Theatre and Dance

Chairperson: Yuanting Zhao, M.F.A.; Professors: Roffe M.F.A. and Zhao, M.F.A.; Associate Professor: Ames, Ph.D.; Assistant Professor: Shannon, M.F.A.; Associate Professor of Professional Practice: Stork, M.F.A.; Assistant Professor of Professional Practice: O’Grady Roberts M.F.A.; Visiting Assistant Professor in Professional Practice: Hart, B.F.A.

The Bachelor of Arts (BA), the Bachelor of Science (BS) and The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) programs are rooted firmly in the liberal arts tradition of the College. The Program’s philosophy is that training in the theatre is a valuable preparation for life and for a variety of careers. In addition, the theatre and dance programs offer experiences in practical skills and problem solving, working individually and in concert with others, organization and management, planning and follow-through, and leadership.

Graduates of these programs will be able to pursue immediate entry into the entertainment industry as: freelance performers/designers/technicians/dancers, and interns in professional settings, or further their training in graduate school.

Specific jobs in professional theatre and dance (equity union house, touring production, dance company) could include musical theatre performance, acting, directing, design (costumes, props, lights, scenery, sound), stage management, front of house operations (house manager, box office manager, marketing and public relations), dramaturgy, company management, dance performance, dance studio management, or wellness practice.

Nazareth College Theatre and Dance Department - Core Values

Integrity and Diversity
We are a community committed to individual and artistic integrity and inclusion. We promote and respect self-expression, a wide range of ideas, and diversity in all its forms. We are committed to finding and addressing structural inequities where they exist in our culture and our processes.

Excellence, Creativity and Passion
With a focus on excellence, we inspire, challenge and support the thinkers, dreamers and doers who are passionate about using their creative work to impact society.

Connections and Collaboration
We connect the theory and art of design and performance in the classroom and beyond, expanding artistic possibilities through creative collaboration.

Our Mission: To Advance Human Creativity

Our Mission Statement
Nazareth College’s Theatre and Dance Department is dedicated to advancing human creativity in an increasingly complex and technology-driven world.

We deliver a diverse curriculum, grounded in critical inquiry and creative practice, which enables students to explore different artistic disciplines.

We believe creativity is the true catalyst for social and economic change and the most essential skill for success in today’s society.

We champion the arts as relevant, critical, and essential to our contemporary lives.

We aspire to question, while honoring, artistic tradition, and embrace creative innovation as vehicles for human transformation and cultural betterment.

This mission statement is an outcome of the university’s strategic planning process and our department’s Diversity-Equity-Inclusion Task Force objectives.

DEI Guiding Principles for the Performing Art

In order to create a sense of community among all of our constituents, we will foster and further the following values:

A passion for the arts, shared with others through our actions and creative efforts;
A respect for diversity of thought and being;
A standard of professionalism through integrity of action;
An openness to critical thinking and an exchange of ideas, demanding mutual respect for diversity of opinion and response;
A commitment to excellence in learning, teaching, research, performance, and service;
A pedagogy that combines tradition and innovation with theory and practice;
An immersive curriculum that equips students to create solutions for the twenty-first century;
A pledge towards a progressive approach to evaluation and improvement of our curricular endeavors.

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