Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance: Commercial Dance

Boston Conservatory’s commercial dance program is unlike any other B.F.A. program available. 

We’re among the most reputable schools for dance.

Boston Conservatory is consistently ranked among the best schools for dance (Backstage, DanceUS, Dance Magazine, College Magazine) and has been credited as a top school for aspiring choreographers (College Magazine, 2019). Dancers who study here receive the signature in-depth training that Boston Conservatory is best known for. 

We offer the only three-year B.F.A. program focused on commercial dance.

This is major—Boston Conservatory’s B.F.A. in Dance: Commercial Dance can be completed in just three years, thanks to its flexible structure. Finishing in three years means that students save a year’s worth of tuition and can start their careers sooner, giving them both a professional and financial edge.

Boston Conservatory has dance, music, and theater all under one roof.

There is no shortage of creative inspiration at Boston Conservatory. In addition to being located in the heart of a vibrant city, Boston Conservatory boasts a multidisciplinary campus where dancers and choreographers interact daily with musicians, actors, singers, and composers. In addition, dancers often collaborate on creative projects with their peers at Berklee College of Music, located just down the street from the Conservatory.

We’re also part of Berklee, which means full access to Berklee College of Music’s deep expertise in the music industry.

Music-related projects account for a large portion of commercial dance industry work. Conveniently for Boston Conservatory students, Berklee College of Music is the world’s leading training ground for music industry performance and production and presents hundreds of concerts each semester—many of which incorporate dance.

Commercial dance students perform regularly throughout the year in multidisciplinary projects that incorporate elements of commercial dance. Some examples include:

• Tribute Shows with Berklee Ensembles: Each year, Berklee presents tribute shows, or concerts that celebrate revered artists. Recent tribute shows have featured the Beyoncé Band, the Ariana Grande Ensemble, the Bruno Mars Ensemble, and more. 
   
• Arena and Stadium Performances: Students also dance in large-scale arena performances, such as Berklee College of Music’s annual commencement concert at the 7,200-seat Agganis Arena in Boston, which in the past has honored artists such as Justin Timberlake and Missy Elliott.
   
• Mainstage Performances: Second- and third-year commercial dance students will perform world premieres on the Conservatory mainstage in From the Ground Up, alongside contemporary dance students. First-year commercial dance students will perform in Winterworks alongside first-year contemporary dance students.

The core curriculum for the B.F.A. in Dance: Commercial Dance includes intensive movement and performance training, dance academics, career preparation, and health and wellness education in a flexible structure that can be completed in just three years (six semesters). Through this dynamic combination of immersive training, students will safely master a range of common commercial dance styles while gaining a comprehensive understanding of the entertainment industry and forming important professional connections.

Students should be prepared for three years of highly intensive study. In order to complete this program in three years, over the course of six fall/spring semesters, students will need to commit to full-time attendance, taking a minimum of 20 credits per semester (approximately 40+ hours of study per week).

Movement and Performance Training

Throughout the three-year program, students will be required to take a number of elective courses that focus on technique development in a variety of dance styles and performance practices, such as:

• Hip-hop and urban dance
• Dance for the Screen
• Circus and Las Vegas arts
• Social & Vernacular dance (swing, ballroom, African, salsa)
• Jazz Dance, Broadway, and tap dance
• Improvisation
• Acting and voice
• Ballet and modern dance
• Dance composition for film, video, and stage

In addition, each semester students will take Composition and Performance for Commercial Dance, a flexible course in which students collaborate on various performance projects that utilize commercial dance styles, such as music videos, music concerts, theater productions, and other multidisciplinary projects. 

Career Preparation

As students cultivate their unique artistry through movement classes and the Performance Ensemble Project, they will also learn about the commercial entertainment industry and how to secure professional work through the program’s robust career development component, designed in partnership with Berklee’s state-of-the-art Career Center.

Through workshops, master classes, seminars, and professional networking events organized through the Career Center, students will have the opportunity to learn directly from industry experts (producers, directors, agents, choreographers, and performers).

Students will also take courses designed to develop self-sufficiency and career sustainability, including courses on auditioning, career skill development, and technology.

Dance Academics

Students will take a series of foundational studies to contextualize what they are learning in the studio and help them connect it to their future careers. These courses include:

• Introduction to Iconic Dance
• Introduction to Dance on Film and Video
• History of Hip-Hop
• Dance and Pop Culture
• Dance and Technology Lab

In addition, students will take various liberal arts and academic dance electives of their choosing to further tailor their educational experience to their interests.   

Health and Wellness 

All dance students at Boston Conservatory undergo comprehensive health and wellness education to ensure that their artistic development is supported by safe and healthy practices. This includes somatic courses that teach students how to care for and train their bodies, prevent injuries, and develop healthy habits that will support a lifelong career.

As part of the Conservatory’s state-of-art approach to dance training, we provide excellent physical therapy services, massage therapy, and training in Alexander Technique to support optimal health and functioning.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance: Commercial Dance requires students to complete 120 credits, consisting of the course requirements listed below. View the Sample Curriculum by Semester for additional details.

