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Dancers in a line strike poses on stage with dark blue lighting around them.

Dance

At Knox, dance takes you from the studio to the stage—and sometimes across the world.

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Minor

We like to describe our program as dance and…  

Meaning, we see dance as a course of study that pairs naturally with any liberal arts major. Students at Knox combine a dance minor with psychology, biology, educational studies, neuroscience—wherever their curiosity leads.

Some students arrive with years of dance experience; others are stepping into the studio for the first time. Both find room to grow. Our non-competitive dance program is focused on honoring the individual.

Minor in Dance

Requirements Courses

Course Spotlight

Take classes that challenge your ideas of dance. When you imagine a dancer, what do they look like? How many different styles of dance can you name? What forms of dance have you experienced? At Knox, we encourage investigation!

  • DANC 132 Survey of Dance Forms
  • DANC 145 Theory and Improvisation
  • DANC 262 Cultural Perspectives in Dance
  • DANC 352 Contemporary Dance III 0.5
A dancer hits a dramatic pose on stage. Two other dancers are visible in the background. Lighting on stage gives a dark blue background.

Perform

At Knox, a small dance program means big opportunities to take the stage. Each term, the Terpsichore dance collective—a student‑run organization—produces a concert or showcase. The academic dance program presents a main stage concert every spring, featuring choreographic work by faculty, students, and guest choreographers. The program also hosts an annual dance residency, giving students a chance to learn from and work alongside major dance artists and companies—often resulting in a pre‑professional performance opportunity.

A dance instructor pliés while shouting instruction; students surround the instructor, mimicking his pose.

Learn from Professionals

Professional exposure is built into the experience. As members of the American College Dance Association, Knox dancers travel to regional ACDA conferences to perform, take master classes, audition for summer intensives, and connect with leaders in the field. These experiences give students a window into the broader dance world and help them build relationships with working professionals.

Two students wearing traditional kangas as skirts squat low, facing each other and shaking hands.

Go Global

Knox is one of the few small liberal arts colleges to offer dance‑specific study abroad opportunities. Recent programs have taken students to Ghana and Cuba for immersive experiences in drumming, movement, and cultural study—expanding their understanding of dance far beyond the studio.

Students in traditional outwear in the Ghana Immersive Trip
A dancer leans back with arms raised to the side in a dramatic pose.

What Our Dance Alumni Are Doing

Many students come into the Knox Dance program expecting to take just one or two classes. They soon discover that this is a place where they can develop as artists and as individuals. Here’s where that journey has taken some of our alumni.

  • Tara Rollins ’05 | Licensed Professional Counselor; Board‑Certified Dance/Movement Therapist  
  • Megan Hall ’08 | Dancer, Aerialist, and Choreographer with Iluminar PRO and Soul Penny Circus; Licensed Professional Counselor; Registered Dance/Movement Therapist  
  • Brandon Avery Paraharm ’12 | Company Member, Hiplet Ballerinas; Founder/Instructor, Hips & Heels by Brandon Avery™  
  • Juan Enrique Roque Irizarry Jr. ’15 | Professional Dancer and Choreographer; MFA in Dance, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee  
  • Dr. Hannah Steele ’16 | Partner & Founder, Somatic Performance Therapies, LLC; Doctor of Physical Therapy, Washington University  
  • Sithara Stohr ’16 | LCSW and Somatic‑Focused Therapist, Artesian Collaborative; Yoga & Meditation Instructor, Chi‑Town Shakti  
  • Aicha Chehmani ’24 (pictured here on stage at Knox) | Movement Artist and Producer; Artivist Apprentice, Red Clay Dance Company; Lead Producer, Queer Dance Freakout  
  • Marina Hope ’24 | Dancer and Artist; Company Member, Queer Dance Freakout Collective
  • Sadie Cheney '21 pictured on their study abroad program in which students studied throughout Europe.
  • Angela is pursuing a master’s degree in recreation administration at Illinois State University.

Student Spotlight: Dance Minor

Aicha Chehmani

Chehmani continues to learn outside the classroom working as a social media coordinator in the Office of Communications.

Meet Aicha

Sadie Cheney '21

Sadie studied in the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic while also pursuing independent research.

Meet Sadie

Angela McNeal '16

As a Knox student, McNeal started an after-school dance program for at-risk students and performed at the Kennedy Center.

Meet Angela
In a dance studio, a dance student strikes a dance pose, suspended in air by ropes.

Dance Residencies

  • 2026 – Chicago Dance Crash
  • 2025 – Laina Reese Warner-Powell: Afro-Contemporary Dance
  • 2024 – Brandon Avery: Honnold Lecturer & Alumni Guest Artist in Residence 
  • 2023 – Aerial Dance Chicago: Performance Residency
  • 2022 – Dani Tirrell: Jazz & House Dance Residency

Dance News

Read More News
Knox students take a bow after their performance at The Orpheum Theatre.

Chicago Dance Crash Collaborates with Knox for Dance Residency

Residency culminated in an inspiring performance by Knox College students at the Orpheum Theatre

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Knox Honnold Lecture Dance Residency: A Week of Movement and Connection

On Friday, April 12, 2024, the residency concluded with the Honnold Lecture.

Read More

Knox Students Learn the Ropes During Aerial Dance Chicago Residency

Six Knox students were selected to participate in the final residency performance held at the Orpheum Theater.

Read More

Dance FAQs

We are a contemporary dance-based program that is grounded in somatic practice. This means we do not follow the “old school” model of dance technique courses (ballet, jazz, and modern). Rather, our technique courses are grounded in the study of anatomy and building a movement vocabulary that is built on safe movement practices.

No! We are a non-competitive dance program that is open to all students at the college. While we do offer three levels of contemporary dance technique, students work with the dance faculty to determine the correct level placement for them at any given term. All technique classes may be repeated up to three times, so students can stay on top of their technical training. 

Yes! In any given year, students may have three to five different performance opportunities available to them through the academic dance program and/or Terpsichore, the student dance organization

Is Knox for you?

Contact us to find out more about our comprehensive majors, minors, and programs.

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