Student Guidelines and Department Policies
Welcome to the Department of Dance
The Department of Dance has a long and proud history of
developing dancers and we are pleased that you have chosen to
become part of the legacy. We are here to help you realize your
goals and dreams. Doing so involves creating a partnership between
you and the dance faculty, staff, students and alumni.
The faculty and staff will support your academic and artistic
development. Academic achievement and artistic progress takes full
commitment from us and from you.
It is the expectation of the faculty that you share
responsibility for your development through class participation,
timely completion of assignments, artistic contribution to the
creative process and assigned roles for production along with other
requirements as stated in course syllabi. Participation in
additional opportunities when offered by the department should
continue your artistic growth.
The dance world is highly competitive. In order to be
successful, you need to nurture and exploit your unique talents,
personality and your potential contribution to the field. This
means it is your responsibility to plan, set goals, research career
opportunities and develop personal strategies that will factor into
your future. During your time in the dance department, we advise
you to take advantage of all possible opportunities that may
enhance your artistic growth and maturity.
Department Policies and Student Responsibilities
Evaluation and Self-Assessment
The Annual Student Review is an initiative planned by the dance
faculty to assist you in clarifying your goals and taking more
control for your own development. Throughout the academic year, the
faculty will carefully observe and evaluate all studio coursework
and development, including Ballet, Modern and Jazz. The first phase
of annual evaluation includes your assessment in the following
areas: Technique, Physicality, Quality, and Approach to Training.
In addition, statements regarding your short- and long-term goals
should assist you while building your future career. You will
receive department assessment documents with further detail. During
the spring semester, the faculty will meet with each student
individually to review progress including information provided in
your self-assessment.
Sophomore Review will begin during the academic year of
2008-2009. All sophomores will participate. This review is designed
to investigate your fulfillment of departmental and University
expectations. It is a procedure intended to help you articulate
your career plans as related to your performance within educational
study and training.
Department and Performance Expectations
The Department of Dance expects the highest standard of conduct
regarding responsible and professional actions at all times. All
students in the dance program must view themselves as public
representatives to the community at-large, knowing that all members
are accountable for their actions and activities. The possession
and/or use of alcohol, illegal drugs and weapons are prohibited in
dance studios, dressing rooms, or locker rooms, theatre, whenever
representing Butler Ballet or Butler Chamber Dance, International
Study Programs, and Butler University as a whole. At the discretion
of the dance faculty, grades may be lowered and Butler
Ballet/Butler Chamber Dance membership, performance opportunities
and standing within the department may be terminated should such
activities be discovered.
Class and Rehearsal Etiquette
The Department of Dance functions as a community working toward
a common goal. Respectful attitude, attentive and alert
participation, timely arrivals and personal responsibility toward
achievement is expected of all. Behavioral expectations include
being respectful toward all faculty and staff, being supportive of
colleagues, being pleasant to accompanists, keeping studios neat
and clean and conveying a professional approach to all classes and
rehearsals. The faculty expects all students to use existing
knowledge, display kindness and foster the morale of the
department.
All cellular phones, iPods, and any other electronic
devices must be turned off during all dance classes and
rehearsals.
Casting Policy
The dance faculty carefully deliberates the casting for each
performance. The decisions are made by the faculty as a whole. Each
dancer is expected to complete their commitment to the Butler
Ballet and Butler Chamber Dance in the roles they are assigned.
Each role of every performance is equally as important as the
next. The combination of the whole builds the production. The
faculty looks forward to each dancer's artistic contribution to the
Butler Ballet and Butler Chamber Dance.
Production Week, Studio Dress Rehearsals
Butler Ballet and Butler Chamber Dance dancers are
expected to:
- Dance to the best of potential in both rehearsal and
performance.
- Display artistic commitment to the role and to the
choreography.
- Be a faithful interpreter of the choreography.
- Attend all rehearsals and arrive on time.
- Mandatory participation in Studio Dress and Production Week
rehearsals (see description below).
- Display the proper work attitude at all times.
- Give proper care and attention to costumes.
- Give proper attention to warming up before all rehearsals and
performances.
- Display proper backstage and dressing room etiquette at all
times.
- Participate in required strike/load-in teams (see description
below).
- Display proper weight control and appropriate personal
appearance.
Studio Dress/Production Week: All dancers are
required to participate fully in all Studio Dress and Production
Week rehearsals. Any off-campus engagements will NOT be approved or
considered an excused absence during Studio Dress or Production
Week. Absence may result in failure of the course.
