Musical Theatre dance

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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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 Musical Theatre 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 vocal selections (contemporary preferred)

  • -Dance assessment (live or recorded)

  • -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 Musical Theatre Dance
Length
3 Years
Credits
120
Minors
Business;
Television & Film;
Commercial Dance

  • Semester 1 (18 Credits)

    • 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)

    • ATS 1 (MTD) (2)

    • Harmonies & Vocal Styles 1 (1.5)

    • Elective (1)

    • History of Musical Theater (3)

    • Intro to Life (1)

    • Music Theory 1 (1)

    Semester 2 (18 Credits)

    • Ballet 2 (1)

    • Commercial Hip Hop 2 (1)

    • Gymnastics 2 (1)

    • MTD Dance Ensemble 2 (1)

    • Jazz Dance 2 (2)

    • Tap 2 (1)

    • ATS 2 (MTD) (2)

    • Harmonies & Vocal Styles 2 (1)

    • Elective (1)

    • Fundamentals of Repetition 1 (3)

    • Business Administration (3)

    • Music Theory 2 (1)

  • Summer Semester (12 Credits)

    • Acting for the Camera 1 (MTD) (1.5)

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

    • Jazz Dance 3 (1)

    • Voice & Speech 1 (1)

    • Digital Performance 1 (2)

    • Gymnastics 3 (1)

    • Art in Culture 1 (1)

    • Marketing (3)

  • Year 2 – Semester 1 (18.5 Credits)

    • Ballet 3 (1)

    • Ballet MTD 2 (1.5)

    • Commercial Hip Hop 3 (1)

    • Jazz Dance 4 (2)

    • Tap 3 (1)

    • Partner Work 1 (1)

    • MT Audition Technique 1 (2)

    • MT Scene Study 1 (2)

    • Elective (1)

    • Fundamentals of Repetition 2 (3)

    • Finance (3)

    Year 2 – Semester 2 (18 Credits)

    • MT Dance Ensemble 3 (1)

    • Ballet 4 (1)

    • Commercial Hip Hop 4 (1)

    • Dancing for the Camera 2 (MTD) (1)

    • Gymnastics 4 (1)

    • Jazz Dance 5 (2)

    • Tap 4 (1)

    • MT Audition Technique 2 (2)

    • Voice Over 1 (1)

    • Elective (1)

    • Economics (3)

    • History TV/Film 1 (3)

  • Year 3 – Semester 1 (17.5 Credits)

    • Jazz Dance 6 (2)

    • MTD Dance Ensemble 4 (1)

    • Commercial Hip Hop 5 (1)

    • Ballet MTD 3 (1.5)

    • Ballet 5 (1)

    • Tap 5 (1)

    • MT Audition Technique 3 (2)

    • MT Scene Study 2 (2)

    • Accounting (3)

    • Entrepreneurship 1 (3)

    Year 3 – Semester 2 (18 Credits)

    • Jazz Dance 7 (2)

    • MTD Dance Ensemble 5 (1)

    • Commercial Hip Hop 6 (1)

    • Contemporary Dance (1.5)

    • Showcase 1 (2)

    • Elective (1)

    • MT Audition Technique 4 (2)

    • Acting for the Camera 2 (MTD) (1.5)

    • 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.

  • All MTD students work one-on-one with a voice teacher weekly, every semester.

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

  • Of course! 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. We strive to nurture and enhance the abilities of students who may be new to singing. All students participate in assessments on the first day of class and will be placed with a teacher that most suits your needs. Many of our dance students have never sung before starting at NOCO.

  • 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