Theatre and Dance

At-a-glance

Professors: Russ Borski; Associate Professors: Holly Holsinger (Chair); Associate College Lecturer: Dr. Lisa Bernd; Assistant Professor of Practice: Toby Becovici; Assistant Professor: David Stoughton; Full-time Faculty: DeAndra Stone (Interim Director of Dance); Part-time Faculty: Allan Byrne, Sarah Carey, Lisa DeCato, Chris DiCello, Louise Hadaway, Joan Meggitt, Jeff Ryder, Jim Swonger; Staff: Kate Klotzbach, Cameron Michalak, Teresa A. Pieritz; Professor Emeriti: Lynn Deering, Joseph J. Garry, Jr.

For more information:
Department of Theatre and Dance
Cleveland State University
1901 E. 13th Street
Middough Building, MB 263
Cleveland, OH 44115-2214
Phone: 216.687.2113

Theatre: The Theatre Arts Program at Cleveland State University is dedicated to producing educated citizens who have identified theatre as their primary academic and vocational focus. The theatre is among the oldest documented venues for human expression and has been a powerful medium in practically every culture to explore religious beliefs, shape communal viewpoints, question authoritarian behavior, support or subvert public opinion, and provide an imaginative escape from daily routine. Given this rich and diverse legacy, we believe that the theatre and its practitioners bear a responsibility to keep, and in many cases reinvigorate, the theatre as a vital communicative tool in the community. It is our goal that our graduating students will have the necessary qualifications to enter the profession or pursue graduate work at the program of their choice. We are determined that the foundational theatre experiences on the undergraduate level shall provide a valid educational basis for a myriad of eventual careers. Accordingly, our students will focus on the theatre within the context of a strong liberal arts education. The student will focus on the study and practice of theatre in addition to the full compliment of academic classes. Within the theatre major itself, the student will receive rigorous training specializing in either theatre performance or the design/technical fields. This practicum training will be accomplished in tandem with a thorough grounding in the history, literature, theory and social contexts of theatrical production. With this broad based approach, our students will have the foundational education and training for traditional choices such as acting, directing, design and technical support, as well as such ancillary fields as dramaturgy, criticism, drama therapy, marketing, facilities coordination, arts advocacy, marketing and education, among others. With this springboard, our students will have the training and education to actively and positively contribute to the theatre and their communities.

Dance: Study of dance at Cleveland State University is designed around the mission to make dance in its varied forms accessible to all students and the surrounding community, from novice to professional. The program is dedicated to providing students and the general public with opportunities to participate in and view dance as a performing and creative art, as well as educational, social and recreational experience. Coursework in dance provides well rounded, intensive training in technique, performance and creative process, enhancing the preparation of students for careers in dance, as well as other areas of specialization and providing an excellent foundation for future graduate study.

The Dance major degree at Cleveland State University is designed to foster the development of dance artists and educators prepared to find the role of their own art within an ever-changing world. Strong internal relationships with the arts and other university programs, external partnerships with Cleveland’s vital art scene, and additional community affiliations provide a breadth of educational experiences that inform students of the many ways in which their own art choices may flourish.

As a CSU Dance Major, you will engage in high quality training in contemporary dance forms, with additional dance styles and somatic techniques as complements to your technical development. Coursework in the history and aesthetics of dance taught from a global perspective provide a more expansive understanding of your art. Additional experiences with creative process work, pedagogy, and community dance training, as well as performance opportunities in a variety of venues, will connect you to the larger communities in which art is made.

The Dance minor degree consists of a comprehensive course of study emphasizing beginning through advanced contemporary modern dance technique, with strong support from study in ballet, ethnic, and vernacular dance forms. The creative process is developed through courses in improvisation, composition and choreography. Appreciation of dance as an art form and critical analysis skills are gained through theory coursework in history, aesthetics and somatics.

The Dance minor degree offers great opportunity for students to enhance their learning experience while studying for majors in other arts including theatre, music, and art as well as business, communication, education, health sciences, psychology, anthropology, and more. The CSU Dance Minor supports future employment as a dance artist including performer, educator and choreographer. The discipline, creativity, and holistic approach to learning through dance enhance student marketability, preparing them both physically and intellectually for their chosen career path.

Dance at CSU centers itself in an active dance community with many opportunities for students to network within the professional community via master classes, workshops and the historic CSU Summer Dance Workshop, which for 4 decades has brought dance artists representing diverse forms of dance to campus for intensive study, performances and seminars. Students have opportunities for performing and choreographing in the pre-professional CSU Dance Company, as well as learning works by nationally and regionally renowned dance artists that are presented in concert on campus and in the many surrounding venues. This includes engaged learning opportunities with GroundWorks DanceTheater, our professional dance company in residence. Dance scholarships are available with the CSU Dance Company and the CSU Dance Group. Study of Dance also plays an important role in facilitating students in becoming engaged in the campus community, and developing lasting connections with fellow students, alumni, faculty, and area professionals.

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