Shenandoah’s dance programs provide the academic and professional preparation demanded by a wide variety of careers. The Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees are designed for you — the highly-motivated, pre-professional dancer who is seeking a career as a concert performer, choreographer or dance educator. The Bachelor of Arts program is designed for dancers who are interested in a broad general education while continuing their dance studies.
You will be immersed in the art from the moment you arrive on campus. The intimate conservatory approach at Shenandoah provides a focused environment for study, while the supportive atmosphere encourages your individual growth and creativity.
Graduates from Shenandoah work on Broadway, in regional theatres, on national and international tours, and on cruise ships.
Dance at Shenandoah
All degree programs present the opportunity to develop creative and production skills while enriching philosophical and theoretical perspectives in close, mentoring relationships with the dance faculty.
Shenandoah Conservatory students dance a wide repertoire of artistic styles and techniques. They perform in original choreography created by faculty and internationally recognized guest artists. New works choreographed by students are performed both on campus and in a wide variety of touring opportunities, including professional showcases in Washington, D.C., and New York City.
Dance EnsembleDance News

Innovation and Creativity Bring Performances to Life
Rewarding and reaffirming — those are two of three words that Courtney Reilly, executive director of performances and engagement at Shenandoah Conservatory, used to describe the past 10 months. And it goes almost without saying, this word as well: ... Continue Reading Innovation and Creativity Bring Performances…

Article Co-written by Stepniak Published in Inside Higher Ed
“A Case for Mischief Makers,” an article co-written by Shenandoah Conservatory Dean and Professor of Music Michael Stepniak, Ed.D., and Dean of the Conservatory at Lawrence University Conservatory of Music Brian Pertl, Ph.D., was published by Inside ... Continue Reading Article Co-written by Stepniak Published…

‘Causal Effect’: The Road to Live Virtual Performances
by Tiffanie Carson, choreographer, “Causal Effect” “Causal Effect: A Virtual Revival” was livestreamed on Shenandoah University’s YouTube channel at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13 and Saturday, Nov 14. The performances featured 32 dance ... Continue Reading ‘Causal Effect’: The Road to…
Dance Alumni

Meet Miss Virginia
Shenandoah University graduate student Dorothy “Dot” Kelly ’18, B.F.A., is spending the first half of 2020 fulfilling a unique role: Miss Virginia. Kelly, who was first runner-up at the pageant held in June 2019, assumed the role when then-Miss ... Continue Reading Meet Miss Virginia

Luczak ’09, ’15 Appointed Development Director at Asolo Rep
Asolo Rep proudly announces Benjamin Luczak as its new Development Director, officially joining the organization on January 15. Prior to relocating to Sarasota, he previously held leadership positions at Dallas Summer Musicals, Omaha Performing ... Continue Reading Luczak ’09, ’15 Appointed Development…

Kelly ’18, ’21 Announced Miss Virginia 2019
When Miss Virginia, Camille Schrier, was crowned Miss America 2020, the first runner up — our very own Dot Kelly ’18, ’21 (Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, Master of Science in Performing Arts Leadership & Management) — became the new Miss ... Continue Reading Kelly ’18, ’21 Announced Miss…
Dance Faculty
Caring and Accomplished
Shenandoah Conservatory’s dance faculty are dedicated to cultivating the individual artist within each student. They emphasize technical excellence and stylistically diverse performance artistry while nurturing intelligent physical practice and imaginative creativity. Deeply committed to collaborative work, our faculty engage dance majors in creative projects with the Theatre and Music divisions on a frequent basis. Our faculty present choreography at prestigious showcases in New York City and at professional engagements in other major cultural centers in the United States and abroad. They are actively performing, choreographing and teaching around the world with recent guest artist engagements in Taiwan, Columbia, Germany, Spain, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Italy, France and England... and they take our students with them!
Meet the Dance FacultyShenCoLAB
Shenandoah Conservatory turns over the programming and facilities to its students for a week of unbridled exploration, collaboration and creativity.
ShenCoLAB is the only such week of its magnitude and scope offered by a university performing arts program in the United States.
The week culminates in an extraordinary event: the Festival of Arts, Ideas & Exploration, which featured 27 performances and five presentations in the inaugural year!
We're an All-Steinway School
Great music stirs the heart and inspires the soul, and Steinway pianos are celebrated as the instruments used by renowned artists to cultivate their talent and produce great music. Similarly, uncompromising excellence in performing arts education sparks the imagination and inspires the future.
