Performing Arts
Dance, drama and music are alive and well on campus. In fact, you may feel overwhelmed by the number and variety of performing groups. Many students try a little bit of everything their first year, although eventually people find a niche. The groups practice a lot, and it is almost impossible to perform in more than one or two groups (although some people are able to pull it off). If you are not happy with the the ones you find, start your own -- after all, that's how most groups on campus came into being.
The Lewis Center for the Arts
The Lewis Center for the Arts is the starting point for exploring the creative and performing arts at Princeton, bringing a focus and force to the academic programs in creative writing, musical performance, theater and dance, visual arts and the Princeton Atelier. Launched in 2007 thanks to a $101 million gift from Peter B. Lewis ’55, the Lewis Center aims to significantly expand and improve Princeton’s art offerings.
Theater Groups
Princeton overflows with acting talent, and fortunately, there are always theater troupes on the prowl for new meat. Almost every weekend, a new show (or two, or three) goes up, and auditions are always open to new and experienced actors. In addition to the companies listed below, ad hoc casts are put together every year by seniors working on productions for their theses. If you are a backstage kind of person, feel free to contact the various groups -- they always need help in lighting, set design and other behind-the-scenes jobs.
The Princeton Triangle Club, a musical comedy troupe, is the oldest college group of its kind in the nation. Each fall, Triangle puts on a "highlights" show during Orientation Week. Be prepared for total madness when you go. Every show features the club's trademark -- an all-male chorus kick line in drag. Watch for flyers announcing auditions. The rehearsal schedule is very demanding, but famous Princeton students, such as Brooke Shields '87, James Stewart '32 and F. Scott Fitzgerald, among others, have found it worth the work.
Princeton University Players (PUP), one of the most talented groups on campus, specializes in musical theater. Its student-directed shows are often low-key, bare-minimum productions, but the singing, acting and dancing talents of the participants usually make up for the austere stage. They typically perform several shows a semester, and auditions are held at various times of the year. Watch for their audition flyers.
Theatre Intime (typically pronounced "on-team," French-style) is the center of dramatic theater at Princeton. There is a student production running at this cozy theater, located in Murray-Dodge Hall, almost every weekend of the academic year. Open auditions are held for each show. Occasionally, nondramatic groups, such as BodyHype (dance) and Quipfire! (improv comedy), use the space for their performances. Tickets for the shows are usually $6, and the great quality of the performances makes for wonderful weekend entertainment.
The Princeton Shakespeare Company, founded in 1994, performs several plays throughout the year and seeks to return Shakespearean drama to its roots. The performances are usually outdoors, costumes are minimal and, in fine Shakespearian tradition, actors sometimes work across genders (one year, Cassius from “Julius Caesar” was played by a female actor, and sure enough, it worked!). There are some first-caliber actors in this group, and even if you were never a fan of Shakespeare in high school, one of PSC's shows might convert you.
Quipfire! is one of Princeton's improvisational comedy troupes, and it's made up of witty students not afraid to get on stage without having a clue as to what they're about to do. The three or four shows a year feature a series of improv games, where Quipfire! calls on its audience to come up with names, places and objects (such as rubber chickens and blenders) to inspire its skits. The rehearsal schedule is not too strenuous, and auditions are held in September.
The Black Arts Company: Drama (BAC), founded in 1990, performs works that portray the experience of the peoples of the African diaspora. Striving to create a minority artistic forum, BAC is interested in the experiences not only of African Americans but Jamaicans, Africans, African Canadians and others of African descent, whatever their nationality. BAC consists of two troupes: drama and dance. Sometimes the dancers and actors perform together, sometimes they perform separately. The group presents performances every semester and is open to all students regardless of race and gender. Dramatic productions range from original comedic sketches to scenes from modern and traditional plays. Auditions are held in the fall and spring and are open to everyone.
L'Avant-Scen è, the French Theater Workshop, was founded in 2001 as L’Atelier and renamed in 2008, offers students an original combination of linguistic, cultural and dramatic training. Based on the "cours d’interprétation" used by the French conservatories, L’Avant-Scenè explores French dramatic styles and history . . . in French. Every semester, students perform collections of scenes from classical and modern French theater or plays. All levels of French are welcomed.
Dance
Ballet Folklórico de Princeton performs traditional folk dances from the Jalisco, Veracruz, Gerrero and Baja California Sur regions of Mexico. There are no tryouts (everyone is welcome), and you don't have to be of Mexican descent to join.
The Black Arts Company: Dance (BAC) is dedicated to expressing the spirit of African American dance, and it does so with hip-hop, lyrical, jazz and traditional selections. Performances are generally rowdy, and it’s pretty impossible to keep your hips from grooving in your seat. BAC welcomes dancers from all ethnic backgrounds. Auditions are held in the fall. It also has a sister organization, Black Arts Company: Drama.
BodyHype is composed of about 25 women and men who choreograph and enthusiastically embraces a variety of styles, including ballet, hip-hop and modern. They have carefully cultivated an image as a hot, professional-style company. BodyHype shows are always enjoyable. Auditions are held in the fall and spring.
diSiac, one of the most innovative and dynamic dance troupes, started with the idea that there was too much wasted dance talent around campus. diSiac dancers are trained in everything from classical ballet to hip-hop to figure skating, and they often blend their dance backgrounds in interesting ways to interesting music. Auditions are competitive and held in the fall.
