Theatre & Dance
Bachelor of Arts
Bucknell theatre & dance students perform, design, direct and collaborate with professors who will inspire, challenge and empower you to let your artistic skills shine.
Take part in any one of our five annual mainstage theatre & dance productions, numerous student theatre & dance showcases, or student-directed one-act plays. Perform in — or choreograph — one of our annual student dance showcases, featuring styles from ballet and modern to jazz and Chinese water sleeves. Build skills in costume, makeup, sound, set or lighting design. Gain new perspectives from guest artists-in-residence.
Find your artistic home among our community of faculty and student performers, then explore new modes of performance through immersive experiences in China, India, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and beyond.
Arts Merit Scholarships recognize students with extraordinary talents in the arts.
Theatre at Bucknell
The major in theatre offers opportunities in all phases of theatre arts: dramatic literature and criticism, engineering/technology, history, performance and design, and the freedom to customize your major around your interests and needs. Throughout the academic year, students can get involved in a variety of theatre productions in the Tustin Studio Theatre and the Harvey M. Powers Theatre.
Students pursuing a concentration in acting, directing, design or dramaturgy/playwriting are advised to select additional electives in related areas (dance, art, music, philosophy, etc.) in addition to advanced performance, design or theory courses. A suggested guideline for each concentration is available from your adviser.
See detailed major requirements
A minor in theatre is available for students who wish to broaden their experience in theatre arts. The department offers three theatre minors: acting & directing, design & technology and general theatre.
See detailed minor requirements
Technology & Design
The study of technology and design in the theatre & dance department is based on practice. Each production season offers students many opportunities in the areas of costume, scenery, properties, lighting, video and sound. This real-world laboratory environment offers hands-on experience that builds and tests creative problem-solving skills in researching, drawing, designing and building, preparing students for in-demand behind-the-scenes careers.
Arts Merit Scholarships
Theatre merit scholarships are available for prospective students who major in theatre, and to engineering or education majors who minor in either acting & directing or design & technology.
Theatre Merit Scholarships
Dance merit scholarships are available to prospective students who minor in dance. Scholarships are awarded based on potential and ability displayed during an on-campus audition.
Dance Merit Scholarships
Dance at Bucknell
We welcome all students to participate in dance classes and productions regardless of pursuing the academic minor or having any formal dance training. The dance program offers students an opportunity to customize their experience, whether taking technique or theory classes, auditioning for and performing in dance showcases and concerts, pursuing a minor in dance or all of the above. Students have the chance to work with faculty and guest artists, collaborate with peers and engage in community outreach.
We offer courses in introductory and advanced levels of ballet, jazz and modern technique classes, American social dance and Chinese watersleeves, musical theatre, dance conditioning, advanced technique and training, and occasionally pointe and variations. Theory courses include dance composition, dance history, production technology and design, and interdisciplinary performance studies. Merit scholarships are available for incoming dance students who wish to minor. Contact the Director of Dance with any questions.
See detailed minor requirements
Let’s Dance
- The Fall Dance Showcase and the spring Choreographer's Showcase, under faculty and student direction, feature an array of new works by students who have taken Dance Composition, as well as faculty and guest artist pieces. They perform to sold-out audiences from the campus and surrounding community.
- The fall and spring dance concerts featuring the Bucknell Dance Company are produced as part of the Department of Theatre & Dance's mainstage season. Students are invited to audition each semester to work with faculty, guest artists and selected student choreographers. Concerts are fully produced with lighting, set and costume designs by the professional faculty and staff in the department.
Will Studying Theatre & Dance Help Me Get a Job?
Students studying theatre & dance at Bucknell build transferable, in-demand skills that can be applied across fields. Besides the stage, our graduates have found jobs in diverse industries, from business to education to law, while maintaining a passion for the performing arts that continues throughout their lives. Some of the skills you’ll build by studying theatre & dance include:
- Critical thinking and problem-solving
- Digital Technology
- Global/intercultural fluency
- Leadership
- Oral and written communication skills
- Teamwork and collaboration
Where Do Bucknell Theatre & Dance Students Get Jobs?
The major in theatre and minor in dance prepares you for exciting jobs in the arts or other professional careers where your artistic skills will shine. Students also build transferable skills that can be applied across fields, from business to education to law. Bucknellians have been cast in, stage managed for, or been admitted to:
Facilities & Technical Resources
The Department of Theatre & Dance supports a costume studio, a dance studio and two theatre spaces: The Harvey M. Powers Theatre in Coleman Hall and Tustin Studio Theatre.
For technical information, please contact Heath Hansum, lighting & sound design/production manager, at hhansum@bucknell.edu or 570-577-3492.
