Department of Theatre and Dance
Department of Theatre and Dance
R. Paul Gatrell, (Chair), Bill Feehely, Jim Al-Shamma, Debbie Belue, Shirley Blackburn*, Carrie Gerow*, Daniel Easterly*, Lynette Kraft*, June Kingsberry*, Virginia Lamothe*, Franne Lee*, Danise McGrath*, Jon Royal*, Dusty Schaffer*, Laura Skaug*, Claire Syler*, Cynthia Tucker*, and Caroline Wooldridge.
The Department of Theatre and Dance is centered in the belief that the artist serves a vital purpose in society and is dedicated to preparing students who desire careers in professional, educational or community theatre and dance settings.
Purpose:
To provide thorough instruction and guidance for students who are in the process of developing their artistic skills and sensibilities.Goals:
- To equip students with a vocabulary and language that reflects the standard terms and concepts used in the dramatic arts.
- To expose students to the basic body of knowledge that impacts upon the major and minor movements of past and contemporary theatre and dance.
- To prepare students to display basic competencies in at least three of the following areas: acting, directing, scriptwriting, theatre criticism, stage management, education, or production design.
- To contribute to the cultural and artistic environment of Belmont University and the Nashville community.
- To provide students with a means to explore and affect the larger community through the performing arts.
The Department of Theatre and Dance is committed to a liberal arts foundation as an effective means of preparing students who want to pursue theatre as a life’s work. This commitment is reflected in the system of training that stresses the collaborative and inter-disciplinary nature of the theatrical performance and production process. The department offers two programs of study. The first is the Bachelor of Fine Arts model which requires intensive focus in four concentration areas; Performance, Directing, Production Design, and Theatre Education. The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree is designed to prepare students for professional careers in a variety of performance, design, or educational-related fields or for graduate school. The second is the Bachelor of Arts degree model, which requires that students be exposed to the cultural, socio-political, and historical knowledge that serves as the core of the theatrical tradition and current professional standards.