<p>Although they had established Acting, Voice and Dance departments beforehand, I believe this is the 3rd year for the MT program, and Denny was just hired last year as head of the department. She has instituted some curriculum changes this year and my D’s is the first class that she helped to select, so the department is new and evolving. I will answer ashleybashley’s specific questions and offer additional perspective to the best of my knowledge. As is true for all responses you get on CC, please be sure to check directly with departments if the answer is critical to you.</p>
<p>University of Utah (the U) offers a BFA in Acting and a BFA in MT, both auditioned, with on-campus and Unified auditions. There are only 10 gen ed requirements over the course of the 4 years, so the MTP is conservatory-style. To make that clear, my D’s classes for 1st semester are: Music Theory, Acting, MT Dance Core, Script Analysis, “Dem Lab” (all MT students for all grades, performing for each other and profs), weekly Private Voice (yes all 8 semesters), and Math. They do distinguish between “Singers who Dance” and “Dancers who Sing,” but there are only a few classes that are different in either track as far as I can tell, and not much of a difference until Junior year.</p>
<p>How many students do they admit to the MTP? I can tell you there are 21 in the Freshman class, many more girls than boys. I have no idea if it is accurate, but I heard they admitted 25 boys and 25 girls. Again, I do not know if I am correct, so please take that as speculation.</p>
<p>There is an equity theater on campus. As a student, it is difficult to get cast and difficult to participate because there is a daytime rehearsal commitment that can conflict with classes, but my D has heard that some students have performed there. There is quite a bit of community theater in SLC, of high quality, and they pay college students when cast. I think this is a popular way to supplement performance opportunities. In general, the area is very supportive of the arts. My D has seen over 10 shows in and out of school over the 6 weeks she has been a student, including going to a nearby college to see Audra McDonald in concert. She is very much looking forward to seeing Ballet West perform their 50th anniversary version of Firebird on campus, and seeing their other performances at Ballet West’s Capitol Theatre. They have had several visiting professionals since the start of school and I think there have been 2 master classes. I do not have a frame of reference for comparison, but my D does feel connected to the outside world of theater. </p>
<p>Freshmen are allowed to audition 2nd semester but are not supposed to be cast unless they apply for an exception. Most Freshman do their Crew requirement Freshman year. This bothers my D less than I would have thought. Denny does not believe in doing a Senior Showcase. There have been many threads on CC about this. I agree with her but decided it shouldn’t be a factor in my D’s decision-making process as I can see benefits to both approaches.</p>
<p>My D will be spending her summer taking a few Gen Eds and either performing in or crewing a show. She may also get a part-time job, depending on her availability. She is looking forward to it! Most students live in apartments or houses after Freshman year. She plans to live in a house with a few MT friends and they will get their lease to start in summer since they are all staying to become residents. (OOS tuition goes from about $22k to $7k as a resident). Summer classes are always at the in-state rate. There are only tiny talent scholarships available so this is a great alternative.</p>
<p>Regarding culture of the school…there are only about 15% LDS students at The U. Being non-Christians from NY, we were concerned about our D fitting in at the school, and feeling comfortable. So far, although my D does feel a bit different, it is more because she is brunette and talks louder and faster than most. It is more an East Coast/West Coast difference that she notices. Not to say there aren’t obvious culture differences based on religion here and there. There are a few students in the upper grades in the acting and MT programs who are married with children. I think she is fascinated with the faith, but it does not seem to get in the way. The U is a big school with BIG football spirit. There is an active Greek life for those who like that and there are plenty of big parties with alcohol. MT’s have that 8am dance class all four years, so there is no partying during the week. </p>
<p>I will add that Salt Lake City is in a gorgeous area. There is skiing under a half hour away at Park City and many other ski areas are within an hour. It seems a healthy student body with plenty of bike riders and skateboarders. There is an electric train system that goes from the airport, thru downtown, to the campus.</p>
<p>Have I answered all of ashleybashley’s questions??? Sorry for the book-like response!</p>