Mission Statement

Our mission is to explore what it means to be an artist. Theater and Dance is an integral part of the liberal arts education at Union College encourages academic excellence and engages students in inquiry and experiences that develop risk taking, collaborative skills and critical judgment – essential tools for every profession. Our production season reflects these goals in eclectic choices exploring a variety of techniques and genres from many cultures. We seek to experience the historical, political, social, technical, and artistic choices through performance.

About Theater

If you are currently looking for a small, production oriented, exciting theatre program nestled within a great all around liberal arts education then the Theatre program at Union College is for you. Working in a new state of the art Theatre facility, the conservatory trained (Yale, Boston University, U.C. Irvine) and professionally active faculty all strive to teach a worldview of theatre by presenting work from all possible genres and cultures. From William Shakespeare to Sam Shepard and from Pinter to Puppets, the Theatre at Union produces an eclectic body of work designed to challenge the imagination, stimulate artistic curiosity and provide the basis for a rich and varied classroom experience.

Graduates from our program have gone on to further study at some of the premiere theatre schools in the nation (Carnegie Mellon, U.C.L.A. Film School, N.Y.U. etc.), secured production jobs in TV/Film or opted to simply enter the profession. Theatre students are encouraged to study or if possible intern with professional companies during the summer months while enrolled at Union College and in the recent past our students have worked with such companies as The Berkshire Theatre Festival and The Saratoga Shakespeare Company. The Theatre Program also has a longstanding relationship with B.A.D.A., The British American Drama Academy, and regularly sends students on Terms Abroad to Oxford, England during the school year to study at this world-renowned Shakespearean training center.

We invite you to drop by the Yulman theatre to see a show as our guest or visit a class at any time if you are in the area. We are sure that if you are looking for a place to continue or even begin your journey as a theatre artist and are seeking a small, caring community of student/faculty artists to join you on that journey then Union College is the place.

About Dance

The dance program offers an active, practical program for college credit plus multilevel technique classes and performance workshops. All students of dance, both beginner and experienced, are given the opportunity to work with experienced faculty. The elements of discipline, exploration, experimentation, and creativity join to provide an environment of learning and development.

Technique classes in ballet, jazz, and modern dance are held in a state-of-the-art facility to live and record accompaniment. Students gain an in-depth understanding of how the body moves while also gaining an increased understanding of proper placement, alignment, and flexibility. The classes offer training that is both anatomically healthy and artistically inspiring. Students develop the ability to move through space with a sense of ease that comes from knowledge and understanding.

Each year, the dance program receives guest artists specialized in diverse dance styles and forms of dance expression. Dance workshop in classical and modern dance have been taught by Edward Villella, artistic director of Miami City ballet, as well as members of the Jose Limon Dance Company and Paul Taylor Dance Company. The Dance Program also introduces dance technique classes in flamenco, Afro-Caribbean dance, traditional Chinese dance, traditional Japanese dance, Contra dancing, and Square dancing. Union students have the opportunity to present their own choreographies each year during the Steinmetz Symposium and the Dance Concerts.