17 Top US College Programs to Offer Scholarships at 'Dancing Through College & Beyond' Event

Brooklyn-based dance education non-profit Dancewave has announced that 17 of the nation's top college dance programs will be offering scholarships ranging from $1,000 to full rides to dancewear sponsorships at Dancing Through College & Beyond 2016, an annual nationwide event and the largest annual college informational session for students interested in dance.

Taking place from 10:30am-6:30pm on Saturday, October 22 at the 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center in NYC (1395 Lexington Ave), the free-to-attend college fair will welcome more than 300 students from all over the country for an opportunity to explore over 45 of the nation's top college dance programs, getting to meet one on one with program chairs, renowned faculty & choreographers, alumni, and students. The Live College Audition takes place at 3:45pm & 5:30pm on 10/22, affording high school seniors the opportunity to audition for over 30 dance programs from around the country in one day (also eliminating the prohibitive costs of traveling to each school).

Dancewave's Dancing Through College & Beyond aims to form personal connections between the current generation of leading dance professionals and the next. The event also helps students explore college dance opportunities and assists them in navigating the college admissions process; it will include discussion panels with distinguished college department chairs and education specialists, dance classes taught by notable college dance faculty, and the college fair, where students can network with some of the top U.S. college dance departments. Students will learn about the wide range of programs offered by various dance departments, and how these programs provide career opportunities that range from professional dancer to dance educator to dance therapist and more. Panel discussions will also provide practical tips for submitting applications, requesting financial aid, and auditioning. Learn more about the event and how to register here.

The colleges offering scholarships are Adelphi University, American Musical & Dramatic Academy (AMDA), Broadway Dance Center, Cornish College of the Arts, Drexel University (Westphal College of Media Arts & Design), Gaynor Minden, Hofstra University, Miami Dade College (New World School of the Arts), Montclair State University, Sacred Heart University, Slippery Rock University, Steps Conservatory Program, Temple University (Boyer College of Music and Dance), Townson University, University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of the Arts & Wayne State University (Maggie Alleles Department of Theatre & Dance).

"We are proud to offer free access to college opportunities for a diverse range of high school students particularly because the college application process is often so confusing and costly" said Diane Jacobowitz, Executive and Artistic Director of Dancewave. "To further eliminate the financial barriers that come with the audition process and enable those high school seniors that are serious about dance the opportunity to audition for these elite programs speaks to our mission to make dance accessible to all."

This year, the event will also be preceded by a special evening reception on Friday, October 21 at 6:30pm featuring remarks and performances from seven of the college dance programs attending Saturday's fair. This reception will also take place at the 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center.

Event sponsors are the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and Harkness Foundation for Dance.

Student Registration Contact: Jessica Zippin at DancingThroughCollege@dancewave.org/718-522-4696.

The 2016 Participating Colleges are: Adelphi University | AMDA | California Institute of the Arts - The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance | Cornish College of the Arts | Denison University | DeSales University | Drexel University-Westphal College of Media Arts & Design | George Mason University-School of Dance | Hofstra University | Hope College | Juilliard School of Dance | Kent State University-School of Theatre and Dance| Marymount Manhattan College| Montclair State University | NYU Tisch Institute of the Performing Arts | Pace University - School of Performing Arts | Queensborough Community College | Rider University - Westminster School of the Arts | Rutgers University-Mason Gross School of the Arts | Sarah Lawrence College | Slippery Rock University | Steps Conservatory Program | SUNY Purchase College-SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance | Temple University-Boyer College of Music and Dance | The Ailey School | The Boston Conservatory | The New School-Eugene Lang College | The Ohio State University | Towson University | University at Buffalo | University of Maryland-School of Theatre, Dance & Performance Studies |University of Massachusetts Amherst | USC-Glorya Kaufman School of Dance | Wayne State University-Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre & Dance