Department of Theatre & Dance

Harbaugh is also restaging the mesmerizing rhythm tap routine “#53 ” by the late dancer and educator Leon Collins.

Harbaugh’s choreography brings the beat as he presents “ART*IFICE,” a commentary on artificial intelligence, set to music by Matthew Kurniawan, a composition student in the KU School of Music.

Plasencia’s work, “Sobre madera (Fandangos de Huelva),” is rooted in the flamenco song form and inspired by dance practices of flamenco bailaoras that perform in tablaos in Seville, Spain, with traditional music created for this concert. She will also perform in the work.

As part of an annual feature in its sixth year, Brittingham has created physically demanding choreography for ballet dancers on pointe moving to cello-based contemporary classical music in “Temporal Motion.”

Stewart’s work “Upstream” is an interdisciplinary dance theatre work made in collaboration with her cast of five undergraduate and two graduate students featuring live projections designed by Rhea Penny, MFA student, and set design by Rana Esfandiary, associate professor of theatre.

A spinoff of her existing AAPI Heroes series, “WONDER” by Choreographic Fellow Jessica Chen investigates space exploration and weightlessness through contemporary dance style. Serving as the concert’s finale, her piece for 15 dancers is inspired by stories of astronauts Sunita Lyn Williams and Kalpana Chawla, among others.

The University Dance Company, in collaboration with the Department of Theatre & Dance, will present its Fall Concert Nov. 14-16. A major highlight for both University of Kansas dancers and community members is the connection between dance and science through sound, costumes and a series of postures, spins and eye-grabbing traveling lifts.

Senior Showcases are venues at the end of each semester for student work. Choreographic studies and senior projects are featured in these concerts, as well as work by student dance groups. Artists from other disciplines such as theatre, music, or visual arts are also encouraged to submit work. Those interested in being part of the Senior Showcase program should audition the piece at least one month in advance of the performance dates each semester.

UNITY Hip Hop is a student organization and performing group at the University of Kansas. UNITY holds auditions for membership, rehearses weekly and performs throughout Kansas. They also attend conventions like Monsters of Hip Hop. The group is governed by student-elected officers.

The Jayhawk Performance Lab provides space for student dancers to perform new works of choreography, learn stage production skills like lighting design and sound board operation, and foster experience in organizing all aspects of a professional performance. The Elizabeth Sherbon Theatre in Robinson Center is the primary venue for student-produced works.

The University Dance Company is a pre-professional performance ensemble, accepting members by audition only. Students rehearse approximately four hours a week per piece for three months prior to the performance. Dancers perform at the Lied Center of Kansas, one of the most prestigious performing arts venues in the country, in the fall and the Lawrence Arts Center in the spring. University Dance Company members perform in works choreographed by visiting guest artists each semester, in addition to faculty and alumni works.

You can combine dance classes in ballet, modern, and hip hop with courses in dance history, movement analysis, dance improvisation, choreography, and dance for children.

You can combine dance classes in ballet, modern, and hip hop with courses in dance history, movement analysis, dance improvisation, choreography, and dance for children.

You can combine dance classes in ballet, modern, and hip hop with courses in dance history, movement analysis, dance improvisation, choreography, and dance for children.

You can combine dance classes in ballet, modern, and hip hop with courses in dance history, movement analysis, dance improvisation, choreography, and dance for children.

You can combine dance classes in ballet, modern, and hip hop with courses in dance history, movement analysis, dance improvisation, choreography, and dance for children.

Combine dance classes in ballet, modern, and hip hop with courses in dance history, movement analysis, dance improvisation, choreography, and dance for children.

Combine dance classes in ballet, modern, and hip hop with courses in dance history, movement analysis, dance improvisation, choreography, and dance for children.

Combine dance classes in ballet, modern, and hip hop with courses in dance history, movement analysis, dance improvisation, choreography, and dance for children.

The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in dance offers comprehensive technical training built on a solid liberal arts foundation, allowing our students to double-major or pursue graduate study in a wide number of fields. The Department does not require an audition for entry into the B.A. program. Incoming or transfer students may declare a dance major when they apply or enroll.