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Department Introduction
- Overview of the School
- Department Introduction
Introduction to the Department of Dance
The Department of Dance adheres to an educational philosophy that integrates comprehensiveness, practicality, and innovation. Anchored by the core mission of “basing itself in Jiangxi, serving the nation, and building a world-class discipline”, the Department adopts a holistic approach to education that encompasses knowledge transmission, ability cultivation, and value shaping. Built upon a systematic professional curriculum and a multi-dimensional training model, the Department aims to cultivate high-level interdisciplinary talent proficient in dance creation, education, and the interdisciplinary study of dance and technology. Graduates are well-prepared for careers in art troupes, educational institutions, cultural organizations, and government agencies.
History and Development
· 2000: The Department of Music and Performance was established, offering a Performance major with a track in Dance under the administration of the School of Arts, Nanchang University.
· 2003: The Department of Music and Performance became part of the School of Art and Design at Nanchang University.
· 2006: The Department of Dance was established as an independent department, separating from the Department of Music and Performance.
· 2022: It became affiliated with the School of Arts at Nanchang University.
Education and Teaching
The Department offers a major in Dance Studies (Danceology), featuring three distinctive yet mutually supportive research tracks: Dance Creation Theory and Practice, Dance Education Theory and Methods, and Dance Science and Technology Innovation.
· Faculty: The Department features a distinguished faculty of 13 full-time teachers, including an expert from the Ministry of Education’s Steering Committee on Professional Teaching. Professors, associate professors, and doctoral degree holders comprise 25% of the staff. The team also includes three piano accompanists and international faculty from Ukraine, fostering a teaching system that integrates theory, practice, and international perspectives.
· Facilities: The Department provides state-of-the-art climate-controlled professional dance studios and a performance theater. It has also established artistic practice bases in collaboration with multiple leading domestic art troupes.
Research and Discipline Development
The Department offers an academic Master’s degree in Art Theory and a doctoral degree in Arts Management (secondary discipline). The Dance Studies major has been designated as a National First-Class Undergraduate Major, a Jiangxi Provincial First-Class Undergraduate Major, and a Provincial Five-Star Major. It ranks 19th nationally in ShanghaiRanking’s Best Chinese Majors and is rated as an A-level major. In the comprehensive evaluation of undergraduate majors in Jiangxi, the Dance Studies major ranked first in both quantitative and qualitative metrics. The course “Modern Dance II” was selected as a National First-Class Undergraduate Course.
In recent years, faculty members have successfully secured and completed 2 National Arts Fund projects, published over 20 papers in CSSCI journals and Chinese core journals, and completed over 20 provincial-level social science projects, arts projects, and education reform projects.
Performances and Exhibitions
Original works by faculty and students have won numerous prestigious awards, including the “Lotus Award” (China’s highest dance honor), and prizes in the National College Student Art Performance, the National Taoli Cup Dance Competition, the China Top Dancer Growth Plan, the Professional Dance Competition in Six Provinces and One City in East China, the Young Elite Dancer Showcase in Six Provinces (Regions), “Top Ten Young Leading Dancers” Showcase of Six Provinces (Regions) in Central and South China, the Jiangxi Bailu Cup Professional Dance Competition, the Jiangxi College Student Art Performance, and the Jiangxi Art Festival Music and Dance Art Showcase. In total, the Department has participated in over 100 competitions.
Faculty and students have been invited to perform at high-profile national events, including: the CCTV Spring Festival Gala (Main Venue); the “Red Battle Flag of the Strong Army” Gala for the 90th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Liberation Army (approved by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and hosted by CCTV); the recording of the CCTV May 1st Gala “China Dream, Labor Beauty” (Jiangxi Branch); the Award Ceremony for the 7th China International “Internet+” College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition (co-sponsored by the Ministry of Education, the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, and the National Development and Reform Commission); the “Bringing Joy to the Grassroots” consolation performance hosted by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles (CFLAC) and the China Dancers Association; the “Dance in Wugong” 2025 China Dancers Association Site-specific Dance Season (Jiangxi Station); the “Glory of the Party Shines on My Heart” Jiangxi Original Dance Showcase on the Theme of Party History, hosted by the Jiangxi Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles (JPFLAC) and organized by the Jiangxi Provincial Dancers Association(JPDA); the 8th Jiangxi Arts Festival Outstanding Achievements Exhibition, hosted by the Publicity Department of the Jiangxi Provincial Committee of the CPC, the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the JPFLAC, the Education Working Committee of the Jiangxi Provincial Committee of the CPC, the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Education, and Jiangxi Radio and Television Station; the Jiangxi Provincial Art Performance Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China; the Jiangxi Provincial Art Performance Commemorating the 95th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China; and the “Reading Family Letters and Telling the Stories of Martyrs” Jiangxi University Tour, hosted by the Education Working Committee of the Jiangxi Provincial Committee of the CPC and the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Education.
Faculty and students have represented the Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban) on numerous occasions to visit and engage in cultural exchanges in Germany, France, the United States, Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, and other countries. They have participated in more than 100 performances of the Gan Opera works The Story of the Red Pearl and Four Dreams in Linchuan.