Oklahoma City University has a long history of being one of only a few universities offering dance degrees emphasizing jazz, tap, theater dance, and ballet as used in musical theater. Graduates and former students of the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Arts Management undergraduate programs can be found performing, teaching, or managing throughout the world.

The School focuses on show business and has specialized in preparing students for professional dance performance and management careers in musical theater, film, video, and the entertainment industry. It also specializes in producing dance teachers for commercial studios and non-profit dance academies.

The School now offers an M.F.A. in Dance degree to prepare graduate students for careers in performance, choreography, or teaching in higher education where extensive knowledge of tap, jazz, theater dance, and ballet for musical theater is valued.

The curriculum includes 21 semester credit hours of jazz, tap, ballet, and electives in pointe, partnering, rhythm tap and theater dance; 6 credit hours of choreography studies; 8 credit hours of dance history (including history of dance in the American theater); 6 credit hours in the business of dance; 6 credit hours focused on teaching tap, jazz, and ballet; and 9 credit hours of education courses. Attainment of minimum technical levels and a production thesis and paper are required to complete the requirements for the degree.

Graduate students may audition for The American Spirit Dance Company, Oklahoma Opera and Musical Theater Company, Spirit of Grace Liturgical Dancers, Pep Dancers, and for domestic and international performance tours.

The Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Arts Management opened its new Edith Kinney Gaylord Center in August 2007. The new facility includes 8 dance studios: 4 are 40’ x 60’ or larger, 2 are 58’ x 26’, 1 is 48’ x 48’ and 1 is 26’ x 50’. The facility also includes showers and locker rooms for men and women, a student lounge, permanent barres outside of studios for stretching before classes, classrooms, and faculty and administrative offices.

Scholarships and other forms of financial aid are available to graduate dance students.

An audition is required for admission. Contact Mary Price Boday, Graduate Dance Program Coordinator, for specific requirements.