Dance Programs and Rice Dance Theatre

The Dance Program offers theatre dance and social dance classes through the Lifetime Physical Activity Program and master classes as well as, supports the interest and needs of the various student dance groups on campus.

What are you looking for?

• Dance Specialty Programs
• Your Dance Instructors
• Rice Dance Theatre
• Rice Dance Student Organizations

Rice Dance Theatre

Rice Dance Theatre, a modern dance company, is an integral part of the Dance Program. The club is dedicated to providing students opportunities to train, perform, choreograph, and learn production. RDT is a student organization governed by elected student officers and directed by Dance Program Staff.

RDT Schedule of Events

Fall Auditions:

• Wednesday, September 3rd, 4 - 5:30pm
• Thursday, September 4th, 6 - 7:30pm

Fall Student Choreography Concert:

• Wednesday, November 19th, 8pm
• Thursday, November 20th, 8pm
• Friday, November 21st, 8pm
• Saturday, November 22nd, 2pm and 8pm

Spring Auditions:

• Monday, January 12th, 4 - 5:30pm
• Wednesday, January 14th, 4 - 5:30pm

Spring Concert:

• Friday, April 17th, 8pm
• Saturday, April 18th, 8pm

For more information please visit the RDT Web site.

Student Organizations

Student organizations with an emphasis on dance:

• Fresh Rice Breakers
• Rice Dance Theatre
• Rice Owl Dance Team
• Rice Social Dance Society
• South Asian Society

Your Dance Instructors

Leslie Scates

Assistant Director for Dance Programs

Leslie Scates is the newest addition to the Rice Recreation staff. As the Assistant Director for Dance Programs, Leslie will oversee the Rice Dance Theatre, teach dance-related Lifetime Physical Activity Program courses, and implement community dance programs. Leslie comes to Rice from the University of Houston, where she taught (and still teaches) post modern improvisation technique classes. She is also an experienced performer and choreographer who has been commissioned to create many wonderful dance pieces.

Leslie received her B.A. from the University of Houston in 1993. At UH, she majored in Psychology and Anthropology, and uses many of the ideas fundamental to each field to inspire her choreography. Leslie is lifetime learner who continues to stretch her skill set in performance by dancing with new partners and by working, performing, and viewing performances outside of Houston.

Christine Lidvall

Dance Theatre Coordinator

Christine Lidvall has been on the dance faculty at Rice University since 1988 where she teaches ballet, modern dance, and the Alexander Technique. She is also a teacher and choreographer for Rice Dance Theatre. During the 2004-05 school year, she helped to develop a collaborative project with members of the Shepherd School of Music and Rice Dance Theatre with a culminating performance held at Stude Concert Hall. Founder and Artistic Director of Chryalis Dance Company from 1983 to 1997, she also taught modern dance for eight years at the Houston Ballet Academy. Her work has been presented by many companies and schools in the Southwest including Chrysalis, Dancers Unlimited Repertory Company (Dallas), City Ballet of Houston, and Lake Charles Ballet.

She has taught for many organizations including North Carolina School of the Arts and Regional Dance, Inc. In 1992, Lidvall received the Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Texas Institute for Arts in Education. She received the Buff Orpington Houston Contemporary Dance Achievement Award in June 2005.

Lidvall is certified as a teacher of the Alexander Technique through Alexander Technique International. In addition to offering Alexander Technique classes at Rice, she teaches privately at Affiliates in Physical Therapy and has taught workshops for Actors Source, the C.G. Jung Educational Center of Houston, Ebony Opera Guild and Shepherd School Opera Workshops among others. Lidvall graduated with a B.S. in communications from Northwestern University and with a Masters in Dance from the University of Houston at Clear Lake.

Tracy King Perry

Social Dance Coordinator

Tracy coordinates the Social Dance program and is staff liaison to all student dance organizations at Rice. She studied jazz, ballet and tap with The Rubio Company in San Antonio, Texas for more than ten years, eventually teaching for the organization. After working in other industries for many years, Tracy returned to teaching dance in her spare time in 1997, and made it her fulltime job in 2001 when she started teaching at Rice. Tracy is certified in American Style Rhythm and her Social Dance specialties include American style Ballroom, Swing, and Latin, as well as Country Western. She has a B.A. in English from The University of Texas at San Antonio, and a MBA from the University of Houston Bauer School of Business.