About Dance
The Dance Program has been an integral part of City College of San Francisco’s Physical Education Department since its inception over 70 years ago. Due to the integrity, diversity, and excellence in teaching, this program has steadily grown.
The curriculum for the Associate Degree in Dance allows students to develop skills to pursue careers in choreography, dance performance, dance education and criticism, as well as fulfills most of the lower division requirements for many four-year institutions. Faculty are dedicated to creating a discipline that carries over to all aspects of lifelong health, nurturing the “whole” dancer in mind, body, and spirit. The Dance Program provides comprehensive studies including history, theory, choreography, technique, conditioning, and performance. Additional classes such as anatomy and nutrition are included to support the student’s development.
The program highlights dance technique (ballet, modern, hip hop, contemporary, tap, jazz, and African Haitian) and performance while providing the student with all the tools necessary to become a healthy and well-rounded dancer. The student will also have ample performance, choreography, and production opportunities, in addition to exploring the sciences and history as part of our diverse program. Special focus is given to prepare the dancer for transfer to upper-division courses at a four-year college or university.
Explore Potential Careers
Studying Dance can lead to a variety of different jobs or career paths. Below are just some of the many options you will have!
- Professional Dancer/Instructor
- Choreographer
- Dance Conditioning Instructor
- Dance Therapist
- Yoga/Pilates Instructor
- Recreation and Fitness Instructor (YMCA/YWCA)
Program Options
Click on the degree or certificate you're interested in earning to see a sample map of courses to take to complete your goal from start to finish.
Please note that the course maps provided are just an example to help you get started. Please meet with a counselor to personalize the plan to you and your Academic goals.
View Requirements in College Catalog
Semester 1
Course Number |
Course Title |
Units |
Notes |
DANC 34A |
Dance Conditioning |
1 |
|
DANC 34A |
Contemporary Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 124C |
Intermediate Modern Dance |
1 |
|
RƵ Area H |
Ethnic, Women's, Gender, LGBTQ Studies |
3 |
|
ENGL 1A + 1AS |
University-Parallel Reading and Composition + Support |
4 - 6 |
|
RƵ Area A |
Communication/Analytical Thinking |
3 |
|
DANC 102A |
Beginning RƵ Repertory Dance Company |
1 |
|
Major Requirement Elective |
See Counselor |
1 |
|
Total Units: 15 - 17
Semester 2
Course Number |
Course Title |
Units |
Notes |
DANC 30 or 133C |
Major Requirement Elective |
3 |
|
DANC 119C or DANC 121B |
Major Requirement Elective |
1 |
|
DANC 138B |
Advanced Beginning Hip Hop Dance |
1 |
|
RƵ Area F |
US History and Government |
3 |
|
RƵ Math Requirement |
See Counselor |
3-5 |
|
BIO 132, HLTH 176 or PE 20 |
Nutrition, Sports Nutrition, |
3 |
|
Total Units: 14-16
Semester 3
Course Number |
Course Title |
Units |
Notes |
DANC 100A |
Dance Composition |
3 |
|
DANC 124C or 126B |
Major Requirement Elective |
1 |
|
DANC 133B |
Advanced Beginning African Haitian |
1 |
|
DANC 134A |
Beginning Tap Dance |
1 |
|
RƵ Area D |
Social and Behavioral Sciences |
3 |
|
DANC 32 |
Black Tradition in American Dance |
3 |
|
DANC 37 |
Feldenkrais for Dance and Performing Arts |
1 |
|
DANC 119D |
Advanced Intermediate Ballet |
1 |
|
DANC 129C |
Intermediate Jazz Dance |
1 |
|
Total Units: 15
Semester 4
Course Number |
Course Title |
Units |
Notes |
DANC 100B |
Intermediate Dance Composition |
3 |
|
DANC 124 D |
Advanced Modern Dance |
2 |
|
BIO 106 |
Intro to Human Anatomy and Physiology |
4 |
|
DANC 129D |
Advanced Jazz Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 101A, 101B or 102B |
Major Requirement Elective |
1 |
|
RƵ Area G1 |
Health Knowledge |
2-3 |
|
Degree Applicable Elective |
See Counselor |
3+ |
|
Total Units: 16+
View Requirements in College Catalog
