Chalk it up to the popularity of “Dancing with the Stars” and “The Producers”but dance and musical theater programs are hotter than ever. The trend is good news for those who have considered a career in entertainment, one of the most competitive industries for college graduates. But for those who are just curious about studying dance or musical theater in college, you’ll need a lot of natural talent to beat out your competition for a place in the top programs. While newer programs may be more willing to accept beginners, programs that have been in existence for some time can be incredibly competitive. At Tulane’s Newcomb Dance Program, like most of the other prestigious programs, students must audition to be accepted. Considering that dance has been part of Newcomb’s curriculum since 1886, it should come as no surprise that the program is designed for serious dance students.
The same is true for schools like Fordham College, which partners with the world-famous Ailey School (as in Alvin Ailey) in its B.F.A. program in dance, and Purchase College in New York, which clearly explains that its dance program is not for dabblers.
(At Purchase the dance students’ “home” is the award-winning Dance Building designed by Gunner Birkerts — the first U.S. facility to be constructed solely for the study and performance of dance.)
In terms of competition the same is true for musical theater. At schools with serious long-standing programs you often need to be the best of the best to get in. Just take Ithaca College’s B.F.A. program. The musical theater department is described as “an intensive performance-oriented major designed to offer professional training in singing and acting techniques with a secondary emphasis in dance.” Coursework includes private voice lessons sight-singing scene study voice and movement for the stage and styles of acting. There are also courses in keyboard musicianship stagecraft history of theater and dance. For those who want to take their show on the road (literally) a study abroad program at the Ithaca College London Center offers an intensive theater experience for those who want to learn live and experience theater in England.
If you’re serious about musical theater don’t let the competition — or the intensity — scare you. One good technique in choosing a school is to review the alumni list. At Carnegie Mellon for example the Acting/Musical Theater Program has a long list of well-known graduates including Ted Danson Holly Hunter Judith Light and Blair Underwood. At the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music the names may not be as familiar but their successes in national touring productions as well as Broadway Off-Broadway and television shows speak for themselves. Alumni have gone on to appear in such well-known programs and shows as “Scrubs, The Sopranos, Les Miserables and Cirque du Soleil.”
Of course none of this is meant to send you running for the comforts of a less “glamorous” degree — only to serve as a reminder that there’s a difference between taking a class in something that sounds fun … and majoring in it. Luckily you don’t need to make up your mind right now. You’ve got plenty of time to just gather information … and maybe the nerve to audition.
