Dance Science Major
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About the Major
Dance science focuses on the application of scientific principles to enhance dance and movement performance, improve dance training, reduce injury and contribute to the overall well-being of dancers. The program combines elements of the exercise science, dance performance and choreography curriculums as well as specialized courses and research projects.
Jobs in Dance Science
- Dance instructor
- Fitness and conditioning coach
- Theater choreographer
- Dance researcher
- Dance company conditioning coach
Past Elon Dance Science Internships
- Evergreen Physical Therapy
- Promotion Physical Therapy
- Performing Arts Physical Therapy
- The Pilates Studio of Los Angeles
- Duke University Sports Medicine Center
Related Majors
The Ness co-founder equips dance students for purpose-driven careers
Finding success as an artist and entrepreneur has as much to do with understanding your purpose as talent and hard work, said Colette Dong, a 2014 Elon graduate.
She should know. She’s the co-founder and co-owner of The Ness — a booming fitness company with clients around the globe — and has been featured on NBC’s “Today” and “The Drew Barrymore Show” and in the New York Times. She also was Elon’s first student to graduate with degrees in both dance science and dance performance and choreography.
“I always excelled at science, but when it came to picking a major, my passion for dance was undeniably stronger,” Dong said while still at Elon. With Elon’s degree in dance science, “I am able to marry both fields without having to give up or devote any less time to my innate passion for movement. The classes in the dance science major have aided me in becoming a better dancer by allowing me to understand the physics, anatomy and psychology of dance.”
The classes in the dance science major have aided me in becoming a better dancer by allowing me to understand the physics, anatomy and psychology of dance.
Nearly a decade after graduating, Dong continues to connect with her alma mater. In April 2023, she led master classes in conditioning and a professional development session during a campus visit, providing students with real-world advice to develop the mindset, skills and resilience needed for success.
“Your purpose and your passion are essentially your brand,” Dong said during her 2023 visit. “It’s who you are and how you put yourself out into the world. That purpose is really what’s going to drive you in life and it’s how you lead an authentic career where you find happiness. What’s the point if you’re not happy in what you do?”
After graduating from Elon, Dong completed a season with the American Dance Festival before returning to New York City where she worked as a dancer and Pilates instructor with hospitality jobs on the side. Shifting into fitness training, which she found aligned with her values and purpose, she co-founded The Ness in 2018 to create in-person and online movement- and choreography-based workouts. The business officially launched in 2019, introduced trampoline equipment bundled with its digital classes in 2020, and saw its revenues triple over the next two years.
While at Elon, Dong was also the first dance science major to present research at the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science and be awarded a competitive internship at Harkness Center for Dance Injuries at NYU Langone Health.
Early after graduation, Dong said she was initially hesitant to ask people for help or money to pursue goals. But she learned she could find success if she asked the right person and made sure she told them why they were the right person, offer something in return, and set a schedule to follow-up.
“If you don’t ask, it doesn’t happen. Period,” she said. “Make it easy for the person, be direct, and make sure you have a purpose going into it.”
She advised students to create crisis response plans for worst-case scenarios, identifying in advance networks for support, financial assistance and mental well-being.
“I like to think about it as planting seeds,” Dong said. “Every day you are planting seeds. So when you’re feeling defeated, tell yourself, ‘I planted a lot of seeds today.’”
Did You Know?
- Requirements for the dance science degree can be completed in three years, allowing first-year students who arrive with no clear major the opportunity to discover this area, meet with the director of dance science and begin the course of study in the second year.
- Students get to apply the discipline’s skills, approaches and theories in real-world situations through internships and research experiences and by shadowing dance science and dance medicine experts, attending professional conferences, and participating in dance science events and meetings.
- Class and research is conducted in multiple spaces, including the Center for the Arts, which houses three dance studios; the state-of-the-art Needham Pilates Studio; and the Health and Human Performance Laboratory, which features instrumentation to analyze body composition, muscle strength, endurance and sport performance.