About
Program overview, career pathways, and student opportunities.
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Application Requirements
Auditions, admissions criteria, and required materials.
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Courses
Curriculum sequence, credit requirements, and course descriptions.
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Faculty
Meet the industry professionals guiding your training.
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FAQ
Answers to common questions about the program.
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Commercial Dance

About

The Musical Theatre Dance program at The Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts is designed for students who are serious about becoming dynamic, versatile performers.

Students train across ballet, jazz, tap, commercial dance, theatre dance, acting, singing, screen performance and audition technique, building the skill set required for today’s musical theatre industry. The program develops dancers who can not only execute choreography at a high level, but also tell stories, embody character, and perform with the confidence of a true theatre artist.

With faculty who remain actively engaged across stage, screen, and commercial performance, students receive training shaped by current industry expectations. From the first semester, professional preparation is built into the culture of the program, helping students understand what it takes to work, audition, collaborate and stand out.

By graduation, students leave with the technical foundation, performance range and professional readiness to pursue opportunities across musical theatre, dance, stage and screen.

Application Requirements

Admission to the Commercial Dance program is based on both academic readiness and artistic potential.

Applicants are required to submit an application, high school transcript (or equivalent), and complete an audition. The audition process is designed to assess each applicant's current skills, potential for growth, work ethic, and commitment to professional training.

Audition Requirements

  • -Two contrasting dance selections (contemporary preferred)

  • -Dance call (live)

  • -Interview with faculty

Applicants are evaluated holistically. While prior training is beneficial, NOCO is equally interested in identifying students with strong potential, curiosity, professionalism, and a willingness to grow.

Students accepted into the program should be prepared for an intensive conservatory environment that emphasizes performance, collaboration, discipline, and professional development from the first semester onward.

Courses

Degree
BFA Commercial Dance
Length
3 Years
Credits
120
Minors
Business
Television & Film

  • Semester 1 (18.5 credits)

    Core

    • Ballet 1 (1)

    • Ballet MTD 1 (1.5)

    • Commercial Hip Hop 1 (1)

    • Gymnastics 1 (1)

    • MTD Dance Ensemble 1 (1)

    • Jazz Dance 1 (2)

    • Tap 1 (1)

    • Intro to Acting (2)

    • Elective (1)

    Gen Ed

    • Dramatic Text & Context 1 (3)

    • Intro to Life (1)

    • History of Dance (3)

    Semester 2 (18.5 credits)

    Core

    • Ballet 2 (1)

    • Commercial Hip Hop 2 (1)

    • Gymnastics 2 (1)

    • MTD Dance Ensemble 2 (1)

    • Jazz Dance 2 (2)

    • Tap 2 (1)

    • Cultural Movement — Latin Ballroom (1.5)

    • Modern Dance Movement (1.5)

    • Contemporary (1.5)

    • Elective (1)

    Gen Ed

    • Performance Physiology (3)

    • Business Admin (3)

  • Summer (11 credits)

    Core

    • Acting for the Camera 1 (1.5)

    • Breakdancing (1)

    • Jazz Dance 3 (1)

    • Heels (Women) / Fitness (Men) (1.5)

    • Dancing for the Camera (2)

    • Gymnastics 3 (1)

    Gen Ed

    • Marketing (3)

  • Semester 1 (18.5 credits)

    Core

    • Ballet 3 (1)

    • Ballet MTD 2 (1.5)

    • Commercial Hip Hop 3 (1)

    • Jazz Dance 4 (2)

    • Tap 3 (1)

    • Partner Work 1 (1)

    • Dance Improv (1)

    • Contemporary (1.5)

    • Cultural Movement — African American Dance Fusion (1.5)

    • Elective (1)

    Gen Ed

    • Urban Movement + Cultural Identity (3)

    • Finance (3)

    Semester 2 (18 credits)

    Core

    • MT Dance Ensemble 3 (1)

    • Ballet 4 (1)

    • Commercial Hip Hop 4 (1)

    • Intro to Singing (1)

    • Gymnastics 4 (1)

    • Jazz Dance 5 (2)

    • Tap 4 (1)

    • Cultural Movement — Global Styles (1.5)

    • Contemporary (1.5)

    • Elective (1)

    Gen Ed

    • Economics (3)

    • Principles of Choreography (3)

  • Semester 1 (17.5 credits)

    Core

    • Jazz Dance 6 (2)

    • MT Dance Ensemble 4 (1)

    • Commercial Hip Hop 5 (1)

    • Ballet MTD 3 (1.5)

    • Ballet 5 (1)

    • Tap 5 (1)

    • Cultural Movement — Ballroom Culture / Voguing / Whacking (1.5)

    • Contemporary (1.5)

    • Synchronised Movement (1)

    • Elective (1)

    Gen Ed

    • Accounting (3)

    • Entrepreneurship 1 (3)

    Semester 2 (16 credits)

    Core

    • Jazz Dance 7 (2)

    • MT Dance Ensemble 5 (1)

    • Commercial Hip Hop 6 (1)

    • Modern Dance (1.5)

    • Showcase 1 (2)

    • Cultural Movement — Ballroom (1.5)

    • Yoga (1)

    • Elective (1)

    Gen Ed

    • Ethics 1 (3)

    • Statistics 1 (3)

Meet the Faculty

  • Ricky Loftus George

    Dance Department Head

  • Caitlyn Hydeck

    Dance Assistant Department Head

  • Julius Rubio

    Jazz

  • Tyler Hanes

    Jazz

  • Kristen Ruggieri

    Ballet

  • Kenny Bermudez

    Hip Hop

  • NOCO accepts 18 students per year, per major.

  • Yes, Commercial dance students can take weekly vocal lessons with our musical theater voice faculty for $927 per semester.

  • We accept students with varying ethnicities, religions, gender identities, sexualities, and disabilities into our programs.

  • Of course! There is one Mainstage commercial dance show per year. Students in any semester are able and encouraged to audition for the MainStage musicals as well as many student directed and led productions. We are proud partners with the A1 Conference, allowing our students to audition for summer theatres across the country, annually.

  • Yes! In fact, we encourage our students to continuously audition for professional work. The Conservatory’s main goal is to train employable artists, we pride ourselves on working with students who are actively auditioning and booking to continue and complete their education.

  • Absolutely. Senior showcase starts semester 1; dance specific agents who represent clients in New York, LA, and across the world will be invited in and you will have the opportunity to sign with them.

  • This is something that happens frequently at NOCO, and is encouraged. We have many different approaches, including the possibility to stay in class whilst off campus working. We have students who are at school in the day then performing on broadway in the evening.

Frequently Asked Questions