Theater and Dance | Amherst College

WELCOME TO THEATER AND DANCE!

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Got 30 minutes? Come see a one-act play acted and directed by students from the...

Amherst College Theater and Dance Department's Facebook Wall - Wednesday, 3/4/2015, at 7:24 AM

OUR GOALS

No matter what your previous experience in theater and dance may be, we welcome you. Whether you like to perform, or are interested in writing, design and construction, directing and choreography, or just want to know more about live performance and the creative process, we invite you to study and create with us. Our core courses are open to new students without pre-requisite, and our auditions are always open to the entire Five College community.

We help build skills in creative problem solving, play, and collaborative action. We believe in the creative and intellectual potential of every student, and we work to deepen each student's awareness of the ways that the senses interact with the imagination to foster understanding of ourselves, each other, and the world around us.

We see the various forms of theater and dance as expressions of a single aesthetic instinct. By exploring words, movement, and design, we discover the many possible relationships between live performers and audiences sharing the same time and place. While we recognize the historical differences between theater and dance, we emphasize their similarities as acts of creative collaboration.

Our department is not a conservatory-style program that narrowly trains students in single skill areas. Rather, in our course and production work, we seek more broadly:

to give our students concrete experiences in developing the unique creativity needed in the act of performance;
to introduce our students to the physical, emotional and intellectual demands of making performances;
to provide our students with the opportunities and means to explore collaborations needed for performance-making; and
to help our students understand the need across many cultures to express one's self through performance.

learn more about our goals

We invite you to check out our courses, speak to a faculty or staff member, like our facebook page, and keep your eyes peeled for auditions and performances.

STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES

Every year, students create a full season of shows, alongside accomplished faculty and staff.

We welcome students of all majors and the Five Colleges to learn and create with us, including first-year students with little or no experience, as well as those with a strong background in theater and dance. Auditions are open to all students.

We offer courses in dance and choreography, acting, directing, playwriting, performance installation, video production, voice and speech, dramatic literature, the various design disciplines, and topics in the history and theory of theater and dance.

Our major program is provides students with the opportunity to pursue individual interests in a collaborative environment, leading to a significant creative project during the senior year. Majors may pursue a second major field of study, and our alumni have a wide variety of careers in live performance, film and television, institutional leadership, teaching, and scholarship.

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AND MORE . . .

THE FIVE COLLEGE DANCE DEPARTMENT

We are a member of the Five College Dance Department, one of the largest dance programs in the nation. Dance classes and performance opportunities at any of the Five Colleges are open to all students.

OUR FACILITIES

Our facilities include two theaters, a scene shop, a costume shop, an audio lab, and four studio work spaces for performance, rehearsal and design. Our theaters and studios are equipped with up-to-date lighting and sound technology, supervised by professional staff.

We offer various work-study positions for students.