The Department of Theatre and Dance is proud to be home to professional companies in residence. These resident theatre companies along with the many other professional partnerships highlighted below, offer a unique professional training ground for student actors, directors and designers. Belmont Theatre & Dance students have the ability to work side by side with exceptional professionals in the performing arts industry.
The Nashville Shakespeare Festival
Their mission is to educate and entertain the Mid-South community through professional Shakespearean experiences. The Festival enriches and unifies our community with bold, innovative and relevant productions along with empowering, participatory educational programs, setting the regional standard of excellence in educational outreach and performances of Shakespeare’s plays. NSF began in 1988 with the first production for “Shakespeare in the Park,” As You Like It. Since then, the Festival has grown into one of the Mid-South’s leading professional theatres. Each summer 12,000 to 17,000 people attend the annual “Summer Shakespeare” production which is designed to be accessible to people from all cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. NSF was invited to present an annual Winter Shakespeare production in residence at Belmont University’s Troutt Theater. The winter production allows The Festival to expand its repertoire to include plays that benefit from a more intimate indoor venue and to provide both public performances and daytime school performances. Winter Shakespeare still begins at the Troutt each January, and now tours to four additional counties, serving over 58,000 since 2008.
The Department of Theatre and Dance has supported and partnered with many of Nashville’s most important theatre and dance companies over the last two years. These companies include:
- di Mossa
- Friends Life Community
- The Nashville Children’s Theatre
- Rejoice Ministries
- Salama Ministries
- Sense Theatre
Internships are available with any of the above companies.