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Overview
The Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Dance allows students to explore multiple disciplines within the department. Students select a curriculum from departmental course offerings that can be tailored to pursue the following emphases:
- dance performance and choreography
- design and technology (includes stage management)
- history, literature and dramaturgy
- performer's process
- playwriting and directing
- theatre for youth and communities
The B.A. in Theatre and Dance includes flexible elective hours that allow students to combine this degree plan with coursework in other areas as a certification program or double major.
The department produces an annual season of six to eight main stage productions encompassing a wide variety of performance experiences that range from classical to contemporary plays, musical theatre and original scripts. In addition, there are more than 20 performance opportunities each year for students majoring in theatre. Many productions are student-produced, providing opportunities to develop new skills as directors, writers, production managers, designers and dramaturgs.
First-Year Applicants
1. Submit the ApplyTexas Application or Common App Application
Available: August 1, 2022
Deadline: December 1, 2022
All applicants must submit a freshman university application via ApplyTexas or Common App. This university application will include:
- Application
- Fee
- Essay
- Short answers
- Transcript(s)
- Other required optional materials, if applicable
- Scholarship interest form
For a full list of application requirements, take a look at the Applying for Admission Checklist.
2. Submit Theatre and Dance Application Requirements
Available: August 22, 2022
Deadline: December 9, 2022
Applicants will select their intended major and then upload an audition video or submit a portfolio as applicable to your emphasis.
PLEASE NOTE: The portal to submit a Theatre and Dance application will be available late August and accessible via the applicant’s MyStatus portal.
Transfer Applicants
For External Applicants
1. Submit the ApplyTexas Application or Common App Application
Available: August 1, 2022
Deadline: March 1, 2023
All applicants must submit a transfer university application via ApplyTexas or Common App. This university application will include:
- Application
- Fee
- Essay
- Short answers
- Transcript(s)
- Other required optional materials, if applicable
- Scholarship interest form
For a full list of application requirements, take a look at the Applying for Admission Checklist.
2. Submit Theatre and Dance Application Requirements
Available: August 22, 2022
Deadline: March 1, 2023
Applicants will select their intended major and then upload an audition video or submit a portfolio as applicable to your emphasis.
PLEASE NOTE: The portal to submit a Theatre and Dance application will be available late August and accessible via the applicant’s MyStatus portal.
For Internal (Change of Major) Applicants
1. Complete The University of Texas at Austin Internal Transfer Application
Available: January 1, 2023
Deadline: May 1, 2023
For more information regarding the internal transfer process, please visit the Office of Admissions Internal Transfer website.
Audition/Portfolio Requirements
Auditions for the B.A. in Theatre and Dance (Performer's Process)
Applicants who consider themselves primarily performers are required to audition and upload supplemental materials for admission to the B.A. in Theatre and Dance program. All applicants will submit a video prescreen audition. Select applicants may be invited to attend an in-person or virtual callback audition.
Performer's Process Video Audition Requirements
- Personal Introduction - Please tell us who you are, where you're from, and what impact you hope to have on the world or your community post college graduation (approximately one minute).
- Two Contrasting Monologues from Contemporary Published Playscripts (2 min. total)
- NOTE: The personal introduction and two monologues should be uploaded as one video file. Separate clips are not allowed.
- "Contrasting" does not have to mean comedy and drama. Rather, think about contrasts in relationships and what you're trying to do in your monologue.
- When looking for "contemporary" work, try to choose pieces that have been published after 1990. Please do not submit classical monologues.
- Applicants will also be asked to upload a headshot and artistic resume.
- NOTE: headshot does not have to be a professional headshot. It can be a clear image taken on your mobile device.
Auditions for B.A. in Theatre and Dance (Dance Performance and Choreography)
Applicants who consider themselves primarily performers are required to audition and upload supplemental materials for admission to the B.A. in Theatre and Dance program. All applicants will submit a video prescreen audition. Select applicants may be invited to attend an in-person or virtual callback audition.
Dance Video Audition Requirements
- Video 1: Personal Introduction – Please explain why you are pursuing a B.A. in Theatre and Dance and what draws you to UT Austin’s program specifically (approximately one minute).
