Dean's introduction

Stephan Koplowitz

The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance at CalArts has a faculty of working professional artists/educators who provide a rigorous, conservatory training that prepares talented dance artists for the real world challenges and opportunities of the 21st Century. The driving force of our program is a commitment to prepare students to be creative contributors to the artistic vitality of the real world.

At CalArts, students passionate about the value of dance for today’s world find many opportunities to hone their skills and cultivate their artistry.  In an environment rich with performance opportunities and faculty mentoring, dancers are exposed to the rich diversity of the contemporary aesthetic landscape while simultaneously receiving encouragement and guidance in developing their own unique artistic voice.  

Dance is a discipline that requires physical, intellectual and artistic sophistication.  Our comprehensive curriculum includes rigorous training in traditional ballet and contemporary dance techniques as well as diverse contemporary approaches to cultivating complex physical skills and a range of artistic styles.  Courses in improvisation, composition and choreography stimulate imagination, creativity, problem solving and an ability to utilize craft to give shape and voice to personal artistic vision.  Interdisciplinary courses investigate the potent relationships between dance and music, video, theater arts and writing.  In classes and on stage, students gain practical experience in all aspects of production, including lighting and costume design.  A wide range of courses in history and cultural studies broaden and deepen perspective on dance as an art form and cultivate critically aware thinkers and artists.  As our alums prove, this program develops technically skilled, artistically sophisticated, intelligent dance artists with the practical knowledge necessary to be successful in the real world.

To study at CalArts means you are a member of a singular institution, one that allows for cross-disciplinary work, the chance to meet colleagues across all the artistic disciplines and to live in an environment that encourages innovation, experimentation and creative connections. The School of Dance is an ideal size in that it can function as both a close knit community where great attention is given to the individual and is part of a larger world of practicing artists who are part of the CalArts community.

As Dean, I am committed to ensuring that each individual student who comes to our program is met with respect and the opportunity to develop into the unique, creative, individual dance artist that she or he is passionate to become. We understand that selecting CalArts as a place of college study is in itself a strong statement towards realizing one’s artistic goals.  Our team of dedicated professional faculty is committed to assisting each student in finding her or his unique path within this educational program and ultimately into the professional world.  We are deeply committed to maintaining the highest standards in artistic and academic achievement and to broadening the horizons of contemporary dance.  

Our singular goal, as it has been over the course of more than 35 years, is to train the artists who advance the practice of dance so that it continues to stir and challenge the human imagination.