgeable and able to help you achieve your goals. The dance students are also, in addition to extremely talented, super supportive and kind. Everyone incorporates dance into their college experience in their own ways, whether it be through the department, dance clubs, classes in the city, personal projects and more.
For me personally, I have been able to explore many styles of dance beyond ballet, taking my first ever classes in hip-hop and tap while also getting experience in heels and jazz! It has also been exciting to dance in musical theater productions, something I never had time for in high school. Being able to fit dance at a high level into my academic schedule has been such a gift and I am so happy to be able to continue growing as a dancer here at Barnard!