UMass dancers

We are committed to:

  • The highest aesthetic standards
  • Being of service to our diverse campus and local community
  • Excellence in creative and scholarly research
  • Exemplary, experientially based teaching
UMass dancers

We strive to:

  • Offer a diverse range of movement techniques
  • Instill a deep and factual understanding of anatomical information in order to be more articulate in the body
  • Engage our students in artistic traditions and current trends in dance-making
  • Foster critical thinking and emphasize the ability to express oneself through language and movement
  • Raise social and cultural awareness
  • Provide a methodology for creation, editing, and presentation of one’s work in order to move from conceptual idea to performance
  • Facilitate a high level of craft alongside a distinctive artistic voice

Director's Welcome

As a high school senior considering college dance programs or as a current UMass student, you are at an exciting juncture as you consider dance studies that meet your career aspirations. The Dance faculty are ready to provide you with the insights, experiences, and mentorship that you need to determine your own path to a rewarding and fulfilling life in the arts.

Tom Vacanti
Dance Program Director
Thomas Vacanti, Director, Dance