National Association of Schools of Dance

National Association of Schools of Dance
Name	National Association of Schools of Dance
Type	Membership association; accrediting agency
Formation	1978
Headquarters	United States
Region served	United States and international
Membership	Colleges, universities, conservatories, independent schools
Leader title	Executive Director

National Association of Schools of Dance The National Association of Schools of Dance is a United States-based accrediting association that establishes standards for collegiate and professional dance programs and certifies institutions offering curricula in ballet, modern dance, contemporary dance, and allied performance disciplines. The association functions as a peer-review body linking academic institutions, conservatories, and independent studios across regional networks including institutions that participate in intercollegiate activities governed by organizations such as National Collegiate Athletic Association, American Council on Education, and arts consortia affiliated with the National Endowment for the Arts.

History

The association originated in the late twentieth century amid efforts by leaders drawn from the Juilliard School, New York University, University of California, Los Angeles, and the Boston Conservatory to professionalize standards that had emerged from earlier bodies such as the Dance Educators of America and conservatory traditions rooted in the Royal Academy of Dance and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. Influential figures from institutions like Martha Graham School and companies including the American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, and the National Ballet of Canada contributed to early policy discussions. The founding era corresponded with broader accreditation developments led by agencies similar to the National Association of Schools and Colleges and followed precedents set by arts accreditation in fields represented by the National Association of Schools of Music and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Mission and Standards

The association’s mission aligns with conservation of technical pedagogy from lineages such as the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet and the Cunningham technique, while integrating scholarship influenced by faculty from institutions like Columbia University, Indiana University Bloomington, and University of California, Los Angeles. Standards cover curriculum design referencing repertoire associated with choreographers including George Balanchine, Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, and Alvin Ailey. Programs are evaluated against competencies comparable to those articulated by bodies such as the Association of American Colleges and Universities and the American Association of University Professors.

Accreditation Process

Accreditation is a multi-stage peer-review process that draws evaluators from member institutions including the School of American Ballet, San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, and the Cleveland Institute of Music (for cross-disciplinary programs). Prospective members submit self-study reports modeled on templates used by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and undergo site visits analogous to procedures at the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Decisions reference outcomes assessments similar to protocols employed by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology adapted for performance and creative arts.

Member Institutions

Membership comprises public and private entities such as the University of Michigan, Rutgers University, Florida State University, the California Institute of the Arts, and independent schools like the School of Dance at Oregon Ballet Theatre. Conservatories represented include the Curtis Institute of Music (for collaborative programs), the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (for exchange partnerships), and numerous regional colleges formerly associated with consortia like the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design. Member lists often overlap with participants in festivals such as the American Dance Festival and competitions like the Youth America Grand Prix.

Governance and Organization

Governance is vested in a board composed of representatives from accredited institutions, professional company directors, and academic leaders drawn from entities such as Yale University, Princeton University, and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Committees mirror models used by the American Council on Education and include standards committees, appeals panels, and nominating committees similar to those of the Association of Performing Arts Professionals. Administrative operations coordinate with legal counsel experienced with nonprofit statutes applied in organizations like the League of American Orchestras.

Programs and Services

The association sponsors conferences, workshops, and research symposia held jointly with partners like the Dance Studies Association, Society of Dance History Scholars, and international organizations including the International Theatre Institute. It publishes curricular guidelines and assessment instruments comparable to those circulated by the Modern Language Association and offers faculty development initiatives influenced by residencies at the Tate Modern and collaborative programs with the Smithsonian Institution. Student-centered services link members with audition circuits used by companies such as Pacific Northwest Ballet and scholarship programs patterned after models by the Fulbright Program.

Impact and Criticism

The association has raised programmatic quality, shaped career pathways into companies like the Royal Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet, and influenced academic recognition of dance alongside disciplines at institutions like the University of California system. Criticisms parallel debates in arts accreditation more broadly: some commentators from schools such as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and academics from New York University argue that standardized criteria risk privileging codified techniques over vernacular, social, and improvisational practices championed by collectives associated with the Black Arts Movement and community-based arts initiatives. Others cite the balance between conservatory intensity exemplified by the Bolshoi Ballet Academy and liberal arts integration practiced at universities such as Amherst College as ongoing tensions in policy deliberations.

Category:Dance organizations in the United States