The mission of the Department of Dance is to develop well-rounded and versatile independent artists to excel in careers of teaching, choreography and performance of dance.

The Department of Dance faculty and staff are dedicated to providing an education with strong professional ethics that empowers students to pursue career paths appropriate to their abilities.  The faculty and staff are also committed to excellence and learning in a professional work environment that is instilled with mutual respect.  These core values are the guiding principles behind the success of Chapman’s Department of Dance and its students.

As dance majors at Chapman, students participate in a strong professional training program with high quality productions while still enjoying the benefits of a small university.  Students may choose from a pre-professional Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance Performance or from the more broad based Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance. Both degrees provide excellent preparation for those who plan to attend graduate school.

The curriculum for dance majors includes course work in choreography, dance history, dance production, dance performance, acting, music for dancers, kinesiology for dancers, dance teaching methods, ballroom, hip-hop, tap, and beginning through advanced levels of modern, jazz and ballet technique.

The Department of Dance has 80 active majors and produces two mainstage productions every year. In addition, the department supports several smaller productions throughout the year including:

• Works in Progress
  
• Concert Intime
  
• American College Dance Festival

Every fall, dance majors participate in Chapman’s American Celebration, which is a Broadway-style musical revue performed in collaboration with the Conservatory of Music.  This acclaimed performance is held in Memorial Hall and is always filled to capacity.  The proceeds are used for Chapman’s scholarship and academic programs.

Chapman’s Department of Dance is proud to highlight the professional accomplishments of its faculty.  The Chair, Dale A. Merrill, was the Artistic Director of Spectrum Dance Theater in Seattle from 1985-2002, a repertory jazz company of national prominence.  Other faculty members include:  Liz Maxwell, a graduate of Julliard who has danced with Laura Dean and Donald Byrd; Jennifer Backhaus, founder of Orange County’s critically acclaimed Backhausdance; Sean Greene, who danced with Bella Lewitsky for nineteen years; and Alicia Okouchi-Guy, choreographer for professional NBA and NFL dance teams and movies such as Wayne’s World II and Big Stan.  The department also employs nine adjunct faculty members.  As part of the department’s commitment to providing performance experiences similar to a professional work environment, a team of professional designers is hired for each production. Additionally, the department arranges master classes and guest speakers throughout the year.

Alumni of the Department of Dance can currently be found in the Los Angeles and touring companies of Wicked.  A Chapman graduate was featured in the film Dreamgirls, and two can be seen in the film adaptation of the musical Hairspray.  Chapman alumni choreography has also been seen around the country, from Disneyland to the 2008 Academy Awards.  Other alumni can be seen performing in MTV videos, in Las Vegas shows, in Cirque de Soleil productions, on cruise ships and with Diavolo Dance Theatre and two of Orange County's local companies, Gallimaufry and Greene and Backhausdance.