Bachelor of Arts Degree
Flexible. Interdisciplinary. Exploratory.
Theatre & Dance | Bachelor of Arts Degree (BA)
Dance Concentration
Explore movement, culture, creativity, and performance through a diverse range of dance traditions.
The Dance Concentration offers students the flexibility to design a course of study that reflects their artistic interests while building a strong foundation in performance, choreography, scholarship, and creative practice. Students engage with a wide spectrum of dance forms and perspectives, including Hawaiian, Asian, Pacific, contemporary, and global traditions.
Areas of study may include:
- Hula
- Asian and Pacific Dance Forms
- Ballet
- Contemporary Dance
- Hip-Hop
- Queer Dance
- Improvisation
- Choreography
- Screendance & Visual Media
- Dance History
- Indigenous Dance Studies
- Global Perspectives on Dance
- Performance on Stage, Television, and Digital Media Platforms
- Somatic Practice
- Kinesiology for Dancers
Students develop their artistic voice through coursework, performance opportunities, and a culminating senior capstone project. In addition, Dance Concentration students participate in departmental productions and are required to perform in at least one University of Hawaiʻi dance production each academic year.
What You'll Experience
✓ Studio training across multiple dance traditions
✓ Choreographic and creative research opportunities
✓ Performance experience in departmental productions
✓ Study of dance within cultural, historical, and global contexts
✓ Mentorship from faculty and visiting artists
✓ A senior capstone project showcasing your growth as an artist and scholar
Program Requirements: 33 credits within the Dance Concentration, including required coursework, electives, performance participation, and a senior capstone project.
Theatre Concentration
Create, perform, design, and tell stories through a dynamic exploration of theatre practice and scholarship.
The Theatre Concentration provides students with a flexible and comprehensive foundation in theatre while allowing them to pursue their individual artistic interests. Students engage with performance, design, production, history, and dramatic storytelling while developing the creative, collaborative, and critical-thinking skills essential to the field.
Coursework introduces students to a broad range of theatrical traditions and practices, with particular attention to Hawaiʻi, Asia, the Pacific, and global performance cultures.
Areas of study may include:
- Acting
- Voice and Movement
- Directing
- Playwriting
- Stage Management
- Design for Theatre
- Technical Production
- Theatre History
- World Theatre
- Hawaiian, Asian, and Pacific Performance
- Theatre for Young Audiences
- Dramaturgy
- Production Management
Students gain valuable hands-on experience through classroom projects, production practicums, and participation in departmental productions at John F. Kennedy Theatre and the Earle Ernst Lab Theatre. Whether performing on stage, designing for production, managing a rehearsal process, or developing original work, students are encouraged to explore multiple facets of theatre-making while discovering their unique artistic voice.
What You'll Experience
✓ Training in performance, design, and production
✓ Hands-on experience through departmental productions
✓ Study of Hawaiian, Asian, Pacific, and global theatre traditions
✓ Opportunities to direct, write, design, and create original work
✓ Collaborative learning with faculty, guest artists, and fellow students
✓ Flexible pathways that support a wide range of artistic interests
Program Requirements: 33 credits within the Theatre Concentration, including coursework in performance, production, theatre studies, and practicum experiences.
HOW TO APPLY
We're excited that you're interested in joining the Department of Theatre & Dance!
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Theatre & Dance may declare the major when applying to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and can work with an academic advisor to select a concentration in either Theatre or Dance.
Current UH Mānoa students who wish to declare, add, or change their major are encouraged to contact an academic advisor for assistance with the process.