Five College Dance

Experience Five College Dance 

Five College Dance comprises the dance departments of our member campuses (including Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith Colleges, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst), with each offering its own distinctive program while collaborating as a uniquely rich inter-campus consortium with abundant possibilities for dance students.

Among the Five Colleges, a complete and varied schedule of classes is offered taught by a wide range of faculty members. Technique classes in a variety of forms and aesthetics is offered through the Five College Dance program, at beginning through advanced levels. The program also provides an extensive selection of theory classes, including history, composition, movement analysis, music theory for dancers, dance production, and interdisciplinary courses, such as arts activism and protest traditions in American dance. These classes form a solid base from which to explore dance in independent and divisional work.

Performances, lectures, workshops, and special events are continually programmed across the Five Colleges, giving students an opportunity to constantly be engaging in dance at Hampshire and beyond. The quantity and variety of offerings are simply not possible at any single school, making the Five College Dance program especially unique!

Students without cars on campus often utilize the free Five College bus system to travel between schools. Classes, workshops, and performances are commonly comprised of a diverse mix of Five College students, making it easier to meet fellow Five College dancers and to get involved in opportunities at other campuses.