Expressions is the oldest dance company on campus, specializing in, well, everything. The primarily female troupe performs modern ballet, jazz, tap and ethnic dance. Auditions are held in the fall and spring.
Naacho (in Hindi "naacho" means "let's dance") specializes in Indian folk dance. Naacho performs student-choreographed dances. Beginners and experienced dancers are welcome.
Sympoh is dedicated to the "Urban Arts," which mostly means breakdancing and related high-energy, in-your-face styles. Admission is open, and the group is quite willing to teach dedicated rookies from scratch.
TapCats is the only campus dance company dedicated to tap dance. The members range from "hoofers and bunheads" with a lifetime of tap and ballet training to beginners, according to one TapCats dancer. The group offers beginners' classes, and all interested dancers can join and participate in performances.
There are lots of other excellent and popular groups, performing everything from flamenco to belly dancing. Keep your eyes peeled during Orientation Week for notices.
Instrumental Music
Princeton University Orchestra is the biggest of the student art groups, with nearly 100 members. Despite its size, the orchestra is very selective; many who get in could well pursue professional musical careers, and some do! Still, experienced woodwind, brass and percussion musicians are always sought, and there are openings every year as seniors graduate. Michael Pratt has been the conductor for more than 25 years, building the group from a small collection of musical hobbyists to one of the strongest college orchestras in the country. The orchestra performs concerts in Richardson Auditorium in addition to tour performances. The selections come from different periods, featuring a large variety of composers, and the quality is consistently high. Auditions for new members are held right after Orientation Week in September, and again in January.
Princeton Sinfonia is a more intimate, less-formal group. Many people without the time to commit to the orchestra or MUS 213 (Projects in Instrumental Performance) still do Sinfonia just to keep in shape, and some people actually do both for fun. Sinfonia performs a few concerts every year in Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall. Conducted by an accomplished student musician, the group meets for two to three hours a week. Auditions are held at the same time as the orchestra's.
Princeton University Jazz Ensemble (PUJE, as the jazz groups are collectively known) is made up of two big bands and a couple of smaller ensembles. Anthony D.J. Branker '80 heads the jazz program, which performs several big concerts a year in Richardson Auditorium. Every year, the jazz ensembles play with well-known soloists. PUJE’s repertoire spans all types of jazz, from contemporary to classic, with something for all musical tastes. Casual auditions are held at the beginning of each semester.
The Princeton University Band's orange-and-black-plaid uniforms are . . . unique, and the cheerful members of this group, which was the first-ever college football marching band, certainly know how to have fun. If you played in your high school band but were turned off by marching back and forth in straight lines all day and playing hokey music, you should definitely give this group a try. After all, they claim to be "everything your high school band wasn't." The band plays for football and basketball games and even travels to NCAA tournaments, when the teams are lucky enough to go. Where a traditional band usually gets from one formation to the next through some precision marching, the Princeton band typically scrambles into place, a maneuver they describe as "entropy in action," or "random incarnate."
The Princeton University Wind Ensemble was founded in 1996 by a student who recognized the need for such an instrumental group. Today, it is made up of about 60 members. Participation in the group is open to any player who wishes to join. Its repertoire is challenging and wide-ranging, and members' suggestions are welcome. In addition to well-attended fall and spring concerts in Richardson Auditorium, the ensemble has a "Concert Under the Stars" series, in which they play to the public on the Frist North Lawn.
Vocal Music
The Princeton University Glee Club (also known as the Concert Choir) is the largest singing group on campus. The 80-plus members perform everything from Bach, Brahms and Mendelssohn to college football songs in several annual performances in Richardson Auditorium. The Glee Club also travels to sing at Yale and Harvard and tours abroad every other year. Members say the Glee Club is a close-knit community, with many old and new traditions. Auditions are held in September and by appointment throughout the year. Director Richard Tang Yuk directs the Glee Club and the Princeton University Chamber Choir, which usually has 16 singers. Chamber Choir members are strongly encouraged to sing in the Glee Club, too.
The Princeton University Chapel Choir is probably the only group on campus that pays its singers. They perform every Sunday morning during the ecumenical University Chapel services and stage numerous performances throughout the year. The group is interfaith (adverts read: "Music mandatory, religion optional"), and auditions are held at the beginning of each semester. Not a bad way to earn a little money.
The Princeton University Gospel Ensemble is a student-directed musical group whose repertoire includes traditional spirituals, church hymns and contemporary gospel songs. The ensemble seeks to reflect the variety of religious music that has developed from the African American church tradition.
A Cappella Singing Groups
There are more than a dozen a cappella groups on campus. On select Thursday and Saturday nights, the oldest groups stage "arch sings" in Blair Arch or 1879 Hall Arch. Each group sings a 15-minute set of their new and old songs, cheered on by dozens of their loyal fans and visitors. Out of the main groups, there are four all-male groups -- the Nassoons, the Tigertones, the Footnotes and Old Nassoul; three all-female groups -- the Wildcats, the Tigressions and the Tigerlilies; and five coed groups -- the Roaring 20, Shere Khan, the Katzenjammers, Koleinu and Kindred Spirit.
All groups are open to first- and second-year singers, and most hold auditions at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. The current group members, who listen to the auditions, are very supportive through the relatively painless audition process. Most groups rehearse four or five nights a week for a total of six to eight hours, but once people enter the a cappella community, they rarely want to leave. There is something special about bonding with people through harmonies.
