Our Mission

The Bates Dance program approaches the field as embodied activism, artistry, and scholarship. Through robust conversation around equity and inclusion, our curriculum balances critical studies in the histories of dance, creative process, physical practice, and culturally inclusive engagement with contemporary performance.

Our Disposition

We welcome movers of any level of experience, valuing community, experimentation, interdisciplinarity, and equity. The Bates Dance program acknowledges its part in addressing the systemic nature of oppression through the arts, which necessitates a critical understanding of the forms we engage and the histories of exclusions and trauma therein. We seek to catalyze discernment in holding both the joy of dance and the harm that may occur when seeking embodiment, while providing students the knowledge and tools to dismantle structural inequities and personal biases in dance.

Our Vision

The Bates Dance program empowers a diverse community of students to cultivate their unique, sustained, and expansive approaches to dance artistry and activism.