Top Colleges offering Dance Courses: Admission Process, Eligibility Criteria & Fees

If you are passionate to make a career in dance or choreography, you need to first pursue a dance or choreography course. Dance has various genres, be it classical, swing, hip-hop to contemporary, students are finally taking up courses in doing what they want to do. There’s no holding back any more as universities and colleges offer students admission in dance courses. “People dance because dance can change things. One move, can bring people together. One move, can make you believe there’s something more.” – Adam G. Sevani

If you are passionate to make a career in dance or choreography, you need to first pursue a dance or choreography course. Dance has various genres, be it classical, swing, hip-hop to contemporary, students are finally taking up courses in doing what they want to do. There’s no holding back any more as universities and colleges offer students admission in dance courses. Dance comes under Art and therefore, it falls under the category of Performing Arts.

A Bachelor of Performing Arts, focuses on three major aspects – Music, Dance and Drama (Theatre). The course helps students refine and hon their skills, excel in the field, learn about the course theoretically and gain more knowledge about what they love to do. A course transforms a student into a professional.  

In order to pursue a course, one needs to do their research work well. Starting by identifying colleges which offer dance courses of their choice, be it classical dance courses or western dance courses. On identifying the college/university/institute, one needs to know the admission process, the eligibility criteria, the fees and the seats offered. Shiksha lists the top colleges in India offering dance courses.

Also Read: Modern Dance

Skills required to be a Dance Choreographer

Candidates interested in pursuing dance course need to have a special inclination towards dancing. Candidates must be a creative mind and capable to innovate new style and movements for dancing. Candidates need to check the list of skills required to be a Dancer or Choreographer in the form of a table:

Also Read: Ballroom Dance

Top Dance Colleges in India

Rabindra Bharati University

In the list of top dance colleges in India, the Rabindra Bharati University (RBU) is widely known for their artistic courses. The university offers admission in Dance, Drama, Vocal Music and Instrumental Music. Offering a variety of courses, the Department of Dance offers students admission in undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral courses. Every year the department produces dance performances, dance dramas, particularly to Tagore’s dance dramas. The structure of the courses is as follows:

Admission Process: The candidate will first have to apply online on the official website of the university and based on the application sent in, candidates will be invited for an interview or audition. Judged on the performances, candidates will be granted admission in the university. Candidates will have to pay the fees before the last date to book their seat.

Banaras Hindu University

The Faculty of Performing Arts under the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) offers students admission in performing arts and has a vision of projecting learning in the form of Kala (Music, Dance, Fine Arts). The Faculty of Performing Arts is initially known as ‘Sri Kala Sangeet Bharati’. Students who are interested in taking up classical dance courses in Kathak and Bharatnatyam, BHU offers students admission in the following courses:

Eligibility Criteria: The candidate should have done their class 12 from a recognised board and should have secured a minimum of 50% in their class 12.

Admission Process: The candidates will first have to apply online on the official website of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and then appear for the BHU Undergraduate Entrance Test (UET). Candidates who clear the BHU UET will have to appear for an interview or audition. Students who clear the two rounds are offered admission in the university.

For more information on BHU UET, candidates can go through the following links as mentioned below:

Actor Prepares

Anupam Kher’s Actor Prepares is one of the renowned institutes in the nation for upcoming actors and theatre artists. However, the Actors Prepares Institute offers candidates a special programme in Bollywood Dancing. In this programme, students learn the ways and methods of dancing Bollywood style, which children, teenagers and adults have been admiring since the inception of movies in India. Students can go on to become professional dancers or become choreographers and teach actors and dancers in the industry.

Eligibility Criteria: The candidate does not need to have prior experience. Student needs to be above 18 years age and needs to give an audition.

Admission Process: The candidate needs to apply on the official website of the institute as admission is done on a first come first serve basis. The payment of fees needs to be done once the application form is submitted. The fees are non-refundable under any circumstance.

Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda

Another university to make the list of top dance colleges in India is The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (MSU) of Baroda. The varsity is highly renowned for the academics in arts and offer students various programmes in the field of performing arts. The Department of Performing Arts under MSU attracts many students for the diverse programmes offered and also attracts students from foreign countries. The goal of the department is to train students to develop their creative and intuitive abilities whereby understanding the art and science of performing arts and its aesthetics applications. The faculty organizes various lectures by inviting professionals and experts in Dance, Music and Rama. The course structures are as follows:

Eligibility Criteria: The candidate needs to meet the following eligibility criteria to apply for admission

UG Course and Diploma: The candidate needs to have done their class 12 from a recognised board and should have secured a minimum of 50% in their boards.

PG Course: The candidate should have done their BPA/BA in similar subjects (major or minor) and should have secured a minimum of 55% in their graduation which should be from a recognised university.

Admission Process: The candidate needs to apply online and will have to appear for an entrance test. Candidates who clear the entrance test will be called for an audition at the university and will be judged by the department members. A merit list will be released and candidates who make the list will be invited for admission in the university.

Delhi Dance Academy

If you want to pursue a course in western dance genres, the Delhi Dance Academy offers students professional and diploma courses in genres such as Jazz, Contemporary, Salsa, Hip-Hop, B-Boying, Break Dance. There are online classes which are offered by the Delhi Dance Academy. There are trained professionals who teach people on how to perfect the art, step up the music and feel the beat on every step made. There are professional dance courses which are as follows:

Eligibility Criteria: The candidate must have basic dancing skills and should have passed class 12 and should know how to read, write and communicate in English. The candidate should have a basic dancing level in any dance form.

Admission Process: The candidate needs to apply online on the official website of the academy. From there the candidate will have to appear for an audition. On clearing the audition, the candidate will be granted admission in the programme interested in.

Job and Career Scope in Dance Choreography

Aspirants who have pursued the Dance course can get multiple job opportunities after completion of the course. Candidates can join film studios, theatre groups, classical dance training centres, and educational institutes etc. Candidates can also start working as a freelancer after few years by setting up their dance academy.

Candidates can check the table below to know about the average income of the choreographers:

Read More:

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• Importance of Music and Music as a Career Opportunity