Department of Theatre and Dance

The Purdue Contemporary Dance Company (PCDC), housed in the Patti and Rusty Rueff School of Design, Art, and Performance, premieres seven new works created by dance faculty, select student artists and a PCDC Alumni Artist. Faculty and students in the Dance Program, and from across the Department of Theatre and Dance, collaborate intensively to create original art on the stage, and to prepare students for careers in these performative disciplines. Original movement is created in the studio for each work over the course of the entire semester. All works are accompanied by original music/sound created specifically for these dances by students in the Dance Sound Design course, working in collaboration with their choreographers. Department lighting students work with choreographers to craft special light designs on the Hansen Theatre stage. Students also gain experience through their roles as stage managers, sound and light engineers, board operators, and more. The importance of collaboration for live performance is on full display in this dance concert which features works exploring nature’s cycles, the challenging spirals of human life, and the way our attention informs our experience.