Therefore, our aim has been, and continues to be, a more representative, humane and accurate truth of human experience in the arts, informed and imaginative spaces for visioning, nourishing work environments for research and creativity, and brave analysis of the insidious ways racism, genocide, discrimination and bias have marred our fields of study and our communities.
We honor a global diversity of ways of making and of knowing. European colonialism and US Imperialism have long worked to diminish and eliminate knowledge that differed from a European worldview. As a US-based institution, we recognize that the only way we can truly see beyond the limitations of our own perspectives is to listen and learn from people with experiences that are different from our own throughout the world. Our diversity efforts are therefore grounded on establishing long-lasting relationships with scholars and artists who have worked and continue to work outside of the United States, and to attract graduate students that can help us continue to learn from these perspectives.
Performance arts at CU Boulder embraces many conventional and emerging modalities of presentation: proscenium stages, film, devised work, online social platforms, digital arenas, interactive installations, community collaboration, process-based work, performance activism that is both affective and effective, and new creations of bold imaginarians.
We embrace broad and inclusive practices in our approach to admissions:
- CU Boulder THDN does not require the standardized Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores for its graduate applications. Studies have shown that the GRE is a poor tool at selecting the most capable students, and that it severely restricts the entrance of minority students into graduate school. Instead, we argue that the consistency of students' records stands as a valid marker of their personal excellence. All of our graduate programs rank experiential learning and professional experience equally with academic preparation
- CU Boulder THDN welcomes students of all cultural disciplines, bodily presentations and abilities, and identities with supportive mentorship and customized graduate learning curriculum
- Dance does not enforce a specific dress code for instructional classes beyond guidelines for safety and non-harm
- We deeply believe in the power of generous, non-hierarchical mentorship and collaboration amongst all community members regardless of title, position, life experience, and identity markers
We stand as active agents of transformation in education, and invite you to join us in revisioning our emerging global citizenship through the arts.
