PhD in Critical Dance Studies in Riverside United States | University of California, Riverside

The Critical Dance Studies Ph.D. program at UC Riverside (previously known as Dance History and Theory) fosters groundbreaking research in dance's cultural, political, and historical dimensions. Established in 1993, this program has become the leading center for scholarly exploration of dance, physicality, movement, choreography, and performance.

UC Riverside's Dance Department boasts a distinguished faculty of renowned scholars and artists. Unlike doctoral programs in performance, theater, or cultural studies, this program uniquely specializes in dance studies with a strong Critical Dance Studies faculty presence. It simultaneously embraces interdisciplinary approaches, incorporating diverse methodological and theoretical frameworks. The program also maintains a unique connection with students and faculty in the Experimental Choreography M.F.A. program, launched in 2001.

Critical Dance Studies faculty incorporate critical race theory, feminist studies, gender and sexuality studies, political economy, and performance studies in their work. Their research methods span embodied practice, choreographic analysis, oral histories, dance ethnography, critical theory, and archival studies. Faculty scholarship not only advances Dance Studies but also contributes to related fields including American Studies, African American Studies, Latin American Studies, Hip Hop Studies, Indigenous and Decolonial Studies, and South Asian Diaspora Studies.

Ph.D. candidates explore an impressive range of research topics. Recent projects have examined Contemporary Dance along the U.S.-Mexico border, Jewish identity in dance and humor, Egyptian Raqs Sharqi, Mormon and LGBTQ+ ballroom dance communities, White Christian dance traditions, Indigenous dance preservation, Black concert dance in Montreal, Sri Lankan Bharata Natyam, autobiographical concert dance, Black masculinity in concert dance, New Orleans Second Line parades, Chinese lion dance performers, historical connections between dance and food, dance in wartime contexts, intersections of modern dance and yoga, Tango's relationship to neoliberalism, and ballet's role in Ukrainian state power.

Alumni have obtained faculty positions worldwide at institutions including UCLA, Florida State University, University of Florida, Davidson College, Colorado College, Bowdoin College, University of Minnesota, University of Illinois, University of Nebraska, Rutgers University, University of Washington, California State University Long Beach, Elon University, University of Kansas, York University (Canada), Middlesex University (UK), University of Surrey (UK), University of Malaya (Malaysia), University of Malta (Malta), and Taipei National University of the Arts (Taiwan).