UC Berkeley Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies

08/28/2026

Auditions for Fall Choreography are next Thursday, September 3rd!

Go to the TDPS callboard (link in bio) for sign-ups and more details.

Choreographers are looking for dancers who have a range of movement skills, from highly technical to experimental, explorative, and improvisational. Most pieces will be Solos and Duets.

Dancers of all racial, ethnic, gender, sexuality, and dis/ability identities are encouraged to audition. All bodies and neuro-abilities are welcome.

Fall Choreography Showcase is a culmination of work completed in Theater 146A. 12 choreographers create new choreographic pieces (solos and duets) in class and work with student lighting and costume designers to stage the pieces at the end of the term. Student dancers audition on Thursday, September 3 and rehearsals begin in class on Thursday, September 10th. Dancers cast in the choreographic works are expected to attend every Thursday class during the semester, and 1 hour of extra rehearsal outside of class. The final showcase is an exciting and popular staged event that has been a hallmark of the department for over fifty years!

Photo by Robbie Sweeny
Choreographer: Randee Paufve
Dancer: Tindra Olsson-Hoffman in Sisters, Berkeley Dance Project 2026

Photo description: A dancer raises their fist upwards. They are wearing a white top and red pants. They are surrounded by the text: fall choreography auditions.

08/27/2026

08/17/2026

Audition sign-ups for Fall 2026 classes and productions are now LIVE on the TDPS Callboard! Sign-ups for student workshops & Eco-Performance Lab will open by this Thursday (August 20th).

Visit the Callboard for full details on classes, audition requirements, and next steps.

📸 Photo by Jay Yamada
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Director: Patrick Russell
Actor: Daynna Rosales as Puck

Photo description: An actor reaches out downstage towards the audience; they are wearing a top hat and sunglasses. Text reads: Fall 2026 Auditions

08/12/2026

Have questions about what awaits you in the dance world after graduation? TDPS’s dance faculty is pleased to host the first session of a series of workshops and conversations designed to prepare dance majors/minors for their dance life after UC Berkeley. During this conversation, panelists will share their experiences, resources and answer students’ questions about local and national opportunities. Panelists include representatives from local dance organizations, TDPS alumni, and some TDPS dance faculty. We invite attendees to pose their questions in advance.

Please RSVP at the link in our bio!

Photo description: Six people in motion, dancing on a stage behind text: In Performance and Beyond: Pathways to a Career in Dance, Tuesday, August 25th, 2026, 11am - 12:30pm, Panel on Zoom.

06/11/2026

Still looking for a summer class? ☀️📚

TDPS has spots available in Summer Sessions C & D!

📱 Theater 118: Performance, Television, and Social Media
🗣️ Theater 5: Public Speaking & Presentation Skills
🎭 Theater 10: Fundamentals of Acting I
💃 Theater 105: Movement for Actors

Whether you’re looking to build confidence speaking in front of an audience, strengthen your acting skills, explore performance in television and social media, or develop your physical expressiveness as a performer, there’s a TDPS course for you this summer.

✨ Theater 10 does not require an audition during the summer session.
✨ Theater 105 will only be offered this summer and will not be offered during the academic year.

Learn more and at the link in our bio or visit tdps.berkeley.edu/summer.

05/18/2026

As the Class of 2026 turns their tassels at today’s departmental graduation, we want to celebrate all that they’ve accomplished! 🎓✨ Class of 2026, we are so proud of your creativity, dedication, and care over the last four years.

This year’s season of (UN)reliable Narrator brought stories of climate and grief, monsters and mischief, and whimsy and play into our performance spaces. Thank you to every student, artist, collaborator, and audience member who made this season so meaningful. Swipe through to see photos from the season, many submitted by and featuring members of our graduating class!

Congratulations, graduates—we can’t wait to see what you do next! Wishing you all a happy summer from TDPS! ☀️

05/14/2026

TDPS celebrated the incredible work of our emerging scenic, costume, and lighting designers, alongside our outstanding stage managers, at this year’s Design Showcase. Organized by Dominique Fawn Hill, Ray Oppenheimer, Arnel Sancianco, and Rebecca J. Ennals, the showcase highlighted the creativity, collaboration, and artistry of the next generation of theatermakers.

Thank you to everyone who came by to support our students and celebrate their work!

✨ Costume Designers
Sophia Chen
Amanda Hayami
Madison Ix
Avery Jones
Daniel Lopez

💡 Lighting Designer
Molly Windsor-Marshall

🎨 Scenic Designers
Jackie Chiang
Winter Winter Felton-Priestner
Anne Celine O’Riordan
Geoffrey Eduardo Toribio
Gilberto Avila Toledo

🎭 Stage Managers
Daniel Lopez
Caitlin Porter
Nori Quist
Penelope Venturini

📸 Photos by Alexander Rony

05/14/2026

TDPS celebrated the incredible work of our emerging scenic, costume, and lighting designers, alongside our outstanding stage managers, at this year’s Design Showcase. Organized by Dominique Fawn Hill, Ray Oppenheimer, Arnel Sancianco, and Rebecca J. Ennals, the showcase highlighted the creativity, collaboration, and artistry of the next generation of theatermakers.

Thank you to everyone who came by to support our students and celebrate their work!

👗 Costume Designers
Sophia Chen
Amanda Hayami
Madison Ix
Avery Jones
Daniel Lopez

💡 Lighting Designer
Molly Windsor-Marshall

🎨 Scenic Designers
Jackie Chiang
Winter Winter Felton-Priestner
Anne Celine O’Riordan
Geoffrey Eduardo Toribio
Gilberto Avila Toledo

🎭 Stage Managers
Daniel Lopez
Caitlin Porter
Nori Quist
Penelope Venturini

📸 Photos by Alexander Rony

05/13/2026

Reminiscing on our week with artist-in-residence Sam Aros-Mitchell!

Last month & welcomed dancer & choreographer Sam Aros-Mitchell () as the fourth artist-in-residence of the Indigenous Performing Arts Residency (IPAR) program. Sam led students through an energetic master class and offered a lecture- performance for the general public.

Here are photos and videos from both events, held in Bancroft Dance Studio. Playing with light and breath work, Sam graced us with thought-provoking movement and generous teachings during this memorable week!

ABOUT IPAR:
The Indigenous Performing Arts Residency is a multi-year collaboration between the Dept of Theater, Dance, & Performance Studies and the Arts Research Center to strengthen relationships with Indigenous community partners and create ongoing support for Indigenous performing artists, so that Native stories can be told on our campus now and into the future.

Images: © Laurie Macfee, Arts Research Center 2026