- Videos 2 & 3: Movement Samples - please submit two videos, one minute each, demonstrating two different genres of dance movement. Excerpts can be choreographed, self-choreographed or improvised. If ballet is one of the selected genres, please show center work (no barre). If possible, please film your movement in a way that shows your capacity to move in and through space.
- Video 4: Creative Risk-Taking - Please submit one additional movement sample, one minute long, demonstrating your capacity for creative risk-taking. You could explore a dance form that is unfamiliar to you or perform a familiar dance form in an innovative way. If you have not choreographed before, you might choreograph your own movement, or if you have not improvised before, you might explore improvisation. The important thing is to move outside of your comfort zone. Please include a brief description explaining how this movement sample is a creative risk.
Portfolio for B.A. in Theatre and Dance (Various Emphases)
Applicants who are applying for any of the following emphases are required to submit a portfolio for admission to the B.A. in Theatre and Dance program:
- design and technology (includes stage management)
- history, literature and dramaturgy
- playwriting and directing
- NOTE: Students who are applying for the theatre for youth and communities emphasis do not need to submit a portfolio. You will be invited to engage in a virtual interview after the application deadline.
A portfolio is a collection of your work that is related to theatre and/or dance. Applicants have the option to upload visual images of their work (up to 10 images), a PowerPoint presentation of their work or a website link. Items may include:
- Directing: notes, blocking sketches, scene breakdowns;
- Stage Management: notes, blocking notations, call-sheets, script with cues, cue list, rehearsal notes;
- Theatrical Design: research, sketches, mood boards, renderings, models, light plots, draftings, production photos, audio design clips, and samples of sewing, tailoring, woodworking, drawing and painting;
- Dramaturgy: research, actor packets, program notes, timelines, cultural or historical context analysis;
- Playwriting: writing samples;
- Other items you may want to include in your portfolio: playbills/posters you have designed, marketing materials, fundraising plans, budgets, acting or dance samples
Applicants will also be asked to upload a headshot and artistic resume.
- NOTE: headshot does not have to be a professional headshot. It can be a clear image taken on your mobile device.
APPLICATION DEADLINES FOR FRESHMEN APPLICANTS
| ApplyTexas or Common App application for admittance in Fall 2023 opens. | August 1, 2022 |
| Department of Theatre and Dance application opens. | August 22, 2022 |
| ApplyTexas or Common App application deadline. | December 1, 2022 |
| Deadline for students to submit all additional application items, including Theatre and Dance application. | December 9, 2022 |
APPLICATION DEADLINES FOR EXTERNAL TRANSFER APPLICANTS
| ApplyTexas or Common App application for admittance in Fall 2023 opens. | August 1, 2022 |
| Department of Theatre and Dance application for external transfers opens. | August 22, 2022 |
| ApplyTexas or Common App application deadline. | March 1, 2023 |
| Deadline for students to submit all additional application items, including Theatre and Dance application. | March 1, 2023 |
APPLICATION DEADLINES FOR INTERNAL TRANSFER (CHANGE OF MAJOR) APPLICANTS
| Application for internal transfers (change of major) opens. | January 1, 2023 |
| Deadline to submit all application requirements. | May 1, 2023 |
Sample Curriculum
Dance Performance and Choreography
| FIRST YEAR | SECOND YEAR | THIRD YEAR | FOURTH YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance as Public Practice | Production Lab | Advanced Production Lab | Pedagogy / Interm/Adv Contemp/Ballet |
| Contemporary/Ballet Technique |
Movement Improv |
Dance History I & II | PDPR (DRT) |
| Somatics/Physical Conditioning | Intermediate Contemporary/Ballet | Choreo I & II, Interm/Adv Contemp/Ballet | Interm/Adv Contemp/Ballet (extra) |
| Performance as Collaborative Practice | Advanced Production Lab | Interm/Adv Contemp/Ballet (extra) | History/Lit Topic or Honors Seminar |
| Technical Theatre | Movement Comp |
The schedule and availability of Theatre and Dance courses changes each semester. The courses listed above are examples for this focus. Students must also fulfill The University of Texas at Austin’s core curriculum, department core and elective requirements.
