Performance art draws freely upon the disciplines of painting, sculpture, theater, dance, music, and sound for its materials and imagery, while freeing the artist from the traditions of those art forms. The program offers the students the opportunity to explore the personal, the conceptual, the political and the technological implications of performance art. At the same time, students are encouraged to take risks in the development of an individual aesthetic sensibility. At the core of the program are intensive courses based in physical experience, including classes in ballet, t'ai chi, and yoga. A voice course is offered to teach students how to use their voices as instruments and to explore composing using the voice alone.
Students can develop presence and versatility in their performance work through the acting course.
In Expanded Media, students learn how to work with projection, film, sound, and video. The performance area is closely associated with all the new media areas and relates to all the departments of the School, while its own facilities are excellent and include a raw multi-purpose space as well as a large performance laboratory equipped with theatrical lighting and a sophisticated sound system. Visiting performance artists with national and international reputations are an essential component of the program. To date they have included Stuart Sherman, Rachel Rosenthal, Hans Haacke, Carolee Schneemann, Michael Smith, Linda Montano, Eleanor Antin, Yvonne Rainer, Vito Acconci, Karen Finley, John Malpede, Robbie McCauley, May Sun, Dianne Torr, Ron Athey, Ellen Fisher, and Alastair Maclennan. Advanced students and those specializing in video and performance media may apprentice with performance artists and performing arts companies.