Featured performing and visual arts programs of the month

As Thanksgiving approaches, the holiday week is a great time to take a look at some distinctive college programs and find the college arts school that speaks to you. Elon University has a strong reputation for conservatory-style theater training rooted in liberal arts, while Shenandoah Conservatory offers a wide variety of more than 60 degrees and produces nearly 400 performances each year. The University of the Arts presents an innovative curriculum to prepare students for professional dance, and Art & Design programs at Pratt Institute are consistently ranked among the best in the country.

Theater: Elon University

Elon has built a reputation in the theater industry for producing mature, talented, energetic and creative performers, and this college arts school is recognized as a proven training ground for skilled actors. The Department of Performing Arts maintains a strong national reputation for conservatory-style theater training grounded in the liberal arts and sciences. Pre-professional degrees include a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting, Music Theater, and Dance, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Theatrical Design and Production. These four programs accept a limited number of new majors each year, allowing students to receive the personal, one-on-one attention required to fully develop and realize their potential. The department is housed in the Center for the Arts, a 75,000-square-foot facility specifically designed for teaching and performance. Students learn from dynamic professors with years of industry experience and a passion for teaching. The faculty consists of professional actors, musicians and dancers. Performing arts alumni are employed nationwide on Broadway, national tours, regional companies, film, series television and national and regional commercials. Visit the website

Music: Shenandoah University

The world-renowned Shenandoah Conservatory, at Shenandoah University, offers specialized, professional music training. Fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), Shenandoah Conservatory offers more than 60 degrees at the baccalaureate, master’s, artist diploma and doctoral levels and produces nearly 400 performances each year. More than 700 students are currently enrolled. Conservatory students in instrumental and vocal studies routinely gain acceptance into prestigious graduate schools throughout the country and abroad, and students work with a faculty of active professionals as they develop artistically and intellectually for careers in the performing arts. Performance opportunities include membership in choral ensembles, opera, orchestra, wind ensemble, jazz ensemble and various small chamber ensembles. Admission is highly competitive as academically admissible students must pass the mandatory audition/portfolio review and interview process. Many Shenandoah graduates hold positions with national and international symphony orchestras and opera companies. Visit the website

Dance: The University of the Arts

The School of Dance at the University of the Arts is one of the top undergraduate Dance programs in the country with an innovative curriculum that prepares students for the 21st century world of professional dance. Award-winning faculty and visiting artists provide intensive, personal attention to each talented student. The discipline-based dance conservatory engages students in open discussions within their own practice, valuing their voices as capable of developing new and critical perspectives in dance. Students learn the foundations of dance through studio practice courses that weave both contemporary and traditional forms of training across the disciplines of ballet, modern and jazz, with a focus on choreography, improvisation, languaging dance and theory. Juniors and seniors have the freedom to shape their own direction of study through practice and performance of both new and historic dance works. Located in the heart of Philadelphia’s thriving art scene, the University of the Arts is a college arts school with ample opportunities for students to work with professional dance companies in town as well as with renowned New York-based dance organizations. Visit the website

Visual Arts: Pratt Institute

Pratt Institute provides one of the most comprehensive professional art and design educations available, supported by a distinguished faculty and exceptional technical and studio resources. The faculty consists of professional artists, designers, critics, historians, and practitioners, including numerous recipients of prestigious awards such as the Tiffany, Fulbright, and Guggenheim fellowships. The faculty’s works, projects, and publications are recognized and respected around the world. Pratt’s Undergraduate School of Art & Design offers disciplines such as Advertising, Animation, Digital Design, Fashion, Illustration, Industrial Design, Interactive Arts, Interior Design, Photography, and Web Design to name a few. Pratt programs are consistently ranked among the best in the country, and the faculty and alumni include the most renowned artists, designers, and scholars in their fields. Pratt is a living lab of craft and culture with a 25-acre campus in Brooklyn and another in Manhattan. In addition, Pratt was ranked first in the category of “Art and Design Schools by Salary Potential (Bachelor’s Degree Only)” in PayScale’s “2014-15 College Salary Report”. Visit the website

Get an edge in the arts with specialized college arts consulting from former college deans of admissions at ArtsBridge. Refine and match your talents to the right college arts school for you, and get the guidance you need in Theater, Music, Dance, or Visual Arts.

Performing arts summer programs are now open for registration. Check out Dramatic Acting and Musical Theater programs at ArtsBridge Summer 2015 as well as ArtsBridge Summer Starter Edition for younger high school students!