Department of Dance | Claire Trevor School of the Arts

Rebuilding 'Little Women Ballet'

Emma Andres returns to the Pasadena Playhouse with a reimagined production after the loss from the Eaton Fire: A Q...

Graduation Spotlight Series: Justin Cerda ’25 Leaps to the Professional Stage

With his B.F.A. in choreography and performance, Cerda is joining Gin Dance Company By Christine Byrd Dancing runs in the family for Justin Cerda. He started taking classes at the same time as his sister, and by age 8 he was dancing competitively — and hooked for life. This June, after he...

Student

2025 Medici Circle Scholars

UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts names 14 new Medici Circle Scholars UC Irvine Arts is pleased to announce the 2025 Medici Circle Scholars. These scholarships allow recipients to extend their education beyond the classroom, collaborating with academics and artists in the community and...

Faculty

Seven UC Irvine Arts Educators Receive the U18 Faculty Professional Development Award

The recognition provides opportunities for U18 faculty to enhance pedagogy UC Irvine and the University Council-American Federation of Teachers (UC-AFT) recently announced awardees of the Unit 18 Faculty Council on Professional Development for the 2024–25 academic year, including seven U18 ...

Faculty

Ariyan Johnson to Screen Documentary at 2025 Hip-Hop Culture Conference

UC Irvine will host the 2025 Hip Hop Culture Conference on Friday, May 2, from 12 to 6 p.m. at the UCI ANTrepreneur Center. Presented by the Student Outreach and Retention Center (SOAR), the event brings together artists, scholars, students and community members to explore the richness of hip-hop...

Alumni, Connect

Dancing for Generations

Sakina Ibrahim’s (M.F.A. ’14) journey from dance scholar to advocate for sustainable change By Diana Kalaji A glance at Sakina Ibrahim’s resume reveals a few things: She is a scholar of dance, an NAACP Image Award-nominated author, and a nonprofit founder. Yet woven through it all is a quiet,...

Faculty, Student

CTSA Research & Innovation and Theater of Community Faculty and Graduate Student 2024-25 Research & Innovation Grants

Creative Research in the Arts Now in its fourth year, the UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts (CTSA) Department of Research and Innovation continues to prioritize projects that feature cutting-edge research and interdisciplinary collaborations with potential for external recognition and...

Student, Connect

Creative Communities

How Claire Trevor School of the Arts clubs cultivate belonging and equity beyond the classroom and across campus By Diana Kalaji At UC Irvine’s Claire Trevor School of the Arts (CTSA), students’ success goes beyond main-stage productions, choral performances and thesis exhibitions. With over 100...

Faculty

UC Irvine Newkirk Faculty Fellowship Symposium Features Three CTSA Professors

The event will showcase the creative activities of Newkirk Faculty Fellows that build on the center's mission for Science...

Student, Connect

Full STEAM Ahead

How three women double majoring in the arts and sciences draw from it all By Diana Kalaji At UC Irvine, a convergence of artistic talent and scientific inquiry thrives. Meet Cassidy Doan, Isabella Cao and Brenna Farrell. What do these three students have in common? Besides relying on Google...

Alumni

Emma Andres '20 creates ballet based on the acclaimed novel by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women Ballet takes over the historic Heritage Square Museum in Los Angeles Department of Dance graduate Emma Andres (B.F.A., ’20) has carved a unique space in ballet as artistic director of Little Women Ballet. Inspired by Louisa May Alcott's timeless novel about four sisters navigating the...

Faculty, Connect

Movement that Heals

Dr. Kelli Sharp embodies the connection between dance and science By Christine Byrd Kelli Sharp has been called a unicorn. A doctor of physical therapy science who strives to improve rehabilitation for patients with neurological disorders, Sharp may not fit the typical mold of a dance department...

Faculty, Student

Dance Major Journal 2024: Where Dancers' Voices Lead the Conversation

Explore the 2024 Dance Major Journal: Where Dancers' Voices Lead the Conversation UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts is excited to announce that the latest volume of Dance Major Journal (DMJ) is now live. This year’s issue brings insightful perspectives from dancers on the issues that...

Faculty

The Many Languages of Dance

Professor Emerita Nancy Lee Ruyter, Ph.D. honored at the 2024 OC Arts Awards for her work in dance education Nancy Lee Ruyter, Ph.D., Professor Emerita in Dance, recently received the 2024 Helena Modjeska Cultural Legacy Award from the OC Arts Awards. This honor recognizes Ruyter’s achievements as...

Faculty

Welcoming New Faculty at UC Irvine’s Claire Trevor School of the Arts

Three new UC Irvine faculty members join the Departments of Art, Drama and Dance The Claire Trevor School of the Arts (CTSA) welcomes three new faculty members this fall: Na Mira (Department of Art), Yee Eun Nam (Department of Drama) and E. Macias (Department of Dance). Each faculty member’s...

Alumni

Celebrating Alumni in the Arts

Alumni Appreciation Month at Claire Trevor School of the Arts August marks Alumni Appreciation Month at UC Irvine's Claire Trevor School of the Arts (CTSA). This initiative honors the achievements of graduates in the fields of art, dance, drama and music. This year, we are excited to highlight...

Faculty

Molecules in Motion: Where Dance and Chemistry Collide

UC Irvine’s innovative event showcases the synergy between artistic expression and scientific inquiry At UC Irvine, the intersections of dance and chemistry culminated in an interdisciplinary event titled "Club Lab Freestyle: Molecules in Motion." Hosted in the Claire Trevor School of the Arts...

Student

2024 Medici Circle Scholars

UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts names eleven new Medici Circle Scholars UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts is pleased to announce the 2024 Medici Circle Scholars. Eleven scholarships were awarded to outstanding undergraduate and graduate students. These scholarships allow...