Performance Studies - Academic Programs in Performance Studies

Academic Programs in Performance Studies

Performance studies incorporates theories of drama, dance, art, anthropology, folkloristics, philosophy, cultural studies, psychology, sociology, comparative literature, and more and more, music performance. More can be found out by reading Schechner's book: Performance Studies: An Introduction or in D. Soyini Madison and Judith Hamera's The Sage Handbook for Performance Studies. The first performance studies department was created at NYU. However, there is some debate that the joint-cradles of Performance Studies are Northwestern University and NYU. For more information on the different origins and disciplinary traditions of performance studies see Shannon Jackson's book Professing Performance and the introductory chapter in Nathan Stucky and Cynthia Wimmer's Teaching Performance Studies. Generally the differences between the NYU and Northwestern models cite different disciplinary concerns. NYU is generally characterized as a program that pushed the definitions of theatrical practice influenced by the thearical avant-garde thus expanding its definition of what can be framed as an event. Interaction with departments that include NYU's Postdoctoral Program in Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy have made this an ongoing pursuit. Northwestern transitioned from an elocution and performance of literature tradition to expand its definition of presentational aesthetics beyond oral interpretation. Northwestern's unique brand of performance studies has its origins in anthropology, having been started by the ethnographer Dwight Conquergood with the goal of understanding all manner of local cultures through their performance practices. In both instances a focus on practice lead to a research methodology beyond theatre or literature/speech. In the United States, the interdisciplinary and multi-focus field has spread to Brown, UC Berkeley, and elsewhere. Undergraduate and graduate programs are offered at UC Davis, Louisiana State University, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, California State University, Northridge, San Jose State University, University of San Diego, University of Maryland, and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Texas A&M University’s Department of Performance Studies is unique in including both Music and Theatre degree programs.

In the United Kingdom Aberystwyth University offers a degree scheme in performance studies with highly acclaimed performance artists such as Mike Pearson, Heike Roms and Jill Greenhalgh.

In Denmark Roskilde University offers a master and ph.d. degree in "performance design", focusing on subjects such as theatrical performances, live music, festivals, and urban performances.

In India, the research initiatives of Centre for Performance Research and Cultural Studies in South Asia (cpracsis) focus on redefining methodologies of cultural studies and research on the basis of the nuances of performance studies.

In Australia, the University of Sydney, Victoria University and Queensland University of Technology offer degrees majoring in performance studies, Honours, Masters and Phd. Performance Studies in some countries is also an A-level (AS and A2) course consisting of the integration of the discrete art forms of Dance, Music and Drama in performing arts.

A new generation of researchers have also joined the faculty ranks at these and other institutions and evidence the continued expansion and rejuvenation of the field. These scholars include: Patrick Anderson (UCSD), Christine Balance (UC Irvine), Robin Bernstein (Harvard), Henry Bial (Kansas), Rachel Bowditch (ASU), Brandi Catanese (Berkeley), Renee Alexander Craft (UNC), Craig Gingrich-Philbrook (Southern Illinois), Brian Herrera (Princeton), Suk-Young Kim (UCSB), Branislav Jacovljevic (Stanford), Jill Lane (NYU), Eng-Beng Lim (Brown), Paige McGinley (Yale), Jisha Menon (Stanford), Tavia Nyongo (NYU), Tony Perucci (UNC), Matthew Spangler (San Jose State), Jennifer Parker-Starbuck (Roehampton), Jeffrey Q. McCune, Jr. (UMD), Laurie Frederik Meer (UMD), Ramon Rivera-Servera (Northwestern), Theresa Smalec (CUNY), Shannon Steen (Berkeley), David Terry (San Jose State), Alexandra Vasquez (Princeton), Shane Vogel (Indiana), E.J. Westlake (Michigan), Maurya Wickstrom (CUNY), Patricia Ybarra (Brown), and Harvey Young (Northwestern).