SHSU Dance

SHSU Dance The official page of the Department of Dance at Sam Houston State University.

The SHSU Department of Dance offers a challenging curriculum for students seeking skill development necessary for 21st century dance careers. With our BFA and MFA programs, students receive intensive study in modern, ballet, and jazz techniques, with multiple performance opportunities as well as exciting guest artists & choreographers.

Meet Kharma Elvirez, Class of 2019. .elvirez Originally from Florida, Kharma earned her BFA in Dance from SHSU in 2019. ...
09/16/2026

Meet Kharma Elvirez, Class of 2019. .elvirez

Originally from Florida, Kharma earned her BFA in Dance from SHSU in 2019. After graduating, she performed in two Houston Grand Opera productions, Aida (2019) and Roméo et Juliette (2022), and danced the role of Addiction in Stages' 2022 production of Plumshuga: The Rise of Lauren Anderson. She has also performed with the Houston-based dance companies Urban Souls and Social Movement Contemporary Dance Theater.

Kharma joined Houston Ballet in 2023 as a Development Intern and quickly rose to her current role as Communications Manager in the marketing department. She co-publishes the company's performance programs and its biannual magazine, HB News, and leads the development of the Info Boards displayed in the Wortham Theater lobby before performances. She also designs assets and writes copy for a range of marketing and development projects.

Kharma remains inspired by the power of dance and feels fortunate to share that joy with Houston audiences through her writing and research.

Department of Dance presents “What Holds the Eye," an MFA thesis concert choreographed by Mary Kuhn.Presented in partia...
09/15/2026

Department of Dance presents “What Holds the Eye," an MFA thesis concert choreographed by Mary Kuhn.

Presented in partial fulfillment of the Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance, Kuhn’s work invites audiences to consider what happens when athleticism becomes expression.

🗓 When: October 9–10, 2026 at 8:00 PM

📍 Where: Montague Dance Theater, GPAC

🎟 Admission: Free Admission!

Mark your calendars and join us to support Mary and the dancers!

Mosaic is coming! .at.shsu Produced by the Masters of Dance student organization, our fall graduate showcase brings toge...
09/12/2026

Mosaic is coming! .at.shsu

Produced by the Masters of Dance student organization, our fall graduate showcase brings together 11 distinct choreographic visions from our graduate students, performed by a powerhouse cast of grad and undergrad dancers.

From concept to stage, every detail of this concert is created, organized, and produced by our graduate community and we can’t wait to share it with you!

🗓 When: September 25–26, 2026 at 8:00 PM

📍 Where: Montague Dance Theater, GPAC

🎟 Tickets: On sale now at shsu.universitytickets.com

Throwback to last semester's MOD Concert! 🎭✨MOD's fall concert, Mosaic, is right around the corner, and we can’t wait fo...
09/10/2026

Throwback to last semester's MOD Concert! 🎭✨

MOD's fall concert, Mosaic, is right around the corner, and we can’t wait for you to see what our MFA students have been creating.

Produced every semester by the Masters of Dance student organization, this show features original choreography from 11 of our graduate student choreographers, performed by a brilliant cast of both graduate and undergraduate dancers.

🗓 When: September 25–26, 2026 at 8:00 PM

📍 Where: Montague Dance Theater, GPAC

🎟 Tickets: On sale now at shsu.universitytickets.com

Come experience the artistry, movement, and variety of Mosaic

Photo by Trinity Pringle .pringle.production
Choreographer: Ana Gonzalez
Dancers: Mia Pressler, Leah Flores, Elle Greenfield, Bella Anderson, Caro Garcilazo

Congratulations to Fall 2026 Senior Studio class on a successful photoshoot for their upcoming production in November! A...
09/04/2026

Congratulations to Fall 2026 Senior Studio class on a successful photoshoot for their upcoming production in November! And extra special thank you to angel guerrero for your beautiful photography!!

