A.S. in Commercial Dance

The Commercial Dance program is designed to prepare students for professional employment within the commercial dance industry and related fields, including performance, choreography, production, education, company management, studio ownership, somatic therapy, digital content creation, and arts administration. Through an interdisciplinary curriculum that integrates movement, theory, and performance courses, students develop technical proficiency and artistic versatility while cultivating critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills essential for career success and/or university transfer. Experiential learning opportunities, including internships and guest artist workshops, provide practical, hands-on experience and direct connections to industry professionals. The program emphasizes the application of current industry knowledge, creative problem-solving, entrepreneurial skill sets, audition preparation, and professional networking strategies that support sustainable careers in the arts.

PLO’s:

- Demonstrate technical and artistic proficiency across multiple commercial dance techniques and genres

- Analyze the stylistic influences of multiple commercial dance techniques and genres, and examine the historical, cultural, and professional significance of Afro-diasporic dance forms such as hip hop, jazz, and tap

- Apply creative skill sets, professional materials, audition strategies, and networking practices consistent with current industry standards, protocols, and best practices within the commercial dance field

- Demonstrate confidence, resilience, and an entrepreneurial approach that supports the pursuit of diverse career opportunities within commercial dance and related industries, including performance, choreography, production, education, company management, studio ownership, somatic therapy, digital content creation, and arts administration

8 - 10 projections 

Los Angeles is the epicenter of the commercial dance industry, and a large percentage of SMC Dance students intend to pursue careers within this industry as performers, choreographers, producers, artistic directors, educators, private studio owners, talent agents, company managers, rehearsal directors, stage and production managers, somatic therapists, dance filmmakers, digital content creators, marketing personnel and arts administrators. The Career Education A.S. in Commercial Dance would build direct pathways between SMC and the commercial dance industry within Los Angeles and beyond through guest artist workshops and choreographic residencies, in-house auditions for various employment opportunities, Q&As with industry leaders, field trips to local dance performances and company rehearsals, and internships with dance companies and arts organizations. The curriculum would provide the necessary resources and training to develop professional portfolios including artist materials like high quality video content, resumes, bios, and headshots. All of these avenues broaden their professional network connections, increase their potential of garnering employment, and prepare them for the realities of working in a multifaceted gig economy.

SMC is the only community college in the Greater LA area that offers a Commercial Dance Certificate of Achievement (Fall 2023), which was created in support of the Dance Department’s efforts to equitize our curriculum and underscore the cultural and historical significance and professional relevance of Afro-disaporic dance techniques such as hip hop, jazz, and tap. This new degree builds upon the Certificate curriculum by providing additional training to serve those students desiring an Associate’s degree and/or who would benefit from more technical and artistic training before pursuing employment in the dance industry. For most AA/BA/BFA degrees in Dance, Eurocentric dance forms ballet and modern remain the required technique courses, while Afro-diasporic dance forms remain elective courses. This degree would support and uplift students specializing in Afro-disaporic dance forms as these are the primary dance styles utilized in commercial dance jobs. We believe that prioritizing these forms will help close equity gaps, improve enrollment and retention, and more accurately reflect the cultural diversity of our student population within the Dance Department and the college at large.

We envision our department becoming a hub for commercial dance that will attract a larger student population locally, nationally, and internationally. An A.S. in Commercial Dance would also distinguish SMC as the only community college offering an AS/AA in Commercial Dance in Southern California and would bolster SMC Dance Department’s reputation as a high caliber, comprehensive training program that offers competitive inroads to the professional dance and entertainment industry.

Through an interdisciplinary curriculum that integrates movement, theory, and performance courses, students develop technical proficiency and artistic versatility while gaining current industry knowledge, creative problem-solving and entrepreneurial skill sets, audition preparation, and professional networking strategies that support sustainable careers in the arts. SMC is the only community college in the Greater LA area that offers a Commercial Dance Certificate of Achievement (Fall 2023). This new degree builds upon the Certificate curriculum by offering additional training in diverse performance techniques including Acting and Musical Theater to serve those students desiring an Associate’s degree, university transfer, and/or who seek to expand their artistic range for employment in the entertainment industry.

This degree builds on the curriculum of the Dance Department’s Commercial Dance Certificate of Achievement. Students can complete the Commercial Dance Certificate of Achievement in one year and/or the A.S. in Commercial Dance in two years. Many of the courses and electives also overlap with the Dance Department’s A.A. in Dance requirements, so students could pursue both the A.A. in Dance and A.S. in Commercial Dance simultaneously if they so desired.

Cerritos College - Commercial Dance Certificate of Achievement
Citrus College - Commercial Dance Certificate of Achievement
Glendale Community College - A.S. Dance Teaching
Mt. San Antonio College - Dance Teacher Certificate

15 - 20

N/A