Return to: Department of Theatre Arts and Dance

Department Chair Brian Swanson – SH 203 – (435) 865-8674	Faculty & Staff
Associate Department Chair Kay Andersen – SH 202 – (435) 865-8503	Student Success Advisor(s)
Administrative Assistant Jacque Marchant – SH 201 – (435) 586-7746	Website

Overview of Programs

Our students in Southern Utah University’s Department of Theatre Arts and Dance perform, choreograph, design, create, invent, dance, act, and stage manage – and stretch themselves creatively and scholastically by incorporating their comprehensive training and experience in all aspects of the live arts. SUU is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD). The Theatre Arts and Dance program gives students the opportunity to work alongside professionals in mainstage dance and theatre productions, as well as the Utah Shakespeare Festival, recipient of the 2000 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. Students have the opportunity to create and perform their own work in Second Studio, Orchesis Dance Company, and through department black box grants. Student work has been selected for the Gala Concert at Regional American College Dance Festivals, Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, and United States Institute for Theatre Technology. Our internationally active professionals are at the top of their respective fields. Their talent and expertise provide our students with the required foundation for entry into professional entertainment, graduate studies and other educational fields.

Mission

Our mission is to provide a nurturing and challenging educational environment through a rich diversity of theatre and dance disciplines, techniques, technologies, and productions. Central to our focus as a department is superior teaching and personalized mentoring; our classroom encompasses the studio, the stage, and the technical laboratory.

Department Goal Statement

The goal of the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance is to:

• Foster academic excellence through development of programs that meet national standards.
• Promote quality personnel with expertise in their areas of teaching.
• Enhance the cultural and aesthetic experience of our campus, community, and region through quality productions, leadership, and service learning.
• Embrace a standard of artistic excellence, which is enhanced by a strong professional link with the internationally recognized Utah Shakespeare Festival.
• Create widespread visibility through our active participation with the ACDA, KCACTF, USITT, URTA, ATHE, UTA, and other professional/educational organizations.
• Prepare students for successful transfer to graduate or conservatory programs or to pursue professional careers in the theatre and dance performance, theatre and dance education, or allied fields.

Department/Program Learning Outcomes

Students will:

1. Comprehend how the techniques and practices of theatre arts and dance are used for creative thought and artistic expression;
2. Execute basic production processes in the areas of acting, dance, stage direction, choreography, design, and the necessary technical operations related to production;
3. Acquire knowledge of diverse historical and multi-cultural dimensions and traditions of theatre arts and dance; and
4. Formulate assessments of quality, both creatively and critically, in works of theatre, dance, and other related art forms.

Programs

• Dance Education (B.A., B.S.)
• Dance Performance (B.A., B.S.)
• Theatre - Classical Acting Emphasis (B.F.A.)
• Theatre - Musical Theatre Emphasis (B.F.A.)
• Theatre - Theatre Design and Technology Emphasis (B.F.A.)
• Theatre Arts (B.A., B.S.)
• Theatre Arts - Secondary Education (B.A., B.S.)

• Dance Performance (Minor)
• Shakespeare Studies (Minor)
• Theatre Arts (Minor)

Return to: Department of Theatre Arts and Dance