Collaborate. Innovate. Celebrate.

In the late 1980s, the College of Arts and Sciences at Elon University created a new department: The Department of Performing Arts. It housed three faculty members: one with an expertise in acting, another in music theatre, and a third in dance. Today, that department is home to seven degree programs, including three BFA degrees, and over 20 accomplished fulltime faculty members and numerous highly talented adjunct instructors. How we have grown!

Our BFA programs each have a national reputation: In 2023, Backstage included the Acting program in its list of “27 Acting Colleges You Should Know”; the Dance Performance & Choreography program was recognized in 2019 by the renowned theater publication OnStage as one of the “Top 30 College Dance Programs”; and the Music Theatre program is consistently recognized by Playbill in “The Big Ten,” its annual list of university training programs whose alumni are currently working on Broadway, and it landed Elon on the Hollywood Reporter’s 2026 list of “The 25 Best Drama Schools in the World.”

We also boast excellent training in our Theatrical Design and Technology program and our three interdisciplinary programs: Arts Administration (in partnership with the School of Business), Drama and Theatre Studies (in partnership with English), and Dance Science (in partnership with Exercise Science).

Our department maintains its commitment to creating a collaborative and innovative environment where diversity, equity and inclusion are championed and celebrated, informed by an anti-racist and anti-oppressive, consent-based ethos.

We invite you to learn more about the options to come grow with us! Study with our experienced, working-professional faculty members, train and collaborate with our incredibly talented students, and prepare for a career in the exciting and challenging performing arts industries.

If you are a prospective student, please explore our site to learn more about the particular majors and minors that interest you and contact us with any questions. If you’d like to attend one of our productions, please click here. Four of our programs require an audition or interview; please click here to learn more about those. To learn about general application requirements for our other programs, please click here.

Whether you are a prospective student or a potential audience member, we invite you to join us in our ongoing exploration and celebration of the human condition through the training programs and the season of productions offered by the Department of Performing Arts!

Kirby Wahl
Chair, Elon Department of Performing Arts