Catalogue 2026-2027
Dance Department
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Chair: Miriam Mahdaviani-Goldstone;
Professors: John Meehan, Stephen Rooksa;
Lecturers: Miriam Mahdaviani-Goldstone, Leslie Partridge Sachs;
Adjunct Assistant Professor: Jessie Levey;
Adjunct Instructors: Chelsea Acree, Marisa Gorst, Lisa Harvie, Alexander Keith.
a On leave 2026/27, first semester
The Dance Department at Vassar is strongly committed to the arts and nurtures a vibrant community that enables students to combine their passion for dance with their intellectual pursuits. We welcome students at every level of experience, from beginners through advanced. Courses are open to all students and may be taken for academic credit, as part of a Correlate sequence, or as an elective. For placement or special permission signatures, students should consult the appropriate individual faculty member.
Two Dance correlates are offered: Dance Performance, with a focus on technique classes, performance opportunities, and choreography courses; and Dance Studies, which considers dance more broadly and investigates its place in society through cross-disciplinary work.
Vassar’s primary dance company, Vassar Repertory Dance Theatre (VRDT), performs throughout the year and may be taken for academic credit. Auditions are held annually on the first Saturday of the fall semester. VRDT is a yearlong commitment. The repertoire includes existing works in jazz, modern dance, contemporary dance, hip hop, and classical ballet, as well as new creations by guest choreographers, faculty, and students.
The technique courses offered are beginner through advanced Modern dance, four levels of Ballet, Hip Hop, and Jazz. In addition, the department offers courses in composition, improvisation, pedagogy, and movement analysis. Master classes, residencies and lectures by visiting guest artists complement the curriculum and connect students to the professional dance community. At the end of each semester, Dance Department performances showcase student dancers and choreographers.
The Department is staffed by four full-time faculty and five part-time faculty, three piano accompanists, and a resident lighting designer/technical director. Located in Kenyon Hall, the Dance Department’s facilities include four dance studios and the Frances Daly Fergusson Dance Theater, which seats 242.
For further information, call the Dance Department Office at 845-437-7470 or visit our website at https://dance.vassar.edu.
Major
Correlate Sequences in Dance
Africana Studies: II. Intermediate
Dance: I. Introductory
Dance: II. Intermediate
Dance: III. Advanced
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