Personnel:
Markus Wessendorf, Department Chair
Submission Policy:
BA in Theatre and Dance (Dance concentration; Theatre concentration); BFA in Theatre and Dance (Dance concentration: visual media for dance/screendance, improvisation, choreography, kinesiology, global perspectives on dance, Indigenous dance studies or dance history, performance or repertory, technique courses including hula, Asian and Oceanic dance, ballet, contemporary, hip hop, and queer dance; Theatre concentration: Acting for Theatre, Screen, and New Media); MA in Theatre and Dance (Dance concentration: Plan A—Culture and Performance Studies in Dance, Plan B—Dance Education; Theatre concentration: Plan A—theatre-related research, Plan B—theatre education and pedagogy); MFA in Theatre and Dance (Dance concentration: performance, choreography, screendance/new media performance installation, and Hawai‘i/Asia/Pacific; Theatre concentration: acting, design, directing, Hawaiian theatre, playwriting, and Theatre for Young Audiences); Certificate in Creative Computational Media. Audition or portfolio may be required for BFA or MFA programs. Scholarships available.
Programs:
Dance, Film Acting, Musical Theater, Theater Acting, Theater
Degrees:
BA, BFA, MFA, Certificate
Comments:
The Department of Theatre & Dance offers dedicated and experienced full-time faculty, staff, and lecturers who teach a wide variety of subjects each semester. With a curriculum that covers a broad international range of performance traditions. Opportunities to train and perform in classes and productions with faculty and master artists across the region in a context of diverse cultural and aesthetic values makes the department unique globally. Dance courses range from ballet, contemporary, hip-hop, queer dance, and screendance, to a multitude of Asian, Hawaiian, and Pacific dance forms (Hula, Tahitian, Okinawan, and more). Specializing in Asian theatre traditions (including Kabuki, Jingju, and Wayang). The only department in North America with a focus on Hawaiian theatre (Hana Keaka) and Indigenous performance. The Theatre for Young Audiences curriculum is one of the oldest and best in the country, offering Performance Studies (across different degree concentrations.
Design courses interact holistically within the department, offering students a diverse range of design approaches. All degree programs aim to combine theory and practice, theatre and dance, and are centered around core requirements including Hawaiian performance, empowering students to perform and create dance choreography and theatre stories of Hawaiʻi, the Pacific, and Asia. The department encourages students to also explore the college's other offerings to get the broadest possible academic education, artistic training, and cultural experience.