Design and Technology
| FIRST YEAR | SECOND YEAR | THIRD YEAR | FOURTH YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance as Public Practice | Theatre Hist I & II or Dance Hist I & II | Advanced Production Lab | TD Upper-Division |
| Technical Theatre |
Production Lab |
TD Lower/Upper Division | History/Lit Topic or Honors Seminar |
| Acting I | Design Skills (Costume/Scene/Light) | New Works Festival | |
| Performance as Collaborative Practice | Advanced Production Lab | ||
| Design for Performance | TD Lower/Upper Division |
The schedule and availability of Theatre and Dance courses changes each semester. The courses listed above are examples for this focus. Students must also fulfill The University of Texas at Austin’s core curriculum, department core and elective requirements.
History/Literature/Dramaturgy
| FIRST YEAR | SECOND YEAR | THIRD YEAR | FOURTH YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance as Public Practice | Theatre Hist Before 18th | Advanced Production Lab | TD Upper-Division |
| Acting I |
Production Lab |
Dance History I & II | History/Lit Topic or Honors Seminar |
| Performance as Collaborative Practice | Theatre Hist Since 18th | Directing I | |
| TD Lower/Upper Division | Advanced Production Lab | New Works Festival | |
| Technical Theatre | Dramaturgy |
The schedule and availability of Theatre and Dance courses changes each semester. The courses listed above are examples for this focus. Students must also fulfill The University of Texas at Austin’s core curriculum, department core and elective requirements.
Performer's Process
| FIRST YEAR | SECOND YEAR | THIRD YEAR | FOURTH YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance as Public Practice | Theatre Hist I & II or Dance Hist I & II | Advanced Production Lab | TD Upper-Division |
| Acting I | Production Lab | Directing I | History/Lit Topic or Honors Seminar |
| Performance as Collaborative Practice | Acting III or Playwriting I | UD Acting Topic (Topics Vary) | |
| Acting II | Advanced Production Lab | New Works Festival | |
| Technical Theatre | Improv Drama | Directing II |
The schedule and availability of Theatre and Dance courses changes each semester. The courses listed above are examples for this focus. Students must also fulfill The University of Texas at Austin’s core curriculum, department core and elective requirements.
Playwriting and Directing
| FIRST YEAR | SECOND YEAR | THIRD YEAR | FOURTH YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance as Public Practice | Theatre Hist Before 18th | Advanced Production Lab | TD Upper Division |
| Acting I |
Production Lab |
Directing I | TD Lower/Upper Division |
| Performance as Collaborative Practice | Playwriting II & III | New Works Festival | History/Lit Topic or Honors Seminar |
| Playwriting I | Theatre Hist Since 18th | Directing II | |
| Technical Theatre | Advanced Production Lab |
The schedule and availability of Theatre and Dance courses changes each semester. The courses listed above are examples for this focus. Students must also fulfill The University of Texas at Austin’s core curriculum, department core and elective requirements.
Theatre for Youth and Communities
| FIRST YEAR | SECOND YEAR | THIRD YEAR | FOURTH YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance as Public Practice | Theatre Hist Before 18th | Advanced Production Lab | Teaching Artists in Schools |
| Acting I |
Production Lab |
TD Lower/Upper Division / Directing I & II | TD Upper Division |
| Performance as Collaborative Practice | Theatre Young Audiences | Creative Drama I | History/Lit Topic or Honors Seminar |
| Acting II / Design for Perf / Dance Topic | Theatre Hist Since 18th | New Works Festival | |
| Technical Theatre | Advanced Production Lab | TD Lower/Upper Div / Creative Drama II |
The schedule and availability of Theatre and Dance courses changes each semester. The courses listed above are examples for this focus. Students must also fulfill The University of Texas at Austin’s core curriculum, department core and elective requirements.
Download Sample Degree Plan:
Please note that this is a general degree plan for the B.A. in Theatre and Dance. Courses may vary depending on your chosen emphasis.
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