A separate schedule for Studio Dress and Production week will be
posted and distributed for each Butler Ballet and Butler Chamber
Dance performance.
The Department of Dance will provide a letter for each dancer
requesting excused absence from any academic course which may
conflict with production week schedules. It may be imperative to
attend your academic class in which case you must forward course
and conflict information to the chair of the dance department prior
to the scheduled rehearsal.
In case of an injury, illness or emergency, contact your
choreographer or the chair of the dance department as soon as
possible. Rehearsal and performance arrangements will be resolved
as needed.
Load-In/Strike Teams: A requirement of Butler
Ballet is participation in production load-in and strike, both in
the home theatre and while on tour. Various teams will be
established per production requirements. Students will assist with
moving props, costumes and set pieces from Lilly Hall to Clowes
Memorial Hall (CMH), installing and removing the dance floor on
stage, hanging and removing lighting equipment and scenery, and
dismantling sound equipment among other duties. As CMH is a union
hall and therefore employs a union crew, all the above requirements
will be supervised by the union staff at CMH as well as by dance
faculty members.
Attendance will be taken at all load-in and strike events,
sign-in and out is required. Failure to participate will affect
your Butler Ballet final grade and may result in failure of the
course.
Costume Care: When you are in costume, no
sitting, lying or resting on chairs, couches or floors, no eating
or no drinking. Each dancer is responsible for locating all costume
parts and for checking proper condition. Costumes should be hung
properly. Head dresses and hair must be secured. Shoes should be
broken in; pointe shoes must not make noise. If you have questions,
please contact Ms. Egan, the department's costumer.
Posters: Prior to performance time, posters
will need to be distributed to all buildings and dorms on campus.
It is also helpful if you can put posters in your place of work if
appropriate.
Attendance/Absenteeism/Grading
Students are expected to attend all classes and rehearsals
Monday through Saturday. Under close supervision, special
consideration will be made regarding illness, injury and
emergencies. Because of the daily schedule of classes, absences
cannot be made up.
Students are expected to complete final exams for all
studio/practical courses to receive a final grade. Final exams in
ballet, modern and jazz are juried while courses such as pointe and
pas de deux, among others, are graded by the professor of the
course. Final exams are closed classes.
Ballet Technique Classes: Three (3) unexcused
absences will result in lowering the final grade by 1/2 letter
(.500). With each additional set of 2 absences, the final grade
will continue to be lowered by 1/2 letter. Attendance rosters will
be cross-checked by the faculty regularly. All other classes have
an attendance policy that must be strictly adhered to; check the
syllabus of each class for further information. An official note
from the attending physician or therapist must verify absences due
to injury or illness. Follow-up communication is imperative
allowing proper faculty assessment. A phone call or message does
not constitute an excused absence. Please speak directly
with your professor of the class(es) for which you did not attend
to allow for clear understanding of the status of your absence.
All Dance Classes: Each professor will provide
information or a copy of his or her course syllabus. Review or
discuss each course syllabus and expectations and note the
individual attendance and grading policies.
Ballet Technique Grades: Each faculty member
will be submitting one or two letter grades at the end of each
semester, depending on individual teaching circumstances. One grade
will reflect your work throughout the semester and the second grade
will reflect your performance of the final examination. The first
grade will be for improvement, class work, attitude in
class, etc. Only faculty members who have actually taught students
in class will submit this grade. A second grade will be given by
each ballet faculty member for achievement on the basis of
performance at the exam. This grade will be submitted by all ballet
faculty. The grades will then be averaged. Any penalty resulting
from excessive unexcused absences (as indicated above) will be
assessed at that point. The difference will constitute the final
grade.
All students are evaluated daily in each studio course. The
dance faculty is available for further individual evaluation by
arranging an appointment. The final grade serves as an evaluation
of student progress.
Please note the following policies:
- Dance classes/rehearsals will not be dismissed early prior to
vacations.
- Should a student need to be absent from classes/rehearsals due
to scheduled auditions, this MUST be cleared with the department
chair and all faculty involved.
- Failure to participate in load-in and strike events will affect
your final Butler Ballet grade.
- Absence from studio dress, production week or dress rehearsals
will not be approved.
- If a student misses a performance or the above stated
rehearsals due to an audition, failure of the course may be the
result.
Dress Code
Ballet Technique Classes:
- Monday and Friday
- Ladies: Black leotard and pink tights are
required. Pink tights must be worn inside the black leotard. A
sheer ballet skirt is optional. Hair must be in a bun, pulled back,
and secure at all times.
