Date of Award

Spring 2026

Degree Type

Thesis

Department

Theatre and Dance

Director of Thesis

Eduard Forehand

Second Reader

Erica Fischer

Abstract

Since its founding in 1976, the University of South Carolina’s Dance Program has developed from a small performance initiative into one of the nation’s leading collegiate dance programs. Despite its artistic achievements and community engagement, little scholarly work has traced the program’s evolution or its impact at USC and the broader South Carolina arts community. Existing documentation is largely preserved in departmental archival materials, most notably the Betsy Blackmon Dance Program Archival Binders, which compile decades of newspaper articles, programs, press releases, and commentary that chronicle the program’s first fifty years. This project investigates how the program has evolved in terms of curriculum, guest artists and performances, and community engagement, asking, what can an oral history of USC’s Dance Program, featuring interviews and surveys with founders, faculty, alumni, and current students, reveal about its artistic growth, institutional identity, and broader influence? To answer this question, the study draws on archival records, performance footage, surveys, and oral history interviews. In addition to oral histories, the USC Bulletin Archives allow for tracking curriculum, including the introduction of new degrees, concentrations, and technique requirements that reflect evolving pedagogical priorities. I argue that the program’s evolution reflects a broader national shift in dance pedagogy: a movement from physical-education-based modern dance instruction toward a model that balances the preservation of classical ballet with the embrace of contemporary and global dance forms. The thesis focuses on the period from 1976 to 2026, producing a historical narrative to preserve the program’s legacy. Recognizing the trailblazing achievements of the Betsy Blackmon Dance Program, this project situates the program within the wider scope of its 50-year history.

First Page

1

Last Page

70

Rights

© 2026, Olivia Sherman

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