Theatre & Dance Programs Prepare Today’s Actors for tomorrow’s Presentations
The Theatre & Dance Department in Gonzaga University are dedicated to cultivating contemporary artists who face the many challenging issues in daily lives through their engagement to the creative art forms of contemporary live theatre and contemporary dance. Students critically analyze and explore a wide array of written, visual, and performing arts in order to contribute to a rich body of knowledge that emerges from multiple disciplines. Through an interdisciplinary curriculum, students pursue a diverse range of majors including theatre studies, dance studies, music studies, multimedia studies, dance analysis, and performance studies. Students gain both general academic knowledge and specific specialized training by participating in required electives as well as numerous internships in the Theatre Department.
Theatre & Dance students take classes in everything from general acting skills to complex stage presentations, from dance auditions to improvisation and set design to dance recitals, and from performing arts to visual communication. Furthermore, they gain unique professional experience while participating in the university’s Theatre & Dance Programs. Several theatre courses teach the core skills necessary for a successful professional career in both the entertainment industry and the academic field. This knowledge is transferable to a myriad of settings, allowing graduates to succeed both in the classroom and in the work place. Theatre & Dance students may choose to pursue graduate degrees in theatre studies or acting, graphic design, music composition, or teaching. In addition to obtaining their normal degrees, some Theatre students go on to teach acting, graphic design, music composition, or teach dance at various local colleges and universities.
In order to understand contemporary works of art and the process of creating them, students must master the theories of theatre, dance, and visual communication theory. As part of their program, students must also pursue courses in fine arts, contemporary fine arts, communication theory, and composition. Students can complete their program in a number of ways including independent study, taking courses as part of a studio class, enrolling in an intensive course, or completing an online program. Graduates will have a strong foundation in contemporary arts and will be well prepared to enter the highly competitive field of the performing arts.