Once a Bearkat, always a Bearkat. Meet Reagan Crandall, Class of 2022. From Katy, Texas to the NYC stage! After earning...
09/03/2026

Once a Bearkat, always a Bearkat. Meet Reagan Crandall, Class of 2022.

From Katy, Texas to the NYC stage! After earning her BFA in Dance and minor in Mass Communication from SHSU, Reagan hit the ground running, dancing with WhirlWind Dance Company in Columbus, then assisting Hanna Brictson and freelancing with Dance Colony + Artists in Chicago.

Now living in New York City, she’s taking the stage with the Metropolitan Opera and making her Lincoln Center debut this September in a brand-new production of Macbeth, choreographed by fellow Bearkat Jorrell Lawyer-Jefferson! 🎭✨

We couldn't be prouder to watch her continue chasing her dreams in the Big Apple! 🗽🍎

Save the Dates!Whether you join us for Day of Dance, audition for the BFA or MFA, or train with us in the summer, there ...
08/28/2026

Save the Dates!

Whether you join us for Day of Dance, audition for the BFA or MFA, or train with us in the summer, there are plenty of ways to experience SHSU Dance this season.

We'll see you in the studio! 🧡🧡

.at.shsu

👋😊Welcome to the SHSU Dance fold Adjunct Professor Hannah Mettler! Hannah is a dance educator, performing artist, and em...
08/28/2026

👋😊Welcome to the SHSU Dance fold Adjunct Professor Hannah Mettler! Hannah is a dance educator, performing artist, and emerging choreographer based in Houston, TX. She received her MFA in Dance from Sam Houston State University in May, 2026 and is honored to serve the Department of Dance as a new faculty member. Her choreographic works have been featured at Austin Dance Festival, the (254) Waco Cultural Arts Festival, Barnstorm Dance Fest, the American College Dance Association, Boot Dance Break-In Fest for Emerging Choreographers, Sam Houston State University, and internationally at the C.S. Lewis Foundation Conference in Belfast, Northern Ireland. We are excited to have Hannah Mettler with us this year! 🎉

🤗SHSU Dance welcomes to its faculty Paty Lorena Solórzano. Paty is a Mexican/Costa Rican dance artist working across per...
08/27/2026

🤗SHSU Dance welcomes to its faculty Paty Lorena Solórzano. Paty is a Mexican/Costa Rican dance artist working across performance and film. A 2026 Houston Arts Alliance Creative Individual grantee and 2024-25 Dance Source Houston AIR, she researches embodied ecology, migration and connection to place through improvisation and experimental choreography. Her work has been presented nationally and internationally, most recently at Barnstorm Dance Fest, International Dance Fest NOLA, Menil Drawing Institute, Texas Dance Improvisation Festival and Queretáro Experimental. Her upcoming dance film, Cholula Cholula co-directed with Diana Morales (UnayUna Films) received support from the State of Puebla, Mexico through a PECDA grant. Past residencies include: Mexican Center for Music and Sonic Arts, Atlantic Center for the Arts, Guapamácataro Arts&Ecology, and the Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute. Paty holds a BFA from Texas Christian University and MFA from the University of Michigan. Currently Artist in Residence at Houston Met Dance, she performs regularly with Houston’s Nameless Sound, Frame Dance and Terra(Form)ed Ensemble.girasoladances.com. We are excited to have you on board Paty SHSU Department of Dance !

We are thrilled to welcome our new Bearkats pursuing a BFA and MFA in Dance!Eat ‘em Up, Kats! 🧡🧡Sam Houston State Univer...
08/26/2026

We are thrilled to welcome our new Bearkats pursuing a BFA and MFA in Dance!

Eat ‘em Up, Kats! 🧡🧡

Sam Houston State University Masters of Dance at SHSU

Address

815 17th Street
Huntsville, TX
77340

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when SHSU Dance posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The School

Send a message to SHSU Dance:

Shortcuts

Share

Category