Paul Leavy/The Valdosta Daily Times Valdosta State University dance instructor Eric Nielsen teaches a tap dancing class at VSU Wednesday afternoon. After years of work, Valdosta State University Dance leaps from being an emphasis within the theatre-degree program to offering a bachelor of fine arts degree of its own.

VALDOSTA — The interior of the Valdosta State University dance studio hasn’t changed, but a paper sign on the door indicates that the dance program is changing.

The sign reads: Home of the New BFA in Dance.

After years of work, Valdosta State University Dance leaps from being an emphasis within the theatre-degree program to offering a bachelor of fine arts degree of its own, says long-time VSU dance instructor Eric Nielsen. VSU will offer the only dance degree in South Georgia’s colleges and universities. It is only the third dance-degree program to be offered within Georgia’s colleges and universities.

The degree program will offer study in musical theatre, dance education, choreography and performance.

For Nielsen, the move to a dance degree program has been a long time coming. There was small talk of a dance degree in the future more than 20 years ago when Nielsen first took the position as the only VSU dance instructor.

For the past few years, however, a dance degree has been a goal of the program and of Nielsen. Within the past five years, he’s been joined by two additional full-time dance instructors; first Catherine Schaeffer, then Sarah McAlister.

After all of the work to acquire a dance degree, Nielsen’s real task now begins as he must start the program, build it and maintain it.

A curriculum of classes must be built. Students must be enrolled as dance majors. The program must be defined. Much of this will have to occur before next fall, while the program must show signs of success within a few years.

The dance degree has three years to enroll at least 50 majors. By four years, VSU must have at least 12 graduates earning bachelor’s degrees in dance.

As VSU Dance builds its new program, it must maintain aspects of the past programs for a few more years. The degree program means a phasing out of the dance emphasis. Students already enrolled with an emphasis in dance have the opportunity to switch to a dance major, or they can finish the dance-emphasis curricula.

Given the dance program’s long affiliation with VSU Theatre, with a regular dance concert as part of the theatre’s regular season, some theatre-goers may wonder how the degree program may change this relationship.

Nielsen says the partnership between VSU Theatre and VSU Dance will continue. Dance students often perform in other theatre productions, such as this spring’s scheduled production of the musical “Sugar Babies,” as well as pieces in other productions. The dance program will likely offer more than one annual dance concert in the future, he says, but that remains will depend more on the availability of stage space and technical crews.

Additional dance-studio space may also be a future concern as the program eventually works toward national accreditation.

As a dance instructor, Nielsen knows all of these things will come together through a series of steps. But being able to offer the degree program is one giant leap for VSU Dance.