Dance, Music, and Theatre at Illinois
Three disciplines. One world-class stage.
At Illinois, you’ll find three disciplines—Dance, Music, and Theatre—sharing one of the most complete performing arts complexes at any university in the country. You’ll train with faculty who are working artists and scholars, perform in real productions from your first year, and graduate ready for a professional career, an audition, or a stage of your own making. Whether you’re chasing a conservatory-level BFA, a flexible BA that lets you combine performing arts with another passion, or a path toward teaching the next generation, there’s a track built for how you want to work.
- DANCE: Train in a rigorous BFA or shape your own path with a flexible BA, including a dual-degree option in Kinesiology with K-12 teacher licensure.
- MUSIC: Perform, compose, teach, or build the next generation of music technology, with degree paths from the Bachelor of Music to a BS in Computer Science + Music.
- THEATRE: From acting and design to stage management and immersive storytelling, train for every seat at the table, on stage, and behind the scenes.
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Dance at Illinois
Make your mark through movement.
Turn your passion for dance into a practice, a purpose, and a future. At Dance at Illinois, you’ll train with accomplished faculty, explore your creative voice, and collaborate with a close-knit community of artists and thinkers. With opportunities to perform, choreograph, and explore interdisciplinary interests, you’ll build the skills and experience to shape your own path in dance and beyond.
Find your path in Dance:
From intensive studio training to interdisciplinary study, Dance at Illinois offers undergraduate programs to match your interests and ambitions.
- BFA in Dance: Immerse yourself in intensive training, creative exploration, and performance as you prepare for a professional career in dance.
- BA in Dance: Shape a flexible, interdisciplinary degree that connects your dance studies with your other interests.
- BA + BS in Kinesiology: Combine dance and kinesiology, with an option to pursue K–12 physical education teacher licensure with a dance endorsement.
- Dance & Musical Theatre Minors: Pursue dance alongside another major, or develop your skills across dance, singing, and acting through the Musical Theatre Minor.
Being able to raise money for an intensive in New York was a very, very big accomplishment for me … It really touched my heart to know that I have a community out there, seen and unseen, that does support me … Now, especially after having my internship in New York, I’m able to switch between dance styles like it’s nobody’s business. You want ballet? Here I am doing ballet. Now you want me to pop, lock, and drop it? You know I got it. I appreciate my department for training me in such a way to do that.
Music at Illinois
Find your sound.
Turn your passion for music into a future of creative possibilities. At the School of Music, you’ll learn from accomplished faculty, collaborate with fellow musicians, and develop your craft through performance, experimentation, and discovery. Whether you dream of performing on stage, composing new works, exploring music technology, or pursuing an entirely different path, you’ll find opportunities to grow as a musician and shape your own future.
Find your path in Music:
With five undergraduate degree options and a wide range of areas of study, you can tailor your education to your interests and ambitions.
- Performance: Develop your artistry in instrumental, vocal, jazz, or lyric theatre performance.
- Music Education: Prepare to share your passion for music and teach the next generation.
- Composition & Musicology: Create new works, explore music’s history and meaning, and expand your understanding of the art form.
- Music Technology & Computer Science + Music: Explore the intersection of music, technology, and computing, from digital audio production to music and AI.
- Build your own path: Choose a flexible liberal arts degree or design an interdisciplinary course of study that connects music with your other interests.
I chose the University of Illinois to pursue Lyric Theatre because this is the only program that trains you both in classical techniques and contemporary techniques. Here you also get to participate in operas and musical theatre at the same time. There are amazing resources here too. We have access to a ginormous music library, rehearsal space in the Music building as well as two floors of practice rooms with pianos–which are very helpful when you need to learn something–and amazing performance spaces at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.
Illinois Theatre
Make your mark on the stage and beyond.
Turn your passion for theatre into the skills, experiences, and connections to build your future. At Illinois Theatre, you’ll learn from working professionals, collaborate with fellow artists, and put your ideas into practice through an ambitious season of productions. Whether you dream of performing, designing, building, managing, or reimagining how stories are told, you’ll find opportunities to explore your craft and bring bold ideas to life.
Find your path in Theatre:
From acting and directing to design, technology, and immersive storytelling, Theatre at Illinois offers undergraduate programs for a wide range of creative interests.
- Acting & Theatre Studies: Develop your skills as a performer, playwright, director, or dramaturg through intensive training and hands-on exploration.
- Design & Technology: Bring productions to life through scenic, costume, lighting, and sound design, as well as the technical and creative work that happens behind the scenes.
- Production & Stage Management: Build the leadership, collaboration, and practical skills that make ambitious productions possible.
- Immersive & Interactive Theatre: Explore new ways to create and experience stories at the intersection of theatre, technology, game design, and audience engagement.
- Explore beyond the stage: Pursue a minor in Theatre or a certificate in themed entertainment to connect your interests with new creative possibilities.
Illinois Theatre provided me with all the tools and experiences a pre-professional stage manager could ask for. From real production opportunities, alumni connections, and our peer cohorts, the BFA Stage Management program has helped me to develop my identity as a Stage Manager as well as a leader in the arts. The most important transferable skills I carry post-grad from the program is the ability to listen and communicate! I am hopeful my education has placed me on a successful career trajectory.
Learn in Extraordinary Facilities
At Illinois, you’ll learn, rehearse, experiment, and perform in exceptional facilities designed to bring your ideas to life, from specialized studios and production spaces to world-class performance venues.
A stage for every kind of performance.
At the heart of the experience is the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, a 10-acre complex with multiple performance venues, an outdoor amphitheatre, and more than 350 performances each year. Whether you’re preparing for your own performance or experiencing the work of visiting artists, you’ll be part of a vibrant, year-round arts community. And with $10 tickets for Illinois students, you can experience even more of it.
Spaces designed for your craft.
- Dance: Train and create in custom-designed studios with sprung floors, soaring ceilings, and abundant natural light.
- Music: Explore specialized rehearsal and recording spaces, state-of-the-art music technology, and extensive music collections and archives.
- Theatre: Learn by doing in professional design labs, studios, and production shops, with hands-on opportunities to bring performances to life.