Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to inclusive excellence and nondiscrimination in its educational program and employment practices and encourages candidates who will further advance the goal of fostering a diverse and inclusive community. As one of the nation’s finest institutions of higher learning, Swarthmore College is global in outlook and draws students from around the nation and world. The 425‐acre campus is a designated arboretum, complete with gardens, rolling lawns, a creek, wooded hills, and hiking trails in the Crum Woods.

Who We Are:

Swarthmore Dance Department is an academic department within the Division of Arts & Humanities at Swarthmore College, in Swarthmore PA. Based in the Lang Performing Arts Center, the Dance Department brings together a talented group of students to study, practice, and perform a global repertoire of dance styles and simultaneously engage in critical thinking and writing. Dance students are often double majors or special majors including in the Social Sciences and Natural Sciences. Whether they are majors or minors in the department or have prior formal training in dance, all students are welcome to join and participate in the Dance community.

In addition to rigorous coursework for majors and minors in Choreography or Dance Studies, we also fulfill a vital mission of the College, both as a department in which students may fulfill their Physical Education requirement (through studio practice and repertory ensemble courses) and as a space that fosters student creativity and wellbeing.

We aim to enable students to develop competency in one or more movement genres, to engage critically with dance, whether through performance attendance, ethnographic fieldwork, and/or archival research, and to develop an individual voice as writers, researchers, and/or choreographers. Aligning with the liberal arts mission of the College, we strive to provide a breadth and depth of experiences in a diverse range of movement forms and areas of inquiry. Our graduates are engaged in diverse pursuits, both within and beyond the dance community: from academia, arts administration, and arts practice, to medicine and law.

The opportunity:

The Costume Assistant for Dance has responsibility for oversight and management of all support for performances produced by the Dance Department, including the 2-3 annual dance concerts, any standalone senior projects, 3 Minutes Max, and the 2 annual Dance Lab showings. This includes working with Dance faculty and students to provide costume and staffing support for productions. Duties include: costume construction, shopping for costumes, alterations, repairs as needed, and cleaning and maintenance of costumes following each production. 

The Costume Assistant for Dance position requires clarity and commitment to the mission of the Dance Department and the College, and to the support of students and faculty in this work. Specifically, this requires a balancing of educational and professional artistic standards of excellence and clarity about the distinctions and the overlapping practices of academic and professional performing arts settings.

The position schedule includes regular office hours, and requires schedule flexibility in order to meet the needs of the program for academic and performance activities in the evenings and weekends. The position is half-time, 9 months, September 1 through May 31. We are anticipating a January 2025 start for this role.

Essential Responsibilities

• Consult with the Chair of Dance and Faculty Production Manager for Dance regarding the performance calendar, schedule for work, and budget per concert.
• Availability for consultations with faculty/student designers, directors, choreographers, and/or LPAC staff concerning needs for specific performances.
• In close collaboration with faculty and student choreographers, supervise costume construction, purchase and alteration for the 2-3 annual dance concerts and any standalone senior projects.
• Attend regular production meetings for the dance concert (typically 2 group meetings and then individual meetings with choreographers and LPAC team).
• In close collaboration with faculty and student choreographers, supervise costume pulling from stock and any needed alterations for the three annual studio performances: 3 Minutes Max and the two dance lab showings.
• Provide costume support for touring dance companies presented by the Cooper Foundation or the Dance Department.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Possible training of student costume assistants.

Who you are:

• Must possess strong organizational and active communication skills, sensitive to the diverse needs, identities, and experiences of students, faculty, and coworkers.
• Must possess management and administrative skills.
• Must be able to work independently, but also contribute in a team work situation.
• Must be able to work with diverse personalities and constituencies.
• Must be able to handle multiple tasks, to work under deadlines, and to prioritize workload.

What you bring:

Required Qualifications

• BA or BFA, preferably in Theater or Dance, with an emphasis in costume design and construction. Must have a working knowledge of all aspects of costume design and construction for theater and dance.
• Two to three years of professional experience is necessary – such as working in costume shops and on dance productions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Willingness to work over-time (35-40 hours total) for two weeks per year during which the Dance Department's dance concerts take place).
• Familiarity with a diversity of dance forms and costuming related to dance, preferably with understanding of and experience with costuming for at least 1~2 forms offered in Dance Department curriculum: African Diasporic forms, Ballet, Contemporary/Modern Dance, Hip-Hop, Kathak, Taiko, Tap.

What You Will Get:

You’ll work at one of the world's most renowned liberal arts Colleges, with incredible benefits, a stunning 420-acre campus, and a collaborative work environment. Join a team of passionate, creative people who work hard and have fun supporting the College students, faculty, and staff.

We want to hear from you if you are excited about this role! For full consideration, submit applications with pay expectations including a resume and cover letter by November 4, 2024.

PA Criminal Required

Swarthmore College requires a PA Criminal background check for all staff positions prior to the start of employment.

Education Verification Required by Position

An education verification is required for this position because a college degree is a required qualification for this position.

Review the 2024 Benefits Flyer. We offer benefit plans starting at zero cost! Upon benefit eligibility, the College contributes 10% of an employee’s salary to their retirement account. Employees are 100% vested in their accounts on the date participation begins.

Swarthmore Benefits Guidebook

Retirement Plans

Tuition Grant Program

Tuition Reimbursement Program

Paid Time Off (Staff)

Holiday Schedule

Swarthmore College actively seeks and welcomes applications from candidates with exceptional qualifications, particularly those with demonstrable commitments to a more inclusive society and world. Swarthmore College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and those with underrepresented identities are encouraged to apply.