Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies

The program in Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies (TDPS) explores the dynamic nature and multivalent possibilities of performance as an interdisciplinary field. TDPS operates at the intersection of theory and practice, training students to engage with multiple forms of performance, in traditional theatrical contexts as well as broader ways of thinking and being in society. TDPS conceives performance expansively, valuing broad connections over narrow specialization.

Students will learn to communicate effectively in speech, writing, and embodied practice, to collaborate effectively with others, and to apply their skills in critical analysis to both the production and the consumption of the performances that surround us. The program is broadly interdisciplinary, involving faculty with many different areas of expertise and preparing students for collaborative endeavors in many fields after graduation, including but not limited to careers in the performing arts.

New College offers a personal and collaborative learning environment, where faculty and students engage in in-depth exploration of ideas and subject matter, and where students have the freedom to chart their own academic course and prepare for their future career.

As the State of Florida’s legislatively-designated “honors college for the liberal arts,” New College is the only public college or university in the state whose sole mission is to provide an undergraduate education of the highest caliber to leading students from around the country. Located on a beautiful 110-acre campus on sunny Sarasota Bay, New College provides an ideal learning environment for intellectually curious, motivated students who thrive on active learning and are drawn to an intellectually rigorous curriculum.

Year after year, New College faculty and students garner top prizes and awards. Our student-centered academic mission consistently attracts high rankings from the most prestigious organizations. We are recognized by the Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities (HACU) as an Associate Member Institution because at least 10% of our current students identify as Hispanic. Our alumnae/i earn distinctions in the workplace, contribute to scientific advancement and make contributions to public service and global change.

New College of Florida is a member of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states. New College is a proud member of the council of Public Liberal Arts College (COPLAC) and the Consortium for Innovative Environments in learning (CIEL).