Formatted version

Los Angeles: Departments and Programs

Dance
The dance program at the Los Angeles campus was for many years a part of the physical education department. Classes were offered for the physical education major and general college students.

In 1957, a separate dance major was established so that students could pursue a concentrated study of dance as an art experience. In 1962, a graduate program of study leading to the M.A. degree in dance was approved. Also in 1962, the Department of Dance was established and administratively related to the College of Fine Arts. This arrangement allowed dance to develop more fully and to take its rightful place with departments of theater arts, music and art.

The student enrollment increased from ten majors originally, to a 1965 enrollment of 63 majors and 23 graduate students. During the same period, the faculty increased from four to nine full-time faculty members and seven teaching assistants. Many non-majors studied dance. Two-unit courses for the general college student replaced the one-half unit courses originally associated with the physical education requirement.

There were significant increases in cooperative work with other departments, including theater arts, opera workshop, folk arts, and the Neuropsychiatric Institute. By the mid-1960s, an expansion in ethnic dance paralleled and made possible cooperative work with the program in ethnomusicology.

One important achievement in the mid-1960s was the development of library holdings.

Professional dance artists were invited to teach during the summer session so that dance majors and teachers could come in contact with professional points of view and with different approaches to dance.

The dance concerts presented by the department increased in number and in quality. In ten years, the programs evolved from noon concerts to several major productions offered as evening concerts. The presentations included concerts by master's degree candidates, undergraduate majors and faculty members. These presentations were an important factor in building a dance audience in Los Angeles. source

Dance is now a part of the Department of World Arts and Cultures.

Dentistry
See Colleges and Schools, School of Dentistry.

Design/Media Arts
There is no history currently available for this department.

Diversified Liberal Arts Program
There is no history currently available for this program.

Copyright © 1999-2005
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Last updated 06/18/04.