DEGREES

BA in Theater and Dance

ACADEMIC INFORMATION

Number of Majors: 20

Number of Minors: n/a

Number of Graduate Students: 0

Number of Participating Non-Majors: 150

Number of additional faculty: 8

Number of Faculty (Full-Time): 2

Size of Student Body: 1,785

Fall Semester Deadline: 31-Dec

Offers a Dance Team

Offers Online Courses

Offers Credit for Life Experience

Offers Study Abroad

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Cost of room & board: $16,750

Undergraduate Tuition (Resident): $63,500

Undergraduate Tuition (Out of State): n/r

Graduate Tuition (Resident): n/a

Graduate Tuition (Out of State): n/a

Percentage of students receiving financial Aid: n/r

Scholarships:

Need-based Scholarships awarded

Merit-based Scholarships awarded

AUDITION INFORMATION

Auditions required for placement

Audition Dates: n/r

AREAS OF EMPHASIS

Choreography

Modern/Contemporary

Performance

SPOTLIGHT DETAILS

Undergraduate Spotlight Details:
Amherst College offers a BA in Theater and Dance in a program that emphasizes the theoretical and aesthetic similarities between theater and dance. In the selection of departmental courses, students may choose to integrate the many aspects of dance and theater or to focus on such specific areas as choreography, design, playwriting, directing, or performance. Dance courses taught at Amherst include contemporary techniques, language of movement, improvisation, composition, choreography, dance history/philosophy, choreography and the camera, video and performance, and performance art. A wide range of additional dance offerings is available through the Five College Dance Department [see separate entry]. Students receive considerable individual attention in the program and are encouraged to explore and expand their personal movement vocabularies, techniques, and interests in the context of developing original choreography and performance. In addition, there is a strong emphasis on relating performance studies to other disciplines within the liberal arts tradition. All theater and dance majors complete an honors thesis project; in dance this is usually a fully produced concert of original choreography. The Department of Theater and Dance has five full-time faculty members, four adjunct faculty, and numerous guest artists. Recent guest artists include Yanira Castro, Maida Withers, Idan Cohen, and Meredith Monk. There are numerous performing opportunities on the Amherst campus in informal studio presentations; in the Holden Theater, a black-box flexible studio that seats 200; and the Kirby Theater, a 450-seat facility. Faculty, staff, and dance majors form the nucleus of the production team and are jointly responsible for the college’s theater and dance season. In addition, there are many other performance opportunities available on the other campuses of the Five College Community.