Report an accessibility problem

Performance and Movement ,BA

Performance and Movement, BA

Academic programs / Undergraduate degrees / Performance and Movement

Actor, Dancer, Hip Hop, Musicals, Performance, acting, dance, theater, theatre

Expand and refine your skills as a creative and performer. Learn alongside a multifaceted community that encourages you to cultivate multiple ways of performing, and facilitates and prepares you with skills and current industry practices in and across dance and theatre.

Program description

The Bachelor of Arts program in performance and movement is a transdisciplinary degree program that encourages students to develop collaborative approaches to learning with cultural awareness and professional industry skills across the performing arts.

This degree program offers three focus areas:

Dance and theatre: This focus area is designed for dancers who seek experience working with theatrical performance and acting, actors and performers who seek to balance text and voice work with movement exploration, and writers and directors who want to explore a wide range of approaches to live performance.

Social and partnership dance: This dance focus area seeks to prepare future Afro-Latin social and ballroom dance leaders with pedagogical, performance and community-building strategies to help meet the need for local and national community engagement in social dance as a means to create social transformation and change.

Hip Hop arts: The Hip Hop arts focus area spans various forms of Hip Hop artistry and expression through in-studio courses and hands-on application. It also connects students with scholars and practitioners to embrace the community of Hip Hop culture: dance, music, visual and voice.

At a glance
  • Second language requirement: No
  • STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
  • First required math course: MAT 142 - College Mathematics
    or any math course that meets the MATH designation.
  • Math intensity: Generalprogram math intensity general

Required courses (Major Map)
Concurrent program options
Students pursuing concurrent degrees (also known as a “double major”) earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. Working with their academic advisors, students can create their own concurrent degree combination. Some combinations are not possible due to high levels of overlap in curriculum.
Admission requirements

General university admission requirements:

All students are required to meet general university admission requirements.
First-year | Transfer | International | Readmission

Tuition information
When it comes to paying for higher education, everyone’s situation is different. Students can learn about ASU tuition and financial aid options to find out which will work best for them.
Change of Major requirements

A current ASU student has no additional requirements for changing majors.

Students should visit the Change of Major form for information about how to change a major to this program.

Transfer options

ASU is committed to helping students thrive by offering tools that allow personalization of the transfer path to ASU. Students may use MyPath2ASU® to outline a list of recommended courses to take prior to transfer.

ASU has transfer partnerships in Arizona and across the country to create a simplified transfer experience for students. These pathway programs include exclusive benefits, tools and resources, and they help students save time and money in their college journey.

Program learning outcomes

Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program has the following program outcomes:

  • Students graduating with a BA in performance and movement will be able to apply creative processes in their art-making that reflect contemporary understandings of dance and theatre practices.
  • Graduates will be able to execute the stages of long-range creative projects.
  • Students graduating from the BA in performance and movement will be able to implement culturally sensitive, ethical and socially grounded teaching, facilitation, and community-building practices.
Global opportunities
Global experience

With more than 300 Global Education program opportunities available to them, students in the BA in performance and movement are able to tailor their experience to their interests and skill sets. Whether in a foreign country, in the U.S. or online, students build communication skills, learn to adapt and persevere, and are exposed to research and internships around the world, increasing their professional network.

Career opportunities

The bachelor's degree program in performance and movement provides an excellent broad-based foundation for work in the arts or entertainment professions and readies students for further creative development and research via graduate programs or conservatories. The program's liberal arts framework, combined with rigorous physical practice and culturally aligned performance standards prepares graduates for a variety of occupations in both performance and movement related fields. Opportunities may include work with:

  • arts entrepreneurship
  • professional performing
  • studio ownership and management
  • themed entertainment

Example job titles and salaries listed below are not necessarily entry level, and students should take into consideration how years of experience and geographical location may affect pay scales. Some jobs also may require advanced degrees, certifications or state-specific licensure.


Career *Growth *Median salary
3.2%
Not available
3.2%
$77,280
5.0%
$50,990
Dancer   Bright Outlook
5.3%
Not available
13.7%
$45,380
3.3%
$72,650
19.1%
$100,300
1.0%
$62,360
0.8%
$61,810
* Data obtained from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) under sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).

Bright OutlookBright Outlook

Contact information
What are accelerated programs?
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.

3 year programs

These programs allow students to fast-track their studies after admission and earn a bachelor's degree in three years or fewer while participating in the same high-quality educational experience of a 4-year option. Students should talk to their academic advisor to get started.

Accelerated master's

These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).

Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
What are concurrent programs?
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
What are joint programs?
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.

What constitutes a new program?
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the “New Programs” option.
What are online programs?
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
What is the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE)?
The Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) is a program in which residents of western states (other than Arizona) may be eligible for reduced nonresident tuition. See more information and eligibility requirements on the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program.

click back to top