You are here: American University College of Arts & Sciences Department of Performing Arts

Department of Performing Arts

Theatre, music, dance, arts management, audio technology.

Be Front and Center

Experience the performing arts from center stage:

American University's Department of Performing Arts (DPA) includes robust programs in Theatre/Musical Theatre, Music, Dance, Arts Management, and Audio Technology. Taught by outstanding scholar-practitioners-educators in their respective fields, students learn, create, and perform in the classroom, the studio, on stage, and beyond.

Our location in the nation's capital coupled with our deep connections in the DC arts community as well as regional and national organizations, unlocks student access to a myriad of world-renowned institutions, performing arts venues, artists, and more. Our city is your stage. And, with our flexible curriculum, hands-on learning approach, tight-knit and nurturing community, and unwavering commitment to diversity, we create an ideal learning environment for your artistic and creative growth.


Head Over Heels performers

Theatre / Musical Theatre

Our Theatre and Musical Theatre Program will prepare you to succeed in a variety of professions within and beyond the performing arts. BA in Theatre Performance, a BA in Musical Theatre Performance, BA in Theatre Arts, and a minor in Theatre are available.
Learn more: Theatre
 


AU Symphony Orchestra

Music

We offer the breadth, depth, and flexibility to build a fulfilling career in music and a faculty that will guide you on your own path as a 21st-century artist. A BA in Music and a minor in Music are available.
Learn more: Music
 


Fall Dance Concert performers

Dance

Our diverse curriculum without traditional genre limitations allows students to study dance through a wide range of movement forms including ballet, African, contemporary, and urban, to creative research, and dance theory. A BA in Dance and a minor in Dance are available.
Learn more: Dance
 


AU arts management fellows at the Kennedy Center.

Arts Management

Refined over five decades, our Arts Management program will provide you the skills, experience, connections, and community you need for a successful career in the business of arts and culture. Our graduates lead many of the most renown organizations across the nation. MA in Arts Management and graduate certificates in Arts Management are available and a combined BA/MA five-year program.
Learn more: Arts Management
 


Audio Tech student in the studio

Audio Technology

Our program blends the art and science in audio in the context of a broad ranging educational program. BA in Audio Production, BS in Audio Technology, and a MA in Audio Technology are available and a combined BA/MA five-year program.
Learn more: Audio Technology
 


Announcements


Degree program auditions: Music |  Theatre/Musical Theatre  |  Dance

Connect with Us

  • Share your interest in our programs and opportunities—a program representative will reach out to you:
    Share My Interest
  • The Department of Performing Arts Chair would like to hear from you! Please share comments, questions and suggestions:
    Connect with the Chair

Program Contacts

Department Office
Richard Streeks at 202-885-3422 or streeks@american.edu
Arts Management
Andrew Taylor at 202-885-1601 or eataylor@american.edu
Audio Technology
Michael Harvey at 202-885-6302 or mharvey@american.edu
Dance
Erin Foreman-Murray at 202-885-3942 or danceprogram@american.edu
Music
Ann Kang at 202-885-3859 or akang@american.edu
Theatre/Musical Theatre
Jason Arnold at 202-885-2773 or jasona@american.edu
Student actors practice fight choreography

Arts ·

Student Actors Raise Their Swords

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AU Audio Tech alums, from left to right, Jonathan Cornell, Rebeca Lindenfeld, and Liz Grzyb

Arts ·

Hitting the Right Notes: AU Audio Tech Alums Making Their Mark on Industry

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Scene from Damn Things Will Kill Ya; photo by Noah Puzzo.

Arts ·

"Damn Things Will Kill Ya," a Play Written and Produced at AU

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