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California Institute of the Arts

Welcome to The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance

Claim your place in this one-of-a-kind community of artists, a dynamic environment that fosters collaboration, experimentation, and creative connections with talented peers from throughout the Institute. Musicians, actors, producers, filmmakers, writers, composers—artists and innovators all.

  • 100% of our faculty

    are working dancers and choreographers

  • 5:1 student-faculty ratio

    in the School of Dance

  • 25% international students

    in the School of Dance

The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance at CalArts educates the dance artist of the future—agile, intelligent, innovative, and in command of an expanded skillset to meet the complex demands of a 21st-century professional dance career.

Connect with us!

Our comprehensive BFA: Dance and MFA: Choreography programs build high-level proficiencies in performance technique, choreography, dance production technologies, and critical understanding of the art form—all within a cultural context that can be performed anywhere in the world. CalArts’ dance programs offer ample creative exchange and collaboration between professionally motivated students and a faculty of practicing artists. Students develop their individuality and creativity as artists who specialize in using the body as a space for exploration.

Viewed as collaborators and young professionals, students produce a concentrated season of aesthetically diverse work each semester. Class work includes guidance on performing and choreographing for stage, nontraditional spaces, social media, commercials, filming, editing, photography, writing business plans, advice on creating a company, and developing each individual’s artistic mission.

Programs

Dance x Film

Movement as cinema

In The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance, students have opportunities to blend choreography and filmmaking, allowing students to experiment with movement in a cinematic context. These projects often showcase innovative approaches to dance, incorporating diverse styles and interdisciplinary collaboration. Through these films, students explore the intersection of performance and visual art, pushing the boundaries of both mediums.

Dance x Partnerships

Industry connections

The School of Dance collaborates with esteemed partners in the dance and performing arts world, providing students with valuable industry connections and real-world experience. These partnerships expose students to diverse creative practices, professional mentorship, and opportunities for networking within the global dance community. Such collaborations are essential for students’ development, as they help bridge the gap between academic training and professional careers, ensuring they are well-prepared for the evolving demands of the field.

A Person Dancing with Projection Behind Them

News from the School of Dance

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Interested in applying to the School of Dance?

View our step-by-step application guide to learn more.

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