Culture in Action
The Bates Theater and Dance Department believes performance is for everyone. Through embodied artistry, activism, collaboration, and scholarship, our curriculum explores performance theories, physical practice, creative processes, history and historiography, and culturally inclusive engagement with productions. We welcome all who wish to join our community to engage in experimentation, innovative technologies, and informed experiential learning.
We are thrilled to unveil a dynamic lineup of exhilarating performances for the 2025–26 Theater and Dance Season—an inspiring mix of bold plays, original dance, and innovative performances!
Highlights include Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman, Everybody by Branden Jacobs-Jenksins, and an original student thesis dance work Lo Que Se Rompe, Brilla, by Aaron Martinez ’26, along with our annual Fall Dance Concert and Marcy Plavin Spring Dance Concert.
We’re ready for Winter 2026! Check out our upcoming events, faculty updates, 2026-27 Play Selection Survey, and more!
The Bates Theater and Dance Department provides an unparalleled liberal arts experience led by faculty and staff who are active professionals in their field. We empower a diverse community of students to cultivate their unique and expansive approaches to artistry, interdisciplinary collaboration, and activism with a fierce commitment to transform and better the world.
Up Next
Varvara, an evening-length solo choreographed and performed by Jenna Riegel, is a response to both Alexander Rodchenko’s photograph “Performing Furniture” (1922), which features his artistic collaborator and life partner Varvara Stepanova, and to Stepanova’s body of creative work.
