Dance team at San Jac

Dance

Transfer

Join San Jacinto College’s Dance Program and pursue your dreams. Whether you aspire to become a performer, teacher, or choreographer, we provide you with the opportunities and training you need to succeed. Apply now!

Program at a Glance

Held on South Campus, our dance program offers something for everyone. Whether you’ve been dancing for years or just getting started, we have classes for you. 

Career Opportunities

Graduates of our program have gone on to pursue careers as:

  • Professional performers
  • Choreographers
  • Dance educators
  • Wellness instructors
  • Physical therapists
  • Dance therapists
  • Researchers in dance
  • Dance critics

Earning Potential

Dancer: $18.58 per hour 
Choreographer: $51,618

For more salary information, check out Texas Wages

Dance Styles

We have classes for all levels of:

  • Ballet
  • Modern dance
  • Jazz
  • Performance
  • Improvisation
  • Choreography 

DEGREES & CERTIFICATES

Fine Arts, AA - Dance

Transfer
This Associate of Arts degree prepares you to transfer to a 4-year college or university.Our dance program offers a comprehensive education in technique, choreography, performance, and production. You will learn from qualified instructors who are active professionals in the field. Our state-of-the-art facilities create a collaborative and welcoming environment.
Length 2 Years
If you're studying full-time, you can complete the 60 credits for this program in four terms.
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Funding Your Dreams

There are many scholarships available through the dance program. Find out more about these specific scholarships below then apply on our Scholarships page. Keep in mind, many scholarships require an audition.

San Jac dance departmental scholarships range from $250 to $1,000 per semester. You can be a new or current student to be considered. However,  you must audition and complete a general scholarship application as well as a dance scholarship application.

Departmental Scholarship Criteria and Eligibility

The San Jac Dance Guild Legacy Project Scholarship awards four separate $500 scholarships each academic year. Among other eligibility requirements, you must be an incoming student from a local dance studio, high school dance team, or other dance company.
The Janette's Drill Team Scholarship awards two $1,000 scholarships. Among other requirements, you must be an incoming freshman dance student to apply.

Scholarship Auditions

If you have questions about the scholarship audition or application process, please email Jamie.Williams@sjcd.edu.  

Auditions for Fall 2023:
Auditions were held in April. Auditions for future semesters will be posted soon. 
South Campus Fine Arts Building, Room S-15.168 (Dance Studio)

Come prepared to take a class!

Scholarship Audition Registration

5 Reasons to Dance

We know you want more than just dance classes. You want a community that supports, empowers, and inspires. Here’s a closer look at all we do that makes our program SLAY.
  1. We Perform

    We have a performance company that produces two concerts a year.

  2. We Travel

    Each spring, we travel to the American College Dance Association Conference where you can participate in workshops, panels, and more.

  3. We Give

    Each year, we host the annual Artists for Hope charity concert event. All proceeds from this event go to a local charity making an impact on our community.

    Artists for Hope

  4. We Collaborate

    Throughout the year we bring in outside choreographers and teachers who are masters in their fields.

  5. We Empower

    Our goal is to empower you to accomplish your dreams. We’re proud to be able to give dance scholarships each semester to help make this a reality.

 

Meet the Faculty

Jamie Williams
Dance Program Coordinator and Professor
Jamie Williams earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Sam Houston State University in 2008 and her Master of Fine Arts in Dance in 2011.  She is a certified Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analyst and Registered Yoga Teacher at the 200-hour level. Jamie is a founding member of Aimed Dance and is also a member of Frame Dance Productions. She has performed with Psophonia Dance Company, and with local independent artists Laura Gutierrez, Brittany Thetford-Deveau, Rebekah Chappell, Jennifer Mabus, Jane Weiner, and Dionne Noble. She was a 2014 recipient of a Hopewerks artist in residency space-grant, and has presented work at the American College Dance Association Conference in informal, adjudicated, and gala showcases. In 2018, she received a San Jacinto College Honoraria Award for her work in founding and producing the annual Artists for Hope event produced each February by the San Jacinto College Dance Program. Jamie currently serves as a dance professor and the dance program coordinator for San Jacinto College, South Campus. She loves sharing her art with others through performing, teaching, and creating.  
Jennifer Salter
Dance Professor
Jennifer Salter earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts in Dance from Sam Houston State University. She studied and performed locally and nationally with the Kista Tucker Dance Company, Dancepatheatre, and Rednerrus Feil Dance Company (now Aimed Dance). She has presented her work in Houston under commission through The Pilot Dance Project and recently collaborated with Pilot as a performer. Her artistic endeavors have led her into creating dance films, photography, and graphic design. Her choreography has been recognized at the institutional level and presented at local and regional festivals. Several of her dance films have been presented at film festivals and art exhibits around Houston. Additionally, she was featured in the “Inspiring Stories” series in Voyage Houston Magazine. Most recently, she was honored to be a grant panelist for Houston Arts Alliance and partner with Frame Dance Company to develop curriculum and instructional videos in screen dance for Houston Independent School District’s middle school dance programs. Outside of teaching dance, she owns a successful photography business and works as a freelance graphic designer and photographer for local companies and organizations.
Cynthia Garcia
Adjunct Professor
Cynthia was born and raised in El Paso, Texas, and has a background in acting, singing, and dancing. She received a Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance from Sam Houston State University, a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance Performance from the University of Texas at El Paso, and an Associate of Arts degree from El Paso Community College. Her dance training includes 23 years of experience in styles such as Tap, Jazz, Modern, Ballet, Hip-Hop, Folklorico, Flamenco, and Aerial Silk. Cynthia has taught various levels of Tap, Jazz, Hip-Hop, and combination classes at The British Ballet Academy, Sam Houston State University, The Houston Metropolitan Dance Center, TUTS Humphreys School for Musical Theatre, and Claire School of Dance. Cynthia has also had work presented at the American College Dance Association, Comedy Dance Festival, and Bailando Dance Festival. She has had the pleasure of dancing for artists such as Sean Curran, Erin Reck, Dionne Noble, David Deveau, Andrea Vazquez-Aguirre, and Myron Nadel. She has been seen in shows such as Mamma Mia, Chess, In The Heights, Monty Python’s Spamalot, West Side Story, Singin' In The Rain, The Producers, VIVA! El Paso, and is a performer at The Texas Renaissance Festival. Cynthia has a love for all things art and embraces her theatrical and collaborative voice as part of her creative soul.
Jenner Salter
My passion for teaching dance is not only sparked in the studio, where I get to explore movement and watch my students discover their purpose, but it's also during lecture time in my dance appreciation courses.”
Jennifer Salter
South Campus Dance Professor
Starting at San Jacinto College as a student in 2001, Jennifer Salter already knew dance would be a part of her future. As a dance professor at the South Campus, Salter says her life has come full circle.

Interested?

If you’re interested in the fine arts program, please complete the form and we will contact you soon.

 

Contact Us

If you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with all things dance!
Jamie Williams
Professor, Dance
Phone
(281) 998-6150x3854
Jeffrey McGee
Dept Chair, Fine Arts
Phone
(281) 998-6150x3523