TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF DANCE

Mission Statement and Goals

In keeping with the mission of the Texas Woman's University departments, to emphasize liberal arts and professional departments, the mission of the Department of Dance is to enhance the appreciation and understanding of dance as an art form through the preparation of dance professionals (artists, educators and scholars) who are well-grounded in the theories and contexts of dance. To achieve this mission the Department of Dance provides a comprehensive liberal arts-based department and fosters an environment in which individuals, particularly women, are encouraged to develop artistic excellence and integrity, prepare for careers in the dance field and explore their leadership potential.

Goals of the Department of Dance are:

To prepare dance artist, educators and scholars who possess an in-depth and integrated knowledge of dance making and the aesthestic, critical, cultural and historical contexts of dance as an art form and cultural phenomenon.

• To provide a creative and collaborative learning environment which challenges students and fosters the unified development of physical, intuitive, and intellectual endeavors.

• To foster opportunities for faculty and students to engage in scholarly endeavors - art making and research - that will advance the knowledge of dance as a discipline and art form.

• To prepare dance artists and scholars to meet the demands of an ever-changing dance world.

• To provide role models for leadership and achievement in the advancement of the significance of dance in society and to emphasize the importance of participating in the profession with the highest regard for ethical practice and personal and artistic integrity.

• To provide dance experiences as part of a basic arts education which aims to provide all university students with the knowledge and skills to understand and appreciate the arts.

• To provide arts departments for the community and opportunities for students to develop the expertise necessary to facilitate the development and realization of community-based dance departments.