Movement and Performance Training

• D-EN 0901 Composition and Performance for Commercial Dance (24 credits total; 4 credits each)
• D-ST 0106 Applied Ballet Techniques (4 credits total; 1 credit each)
• D-ST 1102 Ballet for First-Year Dance Majors (2 credits total; 1 credit each)
• D-ST 1301 Pop Diva Dance Repertory (1 credit)
• D-ST 73510 JazzDance Technique (1 credit)
• D-ST 73511 African Dance (1 credit)
• D-ST 74510 Upside Down (1 credit)
• D-ST x20x Modern Technique (6 credits total; 1 credit each)
• xxxxx Electives in various dance styles and performance practices (25 credits total)

Career Preparation

• D-PR 2901 Commercial Dance Professional Seminar (3 credits)
• D-ST 73525 Commercial Dance Audition Skills (1 credit)

Health and Wellness

• D-ST 1501 Dancer’s Toolkit (1 credit)
• D-ST 1502 Floor Barre™ (1 credit)
• D-ST 1504 Awareness for Dancers 1 (2 credits total; 1 credit each)
• D-ST 2505 Experiential Anatomy (2 credits)
• D-ST 2506 Awareness for Dancers 2 (2 credits total; 1 credit each)
• D-ST 3501 Awareness for Dancers 3 (2 credits total; 1 credit each)
• D-ST 75516 Yoga (1 credit)

Dance Academics, Liberal Arts, and General Education

• A-xx 739xx Africana Studies or L-CM 739xx Liberal Arts elective: Arts & Humanities (3 credits)
• A-xx 749xx Africana Studies or L-CM 749xx Liberal Arts elective: Social Sciences (3 credits)
• A-xx 759xx Africana Studies or L-CM 759xx Liberal Arts elective: Math/Science (3 credits)
• A-xx 7x9xx Africana Studies or L-CM 7x9xx Liberal Arts elective (3 credits)
• A-xx 7x9xx Africana Studies, D-LT 799xx Topics in Dance Academics, and/or L-CM 7x9xx Liberal Arts electives (6 credits total, 3 credits each)
• C-PR 1001 Introduction to Creative Media Technology (1 credit)
• D-LT 1602 Introduction to Iconic Dance (3 credits)
• D-LT 1703 Music Foundations for Dancers (3 credits)
• D-LT 79917 Dance and Pop Culture (3 credits)
• D-LT 799xx Topics in Dance Academics (9 credits total, 3 credits each)
• L-CM 1301 Introduction to College Writing (3 credits)

Specializations allow students to focus on a specific area or interest within or directly related to their major. Each specialization consists of 10 to 12 credits.

Boston Conservatory commercial dance majors may add a specialization to their degree program in dance history. This specialization gives students a deep dive into the histories of different dance genres and their evolution over time. Each topic within the dance academics elective courses focuses on a specific type of dance and its evolution over time. This specialization is perfect for dancers looking to expand their foundational knowledge and understand the historical influences of their art. Learn more.

Minors provide students with an opportunity to gain a breadth and depth of understanding in a focused area of study, outside of their declared major. Each minor consists of 10 to 12 credits.

Boston Conservatory students may choose from more than 30 minors offered jointly across Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Berklee College of Music. Explore all minors. 

The B.F.A. in Dance: Commercial Dance program develops physical and artistic virtuosity, stylistic versatility, a strong artistic voice, confidence, and an entrepreneurial mindset. Students graduate understanding the ins and outs of the commercial industry, such as how to self-promote and secure work, and will boast a strong dance portfolio that demonstrates expertise in a wide range of commercial dance styles. In addition, students will have established professional networks and industry connections that will help jump-start their careers.

Upon successful completion of the B.F.A. in Dance: Commercial Dance program, students will:

• demonstrate a high level of technical skill in a variety of dance styles (hip-hop, jazz dance, tap, circus arts, etc.), through the completion of an accelerated three-year course sequence in movement techniques and regular participation in a variety of performance productions;
• demonstrate artistry and skill in performance developed through participation in the creation of new works by accomplished artists as well as creating works themselves for music productions, videos, and other student-focused projects;
• exhibit a unique artistic voice honed through the completion of courses in composition, improvisation, and individualized career-development projects;
• demonstrate a broad knowledge of the field by completing academic coursework that provides history, context, and theory, which informs their work as dance artists;
• draw from a wide range of skills, in addition to performance, to support a lifelong career by completing coursework that includes networking strategies, branding, securing agents, and processes for navigating gig work in the entertainment industry; and 
• demonstrate a deep understanding of the human body and the development of a personal movement practice by completing coursework that includes somatic theories, anatomy, and individualized movement research.

Conservatory dance alumni can be seen in an array of commercial projects: 

• movies (In the Heights); 
• television shows (Tiny Pretty Things, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel);
• on- and off-Broadway musicals (Jagged Little Pill, Hamilton, The Lion King);
• music videos (Beyoncé, Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, Ciara, Todrick Hall); 
• stadium and arena concerts (Super Bowl halftime shows, music tours); 
• circus arts (Cirque du Soleil, ABCirque); 
• international cruise ship tours (Celebrity Cruise Lines);
• and more

Boston Conservatory’s four-year contemporary dance program and three-year commercial dance program have much in common. Both programs are rigorous and designed for advanced dancers; both develop masterful technique and stylistic versatility; and both refine students’ individual artistry. However, each program’s curriculum and structure is designed for a different career trajectory. 

Compare the contemporary dance and commercial dance B.F.A. programs side by side, and take our short online quiz to find out which program is best for you.