Montclair State University

Photo by Robert M. Copper

The Dance Division holistically educates its students by developing and cultivating a deep knowledge of dance in many facets. We seek to enhance the student’s mind/body connection and their technical facility; encourage their sense of play, creativity and critical thinking; deepen their appreciation/understanding of the historical and cultural relevance of dance in our global society; and promote their engagement as global citizens as well as their understanding of the democratic principles that enable them to be free-thinking artists. We are dedicated to a program that is welcoming and inclusive of diverse viewpoints and lived experiences. The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Dance at Montclair State University combines a conservatory-based approach to training within a liberal arts curriculum to prepare students for their lives and careers as performing artists. The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Dance prepares students as both artists and educators, recognizing that hands-on teaching experience is essential preparation.

Stefanie Batten-Bland

Beginning in New York City, followed by over ten years in Europe before a return to Soho several years ago, Stefanie Batten Bland’s career has taken a geographically circuitous path to her present status as a Jerome Robbins Award honoree. Unguarded by abstraction and undeterred by convention, the emotional content of Stefanie Batten Bland’s work is directly accessible; its social and philosophical message is visceral. Her work, interdisciplinary dance installations, integrate movement with visual and music arts.