Theatre & Dance | Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree (BFA)

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Theatre & Dance is a selective, audition-based degree designed for students pursuing professional careers in performance. Through rigorous studio training, production experience, creative research, and mentorship from faculty and guest artists, students develop the technical, artistic, and professional skills needed to succeed in the performing arts industry.

The BFA offers two concentrations:

• Dance
• Acting for Theatre, Screen & New Media

Students complete specialized coursework alongside core studies in Hawaiian performance, stage production, and practicum experiences that connect classroom learning with hands-on artistic practice.

Dance Concentration (BFA)

Train as a performer, creator, and artistic leader.

The BFA Dance Concentration is designed for students seeking professional careers as performers, choreographers, educators, scholars, arts administrators, and creative entrepreneurs. This intensive program combines advanced technical training, performance experience, choreographic development, and scholarly inquiry within a culturally diverse and globally informed curriculum.

Students engage with a wide range of dance forms and practices while developing their artistic voice through performance, creative research, and original choreography.

Areas of Study

• Ballet
• Contemporary Dance
• Hip-Hop
• Queer Dance
• Hula
• Asian & Pacific Dance Forms
• Choreography
• Improvisation
• Screendance & Visual Media
• Dance History
• Indigenous Dance Studies
• Global Perspectives on Dance
• Kinesiology for Dancers
• Somatic Practice
• Performance on Stage, Television, and Digital Media Platforms
• Performance & Repertory

Professional Training Experience

Students are immersed in a rigorous studio environment that emphasizes both artistic growth and professional preparation. BFA Dance students:

✓ Participate in at least two University of Hawaiʻi dance productions each academic year
✓ Enroll in dance technique and studio practice courses every semester
✓ Develop original choreographic work through a senior choreography project
✓ Build a professional portfolio including a résumé and artistic statement
✓ Complete an exit interview and program assessment process
✓ Work closely with faculty, guest artists, and visiting professionals

What Makes This Program Unique

The BFA Dance program combines intensive professional training with the unique cultural resources of Hawaiʻi. Students study contemporary and global dance practices alongside Hawaiian, Asian, and Pacific performance traditions, gaining perspectives and experiences rarely found in dance programs elsewhere in the United States.

Program Requirements: 62 total degree credits, including BFA core requirements, advanced dance technique courses, performance experiences, creative research, and a senior choreography project.

[View Program Sheet →]

FOR AUDITION APPLICATION CONTACT

Professor Pei-Ling Kao

Acting for Theatre, Screen & New Media (BFA)

Train for the evolving world of professional performance.

The Acting for Theatre, Screen & New Media Concentration prepares students for careers across contemporary performance industries, including theatre, film, television, digital media, voice work, and emerging performance technologies. Through intensive studio training and hands-on production experience, students develop the artistic, technical, and professional skills necessary to thrive in a rapidly changing entertainment landscape.

This selective, audition-based program combines rigorous actor training with opportunities to explore performance across multiple mediums, preparing graduates to become versatile and adaptable artists.

Areas of Training

• Acting Technique
• Voice & Speech
• Movement for the Actor
• Acting for Camera
• Theatre Performance
• Screen Acting
• Digital & New Media Performance
• Audition Techniques
• Ensemble Collaboration
• Character Development
• Professional Preparation

Professional Training Experience

Students engage in a conservatory-style training environment that emphasizes performance, discipline, creativity, and collaboration. Throughout the program, students:

✓ Receive intensive training in acting, voice, and movement
✓ Build a strong foundation in theatre studies and performance practice
✓ Gain experience performing in departmental productions
✓ Develop skills for stage, screen, and digital performance environments
✓ Explore movement through dance coursework
✓ Create a professional website and digital portfolio showcasing their work
✓ Complete a self-assessment essay, exit interview, and program review

Why Study Acting at UH Mānoa?

What distinguishes this program is its combination of professional actor training with the unique cultural and artistic environment of Hawaiʻi. Students engage with diverse performance traditions while developing contemporary skills for theatre, film, television, and new media. The program encourages actors to become adaptable storytellers capable of working across disciplines, cultures, and performance platforms.

Career Pathways

Graduates pursue careers in:

• Theatre Performance
• Film & Television
• Voice Acting
• Commercial Performance
• Digital Content Creation
• Motion Capture & Emerging Media
• Teaching & Arts Education
• Arts & Entertainment Industries
• Graduate and Conservatory Training Programs

Senior Professional Portfolio

Before graduation, students complete a professional website and portfolio that showcases their artistic work, training, experience, and career goals—providing a strong foundation for entering the profession or pursuing advanced study.

Program Requirements: 62 total degree credits, including BFA core requirements, intensive actor training coursework, theatre foundations, dance studies, elective performance training, and a professional portfolio.

[View Program Sheet →]

FOR AUDITION INFORMATION CONTACT

Assistant Professor Joshua “Baba” Tavares

Click here for the Theatre BFA in Acting - AUDITION FORM