Theatre, Dance and Performance Technology
We all have stories to tell.
Our program provides a liberal arts tradition, creating performance with purpose through interdisciplinary discovery. We engage talent in the service of community, leading through the arts to problem-solve.
The theatre is where we discover who we are, affirm our values, aspire to be better, and seek solutions. It's where we play "what if?" in the face of "who cares?" It's where we engage in collaborative, creative inquiry that reminds us what it is to be human, to be flawed, to be transformed. The theatre is the site of embodied democracy, where entertainment entertains emergent ideas - because we all have stories to tell.
Our Bachelor of Arts program has the unique distinction of being both grounded in the liberal arts and partnering with two esteemed professional performance companies: Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and Zoot Theatre Company. Founded in 1968, DCDC one of only five professional African American dance companies in the United States and provides students the unparalleled opportunity to study dance in a liberal arts setting with company members. Zoot Theatre Company, a professional puppet theatre founded in 2006, collaborates on a mainstage show each season and provides students the opportunity to integrate visual arts, kinetic forms, puppets and masks into performance.
Other dynamic collaborations include many crosslisted Common Academic Program courses developed by the Theatre, Dance, & Performance Technology Program has developed with the College of Arts and Sciences, Fitz Center for Leadership in Community, School of Education and Health Sciences, and School of Engineering. These courses provide valuable interdisciplinary perspectives, team-teaching environments, and integrated learning - allowing Theatre, dance and performance technology majors to complete many requirements for both the major and Common Academic Program simultaneously. This built in efficiency makes pursuing a dual major with theatre, dance, and performance technology an accessible option.
In today’s performative world, it is not enough to be a fantastic interpreter of already-scripted works. Graduates in creative fields now also need to know how to create original works: how to research, respond to, and ethically represent the communities in which they live. Our graduates will have the theoretical grounding to grapple with the politics of representation and ethically answer the questions: Whose stories? Who for? Why do we tell them? Our graduates will have an original point of view, a developed perspective, and the confidence to contribute. The creative industries call for content creators, and our graduates will be poised to meet that demand.
Co-curricular, Interdisciplinary and Experiential
Our program provides four theoretical and practical concentrations: acting, performance, technology, dance and applied theatre - all informed by a Marianist tradition of community engagement and social justice. With co-curricular, interdisciplinary and experiential learning at the heart of the curriculum, performers and technicians learn by doing, serving and creating.
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Learning Outcomes
- Critical Thinking
- Communication and Expressive Agility
- Collaboration and Team Building
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concentrations: acting, performance, technology, dance, and applied theatre
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partnerships with local professional performance companies
The Value of an Arts Degree
In this video, learn about arts degrees at the University of Dayton. Hear from students majoring in Music, Art and Design, and Theatre, Dance, and Performance Technology.
The Value of an Arts Degree
In this video, learn about arts degrees at the University of Dayton. Hear from students majoring in Music, Art and Design, and Theatre, Dance, and Performance Technology.
Opportunities for Students
From orchestra to gospel, choral music to modern dance, opera to Javanese Gamelan, the 2023 Celebration of the Arts highlights UD students.
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Nicholas Rollin felt split in two. As a mechanical engineering major, he was invested in his studies, but he also wanted to explore his love for technical theater. Instead of having to pick, Rollin found wholeness at UD.
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