Hill became the artistic director emeritus with the appointment of Muriel Topaz as Director in 1985, and remained Artistic Director Emeritus until her death in 1995 at the age of 94. In 1992, Benjamin Harkarvy, well known as the founder of the Netherlands Dance Theater and the former Artistic Director of the Royal Winnipeg, Dutch National, Harkness, and Pennsylvania Ballet companies, became the artistic director of the division. Mr. Harkarvy died in March 2002. In June 2002, Lawrence Rhodes, an internationally known ballet dancer and administrator and the former director of the dance department at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, was appointed artistic director of the division.

At Juilliard, dancers learn what is essential to cross the bridge from studio to stage. Dancing alone or with others, they work to perfect the body as a communicative instrument.Dance students learn what it means to be a professional, from the smallest detail of reading a rehearsal schedule to the appropriate manner of bowing at the end of a performance. Guided by highly regarded artists, they develop the ability to live in the moment in a way that gives their dancing excitement, veracity, and eloquence.

The vision guiding the training of a Juilliard student is one of creating a "fusion dancer," one who is trained equally in both the centuries-old techniques of the classical ballet and in techniques of the modern dance of our time. Using this preparation of the best from the past and the present, the dancer’s eye and mind are consciously opened to exploring the new possibilities that lie ahead on the choreographic horizon.

"We expect our students to develop versatility, a keen stylistic sense, and an ease when working with choreographers – all of which make them inspiring and desirable collaborators," explains Carolyn Adams, a member of the dance faculty and a former Paul Taylor dancer. "Dancing is the ultimate defiance of gravity. It is very stressful. It takes strength and coordination. We couple these technical skills with a creative sense of movement. That produces the kind of dancer we want; the kind of dancer choreographers want." Among the Dance Division’s alumni are the noted choreographers and dance company directors Lar Lubovitch, Paul Taylor, Bruce Marks, Susan Marshall, and Martha Clarke. Beyond the artistic, Juilliard dancers are instilled with a sense of the realities of the professional world. In a senior seminar, students are taught how to prepare résumés, write grant proposals, and produce their own performances; they master backstage techniques, learn how to audition, and focus their career ambitions.

Student progress is evaluated by each instructor according to goals defined and agreed to by the faculty. Classroom participation and progress are evaluated by each teacher individually as well as by the group as a whole.

In addition to a mid-term evaluation, every student has an annual individual conference with the entire faculty at the end of the school year. Students are expected to participate in creative performing projects during their four years and will be graded in their accomplishment throughout.

Candidates for the Dance Division are cautioned that it will be impossible for them to follow the rigorous required school schedule if they are also carrying a heavy outside work schedule. Also, the Dance Division discourages its students from performing with outside groups during their stay at Juilliard, as it is nearly impossible for such work not to conflict with Juilliard commitments.

In addition, it is highly recommended that students plan to live in the Juilliard area, because long commutes are a hardship and almost always interfere with class and rehearsal schedules. All first-time freshmen are required to live in the residence hall.