Graduate Dance Education in the United States: 1985–2010

Through historical comparison and content analysis of current Internet-accessible program documents, this article extends the limited discourse on graduate dance education in the United States. Drawing on a small, intensive sample of literature, the author examines how the field has responded to challenges posed by researchers and theorists during the period from 1985 to 2010. Enduring challenges for graduate dance include teacher preparation for multiple levels and contexts; preparation for responsibilities outside of artistic production and teaching; shrinking budgets in the face of unrelenting corporatization; balancing practice and theory; and higher education mandates for attention to student diversity, multicultural perspectives, interdisciplinary studies, and technology in curriculum design and practice. Based on qualitative analysis of program self-descriptions, the article presents a profile of graduate dance education in the United States today—its visions, purposes, and content. The article concludes with the author's critical reflections on findings of the study.