Who We Are
Rooted in Hawaiʻi. Connected to the World.
Aloha kākou!
The Department of Theatre & Dance at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa explores performance as a powerful expression of culture, creativity, and community. Our programs engage Indigenous and global performance traditions, offering students immersive opportunities to study the practices, histories, and innovations of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific while exploring performance forms from Asia, Europe, and North America. Through scholarship, artistic practice, and production, students discover their voice and contribute to the future of theatre and dance.
Through coursework, research, performance, and community engagement, students develop as artists, scholars, performers, choreographers, designers, educators, and cultural leaders. We bring together students from Hawaiʻi, across the continental United States, and around the world in a learning environment that values artistic excellence, cultural understanding, and creative exploration.
What Makes Us Unique
Our programs combine creative practice, cultural engagement, scholarly inquiry, and hands-on production to prepare the next generation of artists, scholars, and creative leaders.
Culture & Place
Hana Keaka | Hawaiian Theatre · Indigenous Performance · Hula & Hawaiian Cultural Practices · Pacific Dance Traditions · Place-Based Learning · Identity & Social Transformation · Community Dance Performance
Performance Traditions & Perspectives
Asian Performance Traditions · American Theatre & Dance · European Performance Traditions · Intercultural Performance · Global Performance Traditions
Creative Practice
Contemporary Performance · Devised & Original Works · Theatre for Young Audiences · Community-Engaged Performance · MVPFAFF Dance Performance & Installation
Design & Innovation
Design & Technology · Screendance & New Media · Performance Installation · Interdisciplinary Practice
Our Commitment to Place
Located in Ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina, our department recognizes Hawaiʻi as an Indigenous space and honors the histories, knowledge systems, and cultural practices of Kānaka Maoli.
We support the University of Hawaiʻi's commitment to becoming a Native Hawaiian place of learning and actively engage in ongoing conversations about place, history, responsibility, and community through our curriculum, productions, and partnerships.
Faculty, staff, and students regularly participate in workshops, lectures, and community-based learning opportunities that deepen our understanding of Hawaiʻi and its unique cultural and historical context.
Learning Through Performance
Coursework in the Department of Theatre & Dance is closely connected to performance, production, and creative practice.
Students gain hands-on experience through productions, dance concerts, devised works, research projects, community collaborations, and interdisciplinary artistic opportunities.
Program Highlights
- Theatre Productions
- Dance Concerts
- Hawaiian & Indigenous Performance
- Asian Theatre
- Theatre for Young Audiences
- Design & Technology
- Screendance & New Media
- Community Dance Performance
- Dance on DIgital Platforms
- Dance and Theatre Performance in Brodcast Television and Feature Film
- Original & Devised Work
Looking Forward
We remain committed to expanding artistic opportunities, strengthening community partnerships, supporting innovative research and creative work, and preparing the next generation of artists, educators, scholars, and cultural leaders.
Through performance, scholarship, and engagement, we invite students to discover their voice and contribute meaningfully to the future of theatre and dance.
Our Performance Home
John F. Kennedy Theatre serves as the primary performance venue for the Department of Theatre & Dance. Designed by renowned architect I.M. Pei and opened in 1963, the facility includes a 619-seat mainstage theatre and the 147-seat Earle Ernst Lab Theatre.
These venues provide students with opportunities to perform, design, direct, choreograph, stage manage, and produce work in a professional learning environment.
Join Our Community
Whether your path leads to the stage, studio, classroom, design lab, rehearsal hall, or research archive, the Department of Theatre & Dance offers a place to explore your creativity, deepen your understanding of the world, and shape the future of performance.