Before requesting a studio, please check availability on the Astra calendar:

• Click here to access the Astra Calendar

To submit a request for a studio in the Dance Building or Space Place Theatre, please use the Studio Request Form:

• Click here for the Dance Studio Request Form
• DO NOT SUBMIT REQUESTS VIA EMAIL

The deadline to request a studio is WEDNESDAY at 3:00 PM for the following week in which you are requesting.

• A schedule confirmation for faculty will be sent within 48 hours
• A schedule confirmation for graduate and undergraduate requests will be sent by Fridays at 5:00 p.m.

• Submitted to Dance Academic Coordinator Hillary Harper:
  • Weekly studio requests, Class requests, Faculty requests, Graduate Student requests, Undergrad Student requests, Youth Ballet requests, and UI student organizations requests
• Submitted to Associate Company Manager Jason Millsap:
  • Space Place Theatre requests
• Submitted to PSM KatyBeth Schmid:
  • Dance Gala, UIDC, and Faculty Concert requests

2026-2027 Studio Reservations

• Requests for Fall 2026 begin on Monday, August 17 for the week of August 23-29
• Requests for Spring 2027 begin on Monday, January 11 for the week of January 17-23

Please note: All works looking for additional rehearsal time or an intensive week must receive approval from the Directors of Dance Production. Thesis works looking for additional time should also receive approval from their thesis chair.

• THESIS: Rehearsal studio requests are made through the studio request form. 

• GRADUATE STUDENTS in Dance semester-long requests:
  • A semester-long request ends at the conclusion of the semester.
  • Once a graduate student makes a semester-long request, it cannot be changed. However, the students can barter amongst themselves if they would like to switch times with each other.
  • Graduate students may continue to make weekly requests, in addition to their semester-long request, as long as it does not exceed their 6 weekly rehearsal hour limit.

• The deadline to request a rehearsal studio is WEDNESDAY at 3:00 p.m. for the following week in which you are requesting. The week is Sunday to Saturday.  (For example: Wednesday, August 19 is the deadline for any requests during the week of August 23-29)
• Undergraduate students and UI student organizations must request space on a weekly basis. No semester-length requests will be accepted.
  • BFA CAPSTONE PROJECTS ONLY: BFA Seniors may make a semester-long request for their BFA Capstone project rehearsals. This request cannot be made until the mid-semester audition during the fall semester.

• Space Place Theatre is a performance space for the Department of Dance. Reservations are limited to productions, faculty, dance majors, and dance minors.
• Requests for Space Place must be submitted via Dance Studio Request Form and are due by Wednesday at 3pm the week prior to the one being requested.

• Complete studio schedules will be available on Ad Astra by 5:00 p.m. on Friday for the following weekly schedule (example: Friday, August 21 by 5:00 p.m. the studio schedule will be available for the week of August 23-29).

Note: For the purpose of this document, these guidelines apply to all Department of Dance-sponsored events, and not to faculty creative research sponsored and/or presented by outside entities. 

Mission

To encourage departmental casting practices that include as many dancers in the Department as possible, thereby maximizing opportunities for both dance makers, to select and work with dancers who have varied strengths and experiences, and for students, including roles as performers, understudies, and/or assistants to the dance maker. 

FALL 2026 CONCERTS

Dance Gala, Thesis I, Grad/Undergrad Concert

SPRING 2027 CONCERTS

UIDC Home Concert, Faculty Concert, Thesis II, BFA Concert

(for a listing of all audition dates, please see the online callboard)

1. Auditions are opportunities for dance makers to assess dancers with regard to the movement materials and collaborative processes that are specific to particular projects and for students to choose projects and processes that advance their own learning objectives. Moreover, auditions allow dancers of varied levels, talents, strengths, and experiences to be seen and selected for projects that expand their range or hone their current skills, thereby casting works to serve both the dancer and also the particular needs of each creative project.
2. All auditions will be offered during the 1^st three weeks of classes. An effort will be made to avoid auditions on Labor Day weekend, and the day of the Iowa State game.
3. Dance Gala will have one audition. Auditions will occur in the spring. If needed, a second audition may be added to the fall.
4. UI Dance Company will have one audition open to sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate students. Auditions will occur in spring and/or the first week of the fall.
5. Fall semester Thesis Concerts will have one audition during the spring semester. Spring semester Thesis Concerts will have one audition during the fall semester.
6. Grad/Undergrad Concert, MFA Independent Projects, and Choreography Courses will have one audition within the first three weeks of fall classes.
7. Faculty Concert will have one audition during the fall semester. Faculty have the option of using this audition or casting their projects independently.
8. BFA Capstone Projects will have one audition during the fall semester.
9. BFA Honors Projects, MFA Independent Projects, and Choreography Courses will have one audition within the first three weeks of spring classes.

