Are Men in Demand for college programs?

[dancetaxi2]

I was wondering if male dancers are sought after by colleges. not necessarily the top colleges for dance. This is a "what if" question if my son keeps dancing. The college I attended to my knowledge never produced a professional athletic, BUT if you were good at any sport enough to be a solid player on the team (from baseball to squash)- it definitely helped you get in; does this translate to ballet and contemporary?

[Jutty1224]

My thought is yes, though on not experienced with it. I know that i have read someplaces that colleges offering dance scholarships, that guys have an easier time getting them since there are fewer of them, and more in demand, compared to girls.

[Joseph11]

This is a really interesting topic. Does anyone know if a formal or informal study has ever been done?

 

I would be very interested in finding out how many colleges and univerities across the United States offer academic scholarships to young men for dance/ballet, and of those, how many agressivley pursue young talent.

 

To clarify, I use the word pursue, such as an athletic program would pursue a potenttial star quarterback. It is not uncommon for a talented young athlete to receive scholarship offers from several top ranked universities. Would be interesting to know if this occurs in dance/ballet!

[Hans]

I can't say I've heard of dance departments specifically recruiting male dancers, but if they want to offer classical pas de deux classes, ballet dancers of both genders are certainly necessary!

[ddm3]

I am not sure that colleges actively pursue male dancers, but I do know of several male dancers who have been accepted to very prestigous college dance programs with full scholarships. I think that scholarships would be more available to male dancers versus female dancers.

[Robin G]

Yes, I have heard more than one college say they greatly need more males!

[dancetaxi2]

I posted this not for the top-tier dancers, who may very well be decided between a company and a full scholarship at a college. I am wondering about the competent dancer, who like my son who can dance all year long on full or almost full scholarship, but just isn't good enough for a company.

 

Have or could a competent dancer get into a better school than they would have if they didn't dance? I'm guessing (and hoping for conformation) its just like fielding a good marching band or a squash team; if your grades/sats/or whatever a marginal but you can really play they will find a way to get you accepted.

 

It would be good information for those middle and late teens to know.

[Momof3darlings]

I have also wondered if exceptions to the "dance majors only" rule for majors classes is waived for a male wanting to dance but pursue a different major.

[Dance_Scholar_London]

At the college where I teach, we have special "boys days" to encourage boys to audition and get interested in dance as a career. If they are late-starters, it might be indeed to late for a career in ballet, however, they might be (become) excellent jazz or musical theatre performers.

[balletboyrhys]

I would say, as a general rule, that the "majors only rule" does apply. i dont think many university programs really care how well your son dances if he isnt dancing there. lol. i cant cite specifics really but when i graduated from hs i was offered very nice scholarships (several full rides) from 8 different universities. most university programs are pretty accepting of non-advanced male students. the theory is that they can always train the guys but if the guys aren't there in the first place....as far as dance helping you get in to the school goes, well my GPA was .5 points lower than one university claimed to accept but because of "artistic prowess" i was accepted and given an amazing scholarship. hope this helped!

[citibob]

Yale looks for interesting, introspective, well-rounded prospective students. From that point of view, the fact that your son participates in dance could certainly bode well on college applications --- especially if he could say something interesting about it in his application essay. Elite colleges do not generally use a "points" system to rate students numerically, so it's impossible to say that ballet would rate better/worse than football. It could be very good because it would show he's an independent-minded young man.

 

Of course, time in college should generally be spent on academics. It is not really possible to pursue dance at a high level and have enough time to really get the academic college experience (especially if your major is not dance). Academics need to be first priority, and that is all the more true if your son does not wish to pursue a dance career.