The Kent State Dance department added a new major in September. This means that they are trying to recruit incoming freshmen. TV2’s Lauren Buchanan took a look at the new major and why a lot of current students have decided to pursue it.

[bbrvideo width=”350″ float=”left” caption=”The School of Theatre and Dance at KSU is now offering their new major: Dance Studies.”]BBR_07_Buchanan_DanceStudies[/bbrvideo]

Senior Marcia Custer is ready to graduate and follow her dream to own her own dance company.

Custer has had an outstanding dance career and she has not even earned her degree yet. She has performed in Cleveland and proudly choreographed her capstone project.

There is one thing that will make Custer stand out at graduation among the sea of black caps and gowns: She will be one of the first to graduate with a Dance Studies degree.

Dance Studies is a bachelor’s program that is more timely than a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Students who pursue this degree have the opportunity to expand their knowledge in other areas such as business, psychology, and nutrition.

The Dance Studies degree and curriculum was just established in September 2013, which means that KSU’s dance department needs creative marketing to recruit incoming freshman.

Surprisingly, recruiting current students has been easy because of one selling factor: time.

Associate Dance Professor Andrea Shearer said, “We wanted to provide greater flexibility for our students.”

That flexibility gives dance students several opportunities that they wouldn’t have had with a Bachelors of Fine Arts.

Dance students can now study abroad, pick up a minor, and graduate on time.

For more information on the dance studies program, visit http://www.theatre.kent.edu/DanceTraining/Undergraduate/DanceStudies.html