1. Each dance cast is determined through an audition process with the exception of faculty creative research for the Faculty Concert and for non-department-sponsored faculty research and/or productions. Please refer to the Departmental audition dates for your concert’s specific audition.
2. As much as is possible, prior to auditions, dancers will be informed about the subject matter to be investigated and the manner of its investigation.
3. In agreeing to cast a dancer, the dance maker agrees to the conflicts that were listed on the Audition Survey.
4. Dancers must accept or decline their role within 24 hours of casting. In agreeing to accept a part, the dancer agrees to the entire schedule for the project including possible performance in a concert.
5. Once a dancer accepts a role, priority must be given to this commitment over any other role(s). In other words, in accepting a role, priority must be given to this original commitment over any other opportunity arising in the future, including participation in faculty outside creative research when a rehearsal process or performances pose conflicts. Dance makers and dancers must make every effort possible to identify schedule conflicts in advance to avoid double bookings.
6. It is strongly recommended that First Years participate in a maximum of 3 dances per semester for the fall & spring.
7. It is strongly recommended that Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors participate in a maximum of 4 dances per semester for the fall & spring.
8. The Department will register all dancers for performance credit under the name of the concert in which they are cast. Please speak to the Department of Dance Academic Coordinator with any questions.
9. Students will receive a syllabus detailing the expectations for their participation in all department sponsored projects. Dance makers must inform dancers of all project details and presentation commitments including 1^st and 2^nd casts, understudy roles, construction site dates, adjudication dates, choreography class showings, and end-of-year events in the first week of rehearsals. This announcement must include any dates when the cast might be performing. These dates, as well as criteria for grading, must also be included on the syllabus to be distributed at the first rehearsal.
10. Dance Gala: Dancers, with the exception of graduate students emphasizing Performance, may be cast in a maximum of 2 works for each Dance Gala concert. A dancer already cast in a Fall semester Thesis concert is limited to being cast in one piece for Dance Gala.
11. UI Dance Company: A dancer cast in UI Dance Company may not be cast in Faculty or BFA Concerts or any spring semester thesis concert; participation in UI Dance Company is limited to 2-years; The company is only open to sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate students.
12. MFA Thesis concerts: A dancer cast in a thesis concert must not participate in faculty outside research when rehearsals for that project begin prior to the performance of the thesis.
13. MFA Thesis concerts (Fall semester): A dancer cast in a fall semester thesis concert is limited to being cast in one piece for Dance Gala.
14. Faculty members involved with projects outside the Department must inform the DEO and DDP about plans as soon as the information becomes available so as best to utilize resources and to mitigate dancer and schedule conflicts. Additionally, the faculty member should provide detailed information including: possible audition dates, desirable number of dancers, rehearsal schedule, dates and venue(s) where the work(s) will be presented.
15. Faculty projects outside the department, utilizing any departmental resources, should only begin after consultation with the DEO and DDP.

1. All rehearsals, except tech/dress rehearsals, should end no later than 10:00 PM. Exceptions must be approved by the DDP and PSM.
2. Rehearsals must not conflict with a dancer’s University classes. Students are only obligated to attend rehearsals that do not conflict with their coursework.
3. Rehearsals must not occur during University breaks or Holidays. The only exceptions are that UI Dance Company, Faculty Concert, and Thesis Concerts may return to rehearsals the weekend before Spring Semester classes begin when needed, and faculty can conduct creative research in the Summer with performers participating on a voluntary basis.
4. It is recommended that rehearsals not be held during the first week of classes so as not to conflict with auditions occurring that week.
5. Individuals wishing to reserve more than their weekly allotment for any project may do so after all other requests have been entered but must receive approval from the DDP.
6. Dancers must have 1 dark day prior to their 1st day of tech.
7. Each Concert must take 1 dark day per week, as indicated in the Production Calendar.

1. During Tech Week no members of the production team – including dancers, dance makers, stage managers, and technicians– may be called for more than 30 hours of rehearsal.
2. All Technical Rehearsals – including notes and post-rehearsal business -- must end no later than 11pm.
3. Technical rehearsals typically last no longer than 8 out of 10 hours. The production team may request a 10- out of 12- hour technical rehearsal – all requests should be submitted to the PSM, DEO, DDP, and PM at least two weeks prior to tech.

1. Each dance must elect one representative at the 1^st rehearsal, whose responsibility it will be to assist in the regulation of departmental rules and guidelines and act as an advocate for all of the dancers during the rehearsal and production process for any project.
2. The representative should report all concerns to the DDP. If the problem cannot be solved at that level, it should then be reported to the DEO.
3. The representative for all Choreography projects is the instructor of that class.