Theatre, Dance and Performance Technology
What makes us distinct?
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.