Throughout history, dance has been regarded as an act of rebellion. This art form has persisted to become a means for the common person to demonstrate impassioned objections to issues from racism and religious oppression to communism, plastic waste, and human trafficking. As early as the plantation era, dance has provided a means of physical intervention throughout U.S. history. With its origins in departments of physical education, dance became a fixture in higher education--first as an artistic aesthetic, then as a weapon for battle. While much has been written about the history and development of dance in U.S. institutions of higher education and about the role of dance in American activism, little has been written about the history of how these roles emerged to exist in tandem. This historical study discusses the role of dance activism in higher education. Firstly, how dance has historically existed as the embodiment of opposition, followed by a discussion about how the introduction of dance into higher education served as a form of activism for women. This study delves into the social injustices that exist within and outside of the academy, as well as the historical events that have led to advances in thought and the practice of dance in higher education. The literature revealed that at every turn in the evolution of dance in higher education, there was activism. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]