Required Workshop and Theory Courses
Course Number |
Course Title |
Units |
Notes |
DANC 32 |
Black Tradition in American Dance |
3 |
|
DANC 34A |
Dance Conditioning |
1 |
|
DANC 100A |
Beginning Dance Composition |
3 |
|
Total Units: 7
Choose 6 Units From the Following Technique Electives
Course Number |
Course Title |
Units |
Notes |
DANC 129C |
Intermediate Jazz Dance |
1 |
Prerequisite: DANC 129B |
DANC 129D |
Advanced Jazz Dance |
1 |
Prerequisite: DANC 129C |
DANC 133B |
Advanced Beginning African Haitian |
1 |
Prerequisite: DANC 133A or demonstration of exit skills |
DANC 133C |
Intermediate African-Haitian Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 134B |
Advanced Beginning Tap Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 134C |
Intermediate Tap Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 134D |
Advanced Intermediate Tap Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 138C |
Intermediate Hip Hop Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 138D |
Advanced Hip Hop Dance |
1 |
|
Total Units: 6
Choose 2 Units From the Following Elective Courses (if not already taken to meet requirement above)
Course Number |
Course Title |
Units |
Notes |
DANC 37 |
Feldenkrais for Dance and Performing Arts |
1 |
|
DANC 101A |
Dance Performance Production |
1 |
|
DANC 101B |
Beginning RƵ Repertory Dance Company - Local Theatre |
1 |
|
DANC 129A |
Beginning Jazz Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 129B |
Advanced Beginning Jazz Dance |
1 |
Prerequisite: DANC 129A |
DANC 133A |
Beginning African-Haitian Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 133B |
Advanced Beginning African Haitian |
1 |
Prerequisite: DANC 133A |
DANC 134A |
Beginning Tap Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 134B |
Advanced Beginning Tap Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 138A |
Beginning Hip Hop Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 138B |
Advanced Beginning Hip Hop Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 150A |
Beginning Swing Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 150B |
Intermediate Swing Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 151A |
Beginning Lindy Hop |
1 |
|
DANC 151B |
Intermediate Lindy Hop |
1 |
|
Total Units: 2
Overall Total Units: 15
View Requirements in College Catalog
Required Workshop and Theory Courses
Course Number |
Course Title |
Units |
Notes |
DANC 30 |
Dance History - Dance in Cultural Context |
3 |
|
DANC 34A |
Dance Conditioning |
1 |
|
DANC 100A |
Beginning Dance Composition |
3 |
|
Total Units: 7
Choose 6 Units From the Following Dance Technique Courses:
Course Number |
Course Title |
Units |
Notes |
DANC 119C |
Intermediate Ballet |
1 |
|
DANC 119D |
Advanced Intermediate Ballet |
2 |
|
DANC 121B |
Intensive Ballet |
2 |
|
DANC 124C |
Intermediate Modern Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 124D |
Advanced Modern Dance |
2 |
|
DANC 126B |
Intensive Modern Dance |
2 |
|
Total Units: 6
Choose 2 Units From the Following Elective Courses
Course Number |
Course Title |
Units |
Notes |
DANC 37 |
Feldenkrais for Dance and Performing Arts |
1 |
|
DANC 101A |
Dance Performance Production |
1 |
|
DANC 102A |
Beginning RƵ Repertory Dance Company - Local Theatre |
1 |
|
DANC 119A |
Beginning Ballet |
1 |
|
DANC 119B |
Advanced Beginning Ballet |
1 |
|
DANC 122 |
Beginning Pointe Technique |
1 |
|
DANC 124A |
Beginning Modern Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 124B |
Advanced Beginning Modern Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 129A |
Beginning Jazz Danc |
1 |
|
DANC 129B |
Advanced Beginning Jazz Dance |
1 |
|
Total Units: 2
Overall Total Units: 15
View Requirements in College Catalog
Choose 5 Units From the Following Core Courses
Course Number |
Course Title |
Units |
Notes |
DANC 34A |
Dance Conditioning |
1 |
|
PE 8 |
Intro to Fitness and Training |
3 |
|
PE 9 |
Fitness, Food, Managing Weight: Navigating Wellness |
2 |
|
PE 14 |
Toward Living Long & Strong: A New Fitness Paradigm |
2 |
|
PE 20 |
