To make performance a primary concern is to blur radically the boundaries of disciplines, to subvert the hierarchies and exclusions of the canon, and to search the history and geography of culture for the diversity of performance modes and concepts. Although well-established as a discipline, the study of Western theatre has tended to emphasize a historical approach to a canon of dramatic literature. In contrast, the performance studies curriculum focuses on extraliterary or nonliterary aspects of performance. In keeping with the integrated perspective on performance, courses deal with dance not only as a performing art in its own right but also as a vital constituent of theatre, ritual, and social life. Courses train students to identify the basic components of movement, to see, discriminate, and describe movement behavior in all its forms and contexts, and to apply knowledge of movement style to studies of dance and culture.
Dance is studies as an aspect of cultural history and in relation to the other arts.
The forms of popular entertainment, their internal logic and aesthetics, are studied in relation to their historical formation and cultural setting. A major concern is the nature of tradition, which is seen as a process rooted in social life as well as in time and space. Courses in Performance Studies are also developed in order to explore the political and ideological implications of perfromance. Postcolonial, feminist, and queer theory are emplyed as frames to investigate how artistic forms subvert and uphold particular ideological forms. On a regular basis, courses in performance composition and movement are offered.