Case Western Reserve Students perform a dance with HoloLens
Case Western Reserve students have enormous opportunities to hone their craft in one of the top arts districts in America (USA Today)

Gain world-class training in music, dance and theater under the tutelage of accomplished performers, teachers and scholars. 

Facts
100%

of music, theater and dance majors work with performing arts professionals

50+

performing arts groups on campus

21

musical ensembles

4

major undergraduate theater productions each year

4

major dance productions each year

#1

largest performing arts district in the country outside NYC—Cleveland's Playhouse Square

Programs

Programs

Majors and minors

  • Dance
  • Music
  • Music Education
  • Theater (Concentrations)
    • Acting
    • Directing
    • Dramatic Writing
    • General Theater
    • Design/Technical Theater

Other arts-related programs

  • Arts Education
  • Art History
  • Art Studio (minor)

See degree requirements for performing arts majors.

Arts in our area

Arts in our area

Interact and perform with elite organizations in world-class facilities.

Cleveland’s artistic community is vast, celebrated and collaborative. Case Western Reserve performing arts students benefit from partnerships with these creative entities.

In our University Circle neighborhood

Severance Music Center 

  • considered one of the most beautiful concert venues in the country and home to the Cleveland Orchestra, one of the nation’s best

The Music Settlement

  • Century-old community music school with instruction, music therapy programs, community

Cleveland Institute of Art

  • Students work on sets and video components for performances

In Cleveland

Playhouse Square

  • Resident companies include Cleveland Ballet, Cleveland Play House, DANCECleveland, Great Lakes Theater and Tri-C JazzFest

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

  • Provides opportunities for students to bridge popular culture and academic study

DANCECleveland

  • One of the resident companies of Playhouse Square, offers master classes with visiting artists or dance companies

Cleveland Play House

  • The country’s first regional professional theater company, now with three state-of-the-art venues in Playhouse Square
Our Students

Each Case Western Reserve University student brings their own background and interests to our campus, creating a culture that’s dynamic, diverse and inclusive.

Let them tell you more about themselves.

Clubs

Clubs and organizations for performing arts students 

With clubs and organizations ranging from Acts of Random Kindness to Scuba Club, and dozens more, you’ll find all kinds of ways to pursue your academic goals and personal passions.

A few to check out

Music

  • Case In Point (co-ed a cappella group)
  • Case Glee Club (dates back to 1897)
  • Dhamakapella (South Asian fusion a capella group)
  • Nadaam (Indian classical music)
  • Pep Band (promotes school spirit)
  • Solstice (a cappella group)

Theater

  • CWRU Footlighters (fall and spring musicals)
  • IMPROVment (student improv group)
  • Players’ Theater Group (student-run theater group)

Dance

  • Case CobRAAS (traditional Indian dance)
  • Case Kismat Fusion Dance Team (dance with video, dialogue and props)
  • Cheza Nzuri Dance Team (African dance)
  • Dancaholic (street dance)
  • Nritya Dance Team (competitive classical dance)
  • Salsa Dance Club (weekly lessons)
  • Spartan Bhangra (Indian folk dance)
  • Spartan Tappers (two tap lessons each week)
  • Swing Dance Club (swing lessons throughout the year)
Dance performance at Case Western Reserve University

Theater highlights

One of the country’s oldest academic theater programs, our celebrated teachers and guest artists guide students toward successful theater careers from design to performance.

Experience stages around the world

In addition to training on campus, theater students engage in: 

Internships 

  • Interact with professional theater companies—including Cleveland Play House, winner of a Regional Theater Tony Award 

Study abroad

  • Attend prestigious programs, such as the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art  

Collaborative projects

  • Work with organizations such as the Great Lakes Theater Festival
3 students acting in a play
Exterior image of the Maltz Performing Arts Center at night

Iconic performance space

CWRU’S Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center (pictured here) is unrivaled in its historical grandeur and modern, high-tech amenities. It is a performer’s dream, packed with technologically advanced equipment in unparalleled spaces.

  • Silver Hall seats 1,200 people and showcases the talents of CWRU’s music students and ensembles
  • Theater students train in the 250-seat Roe Green Theatre, using the latest lighting and sound equipment and advanced scene and costume shops

Learn more from our student's stories

Case Western Reserve alumna Liana Kabins talks about being in the orchestra at CWRU and the music opportunities in the area like the school's partnership with the Cleveland Institute of Music.