- Men: Full black tights and white or black
fitted T-shirts are required.
- Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- Ladies: Leotards and tights, all solid color,
or unitards; all tights must be full or may be cut at the ankle;
sheer ballet skirts (if desired); hair in a bun, pulled back, and
secure at all times.
- Men:Black, white or gray tights; tights may be
full, cut at the ankle or just below the knee; leotards or fitted
T-shirts, unitards, all solid colors are acceptable.
Climate Control/Physical Need Clothing
If needed due to cool temperatures or physical injury, dancers
may wear leg warmers and sweaters if fitted and giving a tidy
appearance. If other garments should be necessary, speak with the
professor teaching class.
Spanish/Slavic Character
Character skirts for women and character shoes are required for
all.
Other Techniques and Theory Classes
All classes have dress codes; your professors will tell you what
is required.
Unacceptable Attire
Shorts of any kind are not acceptable attire for class or for
Butler Ballet/Butler Chamber Dance rehearsals. Bold neon colors,
multi-colored dance wear, hats, T-shirts with writing or messages,
sweatpants, sweatshirts; leg warmers covering the feet;
Shorts of any kind; tights that are cut the length of
shorts; garments tied around the waist; fashion headbands;
necklaces, bracelets, watches, dangling earrings.
All of the above are NOT permitted in any class or
Butler Ballet, Butler Chamber Dance rehearsals.
Health
The faculty's interest and priority is to see each student reach
the height of his or her potential. It is each student's
responsibility to fulfill their potential. The faculty expects each
student to address issues of health on a daily basis, including
nutrition, rest, time and stress management, and maintenance of
mental and physical well-being.
Injuries
St. Vincent Sports Medicine has offered to send a trainer twice
a week, if needed, to consult with dancers who are experiencing
problems due to injuries. Anna Owsley, MS, ATC, is our contact and
will visit the department on specified days. Ms. Owsley is a
certified Pilates instructor and has worked extensively with
dancers during her employment as assistant athletic trainer for the
Cincinnati Ballet. Please sign up for an appointment to be seen.
In case of an emergency, contact a faculty member or
department chair immediately; they will in turn contact the Butler
University Police Department (ext. 9396) and/or the Health Center
(ext. 9385) depending on the injury.
Department Health Policy
In consultation with University officials, the dance faculty
reserves the right to stop a student's participation in class,
rehearsal and/or performance due to issues regarding health or
injury. The faculty will request an evaluation, directed by
University officials, to determine the student's health or injury
status. Each case will be reviewed individually and conditions
allowing the student to return to class, rehearsal and/or
performance will be determined by the University and discussed with
each individual.
JCA Performance Attendance Requirements
As an essential component of a full and varied educational
experience in the arts, undergraduate JCA majors and secondary
majors are expected to attend performances in their discipline and
related areas throughout their tenure at Butler. There are no
performance attendance requirements for minors. All undergraduate
students must complete DA 190, DA 290, DA 390 and DA 490
("Performance Attendance"), a non-credit, P/F course, each spring
term through verified attendance at approved performances. (Please
see the rules below.) This non-credit course is exempt from the
four-course Pass/Fail limit. The number and distribution of
performance requirements for the dance majors are:
- New Students/Freshmen - 10 per year
- Sophomore - 8 per year
- Junior/Senior- 6 per year
DA190
New Students/Freshmen dance majors and secondary dance majors will
attend 10 performances per academic year; four to six will include
post-performance discussions in appropriate dance classes. Annual
distribution includes two to three in theatre, three to four in
music and the remainder in dance, art museum visits, art
exhibitions and/or arts-related lectures.
Pass/Fail credit.
DA290
Sophomore dance majors and secondary dance majors will attend
eight (8) performances per year, two to three per discipline in
theatre, music, dance, art museum visits, art exhibitions and/or
arts-related lectures. Pass/Fail credit.
Prerequisite: DA190
DA390
Junior dance majors and secondary dance majors will attend six (6)
performances per year, two per discipline but not including
performances in the field of dance. The disciplines include
theatre, music, art museum visits, art exhibitions and arts-related
lectures. Pass/Fail credit. Prerequisite:
DA290
DA490
Senior dance majors and secondary dance majors will attend six (6)
performances per year, two per discipline but not including
performances in the field of dance. The disciplines include
theatre, music, art museum visits, art exhibitions and arts-related
lectures. Pass/Fail credit. Prerequisite:
DA390
Dance majors will not receive credit for
performances in which they participate as performer, choreographer,
or technical crew.