Our Mission

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. 

Our Disposition

The Bates Theater and Dance Department acknowledges its part in addressing the systemic nature of oppression through the arts, which necessitates a critical understanding of the forms we engage and the histories of exclusions and trauma therein. We seek to both hold the joy of performance and address the harm that may occur when seeking embodiment and collaboration, while providing students the knowledge and tools to dismantle structural inequities and personal biases.

Our Vision

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.