Manhattanville College

New York City: A train ride away.

If you’re a student in our dance and theatre program, you will study with faculty who are professional choreographers, directors, playwrights, dancers, dance therapists, theatre educators and actors with years of experience on and off Broadway. Our dance curriculum focuses on a sequential study of contemporary dance technique employing a variety of current and traditional styles and methods, with an emphasis on composition and choreography. Theatre training includes a sequential study of acting, voice and speech, dramatic literature, as well as directing and design. Our technical theatre training focuses on practical professional experiences in lighting design, stage management, costume design, scene design, and stagecrafts.

Your dance and theatre training goes beyond the studio and the stage. The liberal arts are at the core of every Manhattanville education and our program is no different. At the same time that you develop practical skills in technique and performance, your core classes in the humanities, and math and sciences will help you develop into an articulate, literate, and socially aware citizen. The goal of our department is to enliven the mind, and express the creative spirit that lies within us all. Your studies will combine knowledge with experience, exploration of technique with study of performance history, theory and critical research. This mode of study is comparable to the relationship between lecture and laboratory in liberal arts science courses, such as Biology.

You’ll explore the collaborative frontiers where dance and theatre meet.

Majors in our areas of concentration—dance, theatre, and dance therapy are accepted by audition. The course of study culminates in a guided senior thesis project of your devising, which reflects your influences and interests.

Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to pursue internships for credit at any of several studios, theaters, and other outlets in New York City.