Sports Nutrition |
3 |
|
Total Units: 5
Choose 4 Units From the Following Dance Courses
Course Number |
Course Title |
Units |
Notes |
DANC 34A |
Dance Conditioning |
1 |
DANC 34A may be used to meet the dance course requirement if not taken to meet core requirement. |
DANC 129A |
Beginning Jazz Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 129B |
Advanced Beginning Jazz Dance |
1 |
Prerequisite: DANC 129A |
DANC 138A |
Beginning Hip Hop Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 138B |
Advanced Beginning Hip Hop Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 172A |
Zumba: Latin Style Dance Forms |
1 |
|
DANC 172B |
Zumba: Street Style Dance Forms |
1 |
|
Total Units: 4
Choose 2 Units From the Following Movement/Flexibility Courses
Course Number |
Course Title |
Units |
Notes |
DANC 173 |
Yoga Movement |
1 |
|
PE 217A |
Beginning Stretching and Flexibility Development |
1 |
|
PE 217B |
Intermediate Stretching and Flexibility Development |
1 |
|
PE 219A |
Beginning Yoga |
1 |
|
PE 219B |
Intermediate Yoga |
1 |
|
PE 222 |
Introduction to Feldenkrais |
1 |
|
Total Units: 2
Choose 4 Units From the Following Fitness Courses:
Course Number |
Course Title |
Units |
Notes |
PE 200B |
Fitness Center Super Circuit |
1 |
|
PE 200C |
Fitness Center Super Circuit |
2 |
|
PE 204A |
Beginning Physical Fitness |
1 |
|
PE 204B |
Intermediate Physical Fitness |
1 |
|
PE 207A |
Boot Camp Fitness |
1 |
|
PE 208A |
Beginning Aerobic Fitness |
1 |
|
PE 208B |
Intermediate Aerobic Fitness |
1 |
|
PE 210A |
Beginning Boxercise |
1 |
|
PE 210B |
Intermediate Boxercise |
1 |
|
PE 215A |
Beginning Strength and Interval Training |
1 |
|
PE 216A |
Beginning Body Sculpting |
1 |
|
PE 216B |
Intermediate Body Sculpting |
1 |
|
Total Units: 4
Overall Total Units: 15
View Requirements in College Catalog
Required Core Dance Courses
Course Number |
Course Title |
Units |
Notes |
DANC 34A |
Dance Conditioning |
1 |
|
DANC 145A |
Beginning Ballroom Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 145B |
Intermediate Ballroom Dance |
1 |
|
Total Units: 3
Choose 2 Courses From the Following Related Dance Techniques
Course Number |
Course Title |
Units |
Notes |
DANC 119A |
Beginning Ballet |
1 |
|
DANC 119B |
Advanced Beginning Ballet |
1 |
|
DANC 124A |
Beginning Modern Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 124B |
Advanced Beginning Modern Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 129A |
Beginning Jazz Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 129B |
Advanced Beginning Jazz Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 134A |
Beginning Tap Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 134B |
Advanced Beginning Tap Dance |
1 |
|
Total Units: 2
Choose 2 Units From Performance Courses
Course Number |
Course Title |
Units |
Notes |
DANC 101A |
Dance Performance Production |
1 |
|
DANC 101B |
Dance Performance Production |
2 |
|
DANC 102A |
Beginning RƵ Repertory Dance Company - Local Theatre |
1 |
|
Total Units: 2
Choose 8 Units From the Following Social Dance Technique Courses
Course Number |
Course Title |
Units |
Notes |
DANC 140A |
Beginning European Folk Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 141A |
Beginning International Folk Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 150B |
Intermediate Swing Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 150C |
Advanced Swing Dance |
1 |
|
DANC 151B |
Intermediate Lindy Hop |
1 |
|
DANC 155B |
Intermediate Salsa and Other Latin Dances |
1 |
|
DANC 155C |
Advanced Salsa and Other Latin Dances |
1 |
|
DANC 160B |
Intermediate Argentine Tango |
1 |
|
DANC 160C |
Advanced Argentine Tango |
1 |
|
DANC 161 |
Follower's Technique for Argentine Tango |
1 |
|
Total Units: 8
Overall Total Units: 15
Transfer Options
The program coursework you complete at City College will satisfy lower-division requirements for related majors at several colleges and universities.
Have questions about transfer? Visit the Transfer Center for help, transfer information, and/or to speak with college representatives.