Welcome,
From Armando Duarte
Graduate MFA Program Director
On behalf of The University of Iowa Department of Dance, I am pleased to learn of your interest in the MFA program in dance. The University of Iowa has an outstanding national and international reputation for excellence in dance.
Nine distinguished faculty members and four staff professionals serve approximately 170 undergraduate dance majors and 12-15 graduate students each year. The dance building, Halsey Hall, has six dance studios. A 250-seat performance space for dance, Space/Place Theatre, is located two blocks from Halsey Hall. The Department of Dance produces numerous concerts each year and also sponsors outside dance companies in the Spac Place Theater.
The Department of Dance’s annual Dance Gala is presented in Hancher Auditorium each fall semester. Dancers In Company, the student touring company, travels throughout Iowa and the Midwest each spring semester with a repertory created by faculty and student choreographers, as well as visiting guest choreographers. The department offers numerous master classes and residencies with visiting guest artists each year. Some of our recent guest artists have included Fernando Bujones, Luis Fuente, Twyla Tharp, Doug Varone, Ed Burgess, Randy Duncan, Shapiro & Smith, Lar Lubovitch, Peggy Baker, Nicholas Letcher, Miguel Guiterrez, Lucas Crandall, Gabriel Mason, and Susan Toumine.
The MFA degree program in dance was revised in 1991 to include two separate degree tracks, a choreographic track and a performance track. These two areas of emphasis are supported with technical training in ballet, modern, choreography and performance. Pedagogy, improvisation, dance seminar and dance theory courses, together with the 8-credit thesis project, round out the 60-credit MFA degree.
Graduate support is offered by The University of Iowa in four ways: fellowships, teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and production assistantships. All applicants, regardless of the need for graduate financial support, are required to audition on campus in order to visit our department and meet our faculty and students. An invitation to audition will be extended to applicants upon a successful screening of all application materials by the Department of Dance faculty as well as the Dean of the Graduate College.
All MFA candidates must satisfy a dance technique proficiency of an intermediate level in both modern and ballet techniques to be admitted into the MFA program. This level of training must be demonstrated in the application videotape/DVD. Applicants should also clearly identify the MFA track they plan to pursue—choreography track or performance track. This information allows the Dance faculty to accurately evaluate each application. Where applicable, please note that incoming graduate students whose first language is not English must score a minimum of 550 on the TOEFL exam in order to be admitted into the Graduate College. TOEFL scores in the range of 550-600 will require an English evaluation on campus and English courses may be required in the first year of study at the University. Therefore, a total score of 600 on the TOEFL exam is preferable.
Please review the application materials carefully as numerous materials are requested, some of which are sent to the Admissions Office, while others are mailed directly to the Department of Dance. Formal transcripts should be sent directly to the Graduate College, while a photocopy may be sent to the Department of Dance. Please note that in order to be formally admitted as an MFA student, it is necessary to apply to both the Graduate College as well as to the Department of Dance.
Please do not hesitate to contact me directly should you have additional questions or concerns regarding our MFA program in Dance. I look forward to hearing from you.
Cheers!
Armando Duarte, professor & graduate program director
The University of Iowa
Department of Dance
E114 Halsey Hall
Iowa City, IA 52242-1000
E-mail: armando-duarte@uiowa.edu
Phone: (319) 335-2186
Fax: (319) 335-3246
