Performing Arts Pathway
Unleash your creativity and prepare for your artistic and scholarly future in the performing arts while earning college credit in high school!
Why Choose Performing Arts Pathways?
- Acting: Engage in training in acting methods, voice techniques, improvisation, and character development for stage, film, and voiceover
- Dance: Explore studies in contemporary dance with additional choices in ballet, jazz, hip hop and tap along with an introduction to dance theory
- Design/Technology: Discover production innovation through courses in stagecraft, lighting, and costumes
- Musical Theatre: Get inspired and refine your skills through courses in dancing and acting for a performance-focused career
- Theatre: Dive into an overview of theatre training including acting, script analysis, and foundations of design and technical theatre
- Guest Artists: Join current performing arts majors and learn from visiting professional actors, choreographers, designers, and directors
- Productions: Attend all school-led productions for FREE (dance repertoire concerts, musicals, films, and plays)
- College Audition/Interview Prep: Engage in semester college audition/interview preparation processes through “Major for a Day” (discounted)
- College Visits: Explore Wichita State and learn about housing, admissions, student organizations and more
- Career Counseling: Get insights on scholarships and career paths with Shocker Career Accelerator and current performing arts faculty
- Curriculum and Degree Understanding: Gain insight and mentorship into choosing the performing arts degree path this is aligned with your educational and career interests
- Discover your area of interest before the pressure is on to declare a major
- Accumulating college credits early and graduate on time or early
- Save money
- Easy transition from high school to college
- Greater likelihood of future academic success
- Opportunity to access college facilities and resources
- Professional and affordable training while in high school
Dance Courses
DANC 130V Hip Hop 1 (Fall '26/Spring '26)
DANC 140 Dance Appreciation (Fall '25/Spring '26 also counts as general education)*
DANC 201 Contemporary Technique 1 (Fall '26/Spring '26)
DANC 210 Ballet Technique 1 (Spring '26)
DANC 235 Jazz Technique 1 (Fall '26)
DANC Technique Electives
Technique courses beyond level 1 are possible with an audition.
*Online option
Theatre Courses
THEA 143 Theatre Appreciation (Fall '25/Spring '26 also counts as general education)*
THEA 222 Voice and Movement for the Actor 1 – Speech and Diction (Spring '26)
THEA 228 Script Analysis (Fall '26)
THEA 231 Foundations: Theatre Design and Technology (Spring '26)
THEA 241 Improvisation for the Actor (Spring '26)
THEA 243 Acting 1 – Foundations (Fall '26/Spring '26)
THEA 244 Stagecraft: Applied Technology (Fall '26)
THEA 245 Stage Lighting and Electrics (Fall '26/Spring '26)
THEA 253 Costume and Wardrobe Technology (Fall '26)
*Online option
