Theater & Dance

We believe in the creative and intellectual potential of every student, and work to build skills in creative problem solving, collaborative action and play.

Whether you’re interested in dancing or acting, plays and playwriting, choreography, directing or design, we invite you to learn and create with us.

The Latest

Classes by Visiting Professors

We are happy to offer the following classes this fall with Visiting Professors Djola Branner, Yagil Eliraz, and Ninoska Escobar!

  • THDA 113  Action and Character  MWF 2-4, Eliraz
  • THDA 153  African American Theater History  MWF 10-10:50, Escobar
  • THDA 154   Reimagining the Classics  MW 12:30-1:50, Eliraz
  • THDA 270   Playwriting I  TR 10-11:20, Branner

Complete list of fall 2016 classes here.

Visiting faculty for 2016/17

We are pleased to announce that Yagil Eliraz will be joining us as a Visiting Assistant Professor to teach courses in acting and theater history, as well as to direct a departmental production.

Yagil Eliraz

Department Highlights

About the Theater & Dance Major at Amherst College

The Major

The Theater and Dance major provides an interdisciplinary foundation in the arts of theater and dance, and in their history, theory and literature.

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Five College Dance Department

Five College Dance

This program pools dance offerings from Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke and Smith Colleges, and the UMass Amherst, creating one of the largest dance programs in the nation.

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Theater and Dance at Amherst College

Arts at Amherst

Together, Amherst’s arts programs host more than 300 events in the performing, literary and visual arts each year.

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Theater and Dance at Amherst College

Our Productions

Our students produce a full seasons of shows alongside accomplished faculty, learning by doing while showcasing our students' talents and achievements.

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Theater and Dance at Amherst College

Theaters & Studios

We have two theaters, equipped with modern lighting and sound technology, a scene shop, a costume shop, an audio lab and four studio workspaces for performance, rehearsal and design.

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Arts at Amherst

After Amherst

Our alumni—a collection of vibrant actors, writers, scholars, educators and designers—work all over the world in film, television, theatre, education and arts administration.

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Theater & Dance Courses

Current Courses
THDA 125

“The Craft of Speaking I: Vocal Freedom”

Description

Develop vocal range and tone through exercises in relaxation, breathing technique, placement and presence. Gain the physical, mental and emotional self-awareness needed for expressive vocal production.

THDA 250

Video Production: Bodies in Motion

Description

Experiment with multiple ways of tracking, viewing and capturing bodies in motion (human, animal and object), using the camera as an extension of the body to explore radically different perspectives and foci.

THDA 370

Playwriting Studio

Description

Get your play(s) ready for the stage! Hone your playwriting skills, study a wide range of dramatic vocabularies, and critique classmates’ plays as they progress from first draft to finished.