School of Theatre and Dance | Columbia College Chicago School of Theatre and Dance In Columbia College Chicago’s School of Theatre and Dance, you’ll gain hands-on experience and ignite your passion as you develop professional skills to launch a career on and off stage. We produce approximately 40 productions a year, giving students multiple opportunities to perform, dance, design, produce, choreograph, direct, and stage manage. Theatre students work on a range of plays, musicals, and one-acts, while dancers create bold new works and expand their technique. You’ll collaborate with peers and work across various disciplines, including production design, film, television, and sound design. We are home to one of the country's only stage combat programs, and our comedy students spend an immersive semester at the famous Second City. Apply Now Visit Us Undergraduate Programs Acting for Stage and Screen Bachelor's Degree (BA | BFA) Comedy Writing and Performance Bachelor's Degree (BA | BFA) Dance Bachelor's Degree (BA) Musical Theatre Bachelor's Degree (BA | BFA) Theatre Arts Production and Practice Bachelor's Degree (BA) Concentrations Directing Design and Technology Stage Management Theatre Arts Creative Professional Studies Bachelor's Degree (BA) Minors Acting The Acting Minor is a sequence of courses in acting, improvisational techniques, voice training, and movement. This program allows you to deepen your commitment to performance and support collaborations with writers, musicians, and filmmakers. Learn More... Dance If you’re majoring in another field, but want to explore your passion for dance, this minor will give you a physical and intellectual overview of the field. You’ll have access to technique courses in West African, ballet, modern/contemporary, and hip-hop and other street dance styles. You’ll also take courses in dance studies so you can better understand the physical skills you’re learning in the studio. This minor will enhance your understanding of the important role that dance plays in culture and society. Learn More... Devising Collaborative Performance Devising Collaborative Performance offers additional pathways for students who identify primarily as interpretive artists to broaden their skills, be more collaborative and generative artists, and engage with multimedia and the world around them. This interdisciplinary minor—with electives in Theatre, Dance, Music, Creative Writing, Art, and Cinema and Television Arts—focuses on the creative work that goes into making original performance. Learn More... Hip-Hop Studies Join an energetic community of hip-hop artists at Columbia and take your creative work to the next level. The Hip-Hop Studies Minor will deepen your connection to hip-hop through a blend of hands-on experiences and thoughtful coursework. Open to Columbia students in any major, the program reflects the interdisciplinary nature of hip-hop culture. It combines course offerings in music, dance, business, art, radio, and cultural studies. Learn More... Playwriting Columbia’s playwriting minor provides exposure to dramatic structure, creative problem solving, script forms, and verbal presentation skills through the practices of reading, writing, and staging dramatic texts. Learn More... Stage Combat From fisticuffs to sword play, stage combat is an essential tool for actors and storytellers across genres. In the four-semester Stage Combat Minor you’ll earn national certification as a stage combat specialist. You’ll be eligible for work choreographing fights and stunts in theatre, TV, and film. The safety-regulated program features training with weapons and unarmed combat, as well as the opportunity to “learn to fly” at Columbia's Media Production Center. It is the only fully-equipped stage combat program in the region. Learn More... Theatre Directing With the Theatre Directing minor, you’ll learn the skills necessary to conceptualize, organize, and facilitate the preparation of scripted material for performance. In your capstone course, you will apply your study of acting, technology and design, project organization, and dramatic theory to the production of a one-act play. Learn More... VIEW ALL MINORS Learn what makes a theatre and dance education at Columbia stand out. Faculty Theatre and Dance faculty are working professionals, Tony Award winners, and groundbreaking experts bringing real-world experience to the classroom. Facilities State-of-the-art studios and performance spaces in the School of Theatre and Dance provide students with hands-on experience in a dynamic learning environment. Alumni Columbia's School of Theatre and Dance prepares students for careers on stage and behind the scenes. Graduates have worldwide opportunities, working from Hollywood to Broadway, and everywhere in between. Student Work At Columbia College Chicago’s School of Theatre and Dance, students bring their talents to life through bold, hands-on work that spans the full spectrum of the performing arts. Whether pursuing a degree in Acting for Stage and Screen, Comedy Writing and Performance, Dance, Musical Theatre, or Theatre Arts Production and Practice. Virtual Tour Launch Experience News School of Theatre and Dance Announces 2026–2027 Season Apr 16, 2026 Columbia College Chicago’s School of Theatre and Dance unveils a dynamic 2026–2027 season spanning musicals, comedy, horror, and contemporary adaptations. April Events at Columbia College Chicago Mar 31, 2026 A range of performances and experiences showcasing student and faculty artists from diverse backgrounds and disciplines. Festival Of Dance Clubs Showcases Student Choreography Mar 20, 2026 Columbia College Chicago’s first Festival of Dance Clubs brings student-led performances from Latin to K-pop to the Dance Center March 31–April 3, 2026. Upcoming Events Apr 23 8:00PM - 10:00PM The Maids Two sisters, maids to a wealthy society woman, act out fantasies of class, love and revenge while the lady of the house is out on a romantic rendezvous. The Maids by Jean Genet Directed by Roison Darby Tuesday, April 21 Wednesday, April 22 Thursday, April 23 ... Get the details Apr 24 7:30PM - 8:30PM Didę The Dance Center is proud to present the Midwest premiere of Didę by Marcel Gbeffa (Benin) and Sarah Trouche (France). Inspired by the Guèlèdè traditions whose ceremonies and masks pay homage to Ìyá Nlá, the Yoruba primordial spirit of all creation, Didę is an evening-length work for five dancers and 21 mahogany masks. Didę invites... Get the details Apr 28 8:00PM - 10:00PM Broken Story Jess, a driven young New York reporter who arrives at the Los Angeles home of murdered novelist Jane Hartman, hoping to uncover the true story behind a mysterious Hollywood crime. Broken Story by Cyndy Marion Directed by Rae Ruiz Tuesday, April 28 Wednesday, April 29 Thursday, April 30... Get the details More Events