Rice Dance Theatre provides a venue for students who enjoy dance performance to work together on a creative and social level. The program is committed to encourage healthy active lifestyles through dance as physical recreation and artistic expression. The club is dedicated to providing students with opportunities to train in dance technique, perform, choreograph, learn dance production, and grow as dance artists.
As a modern dance performing company, Rice Dance Theatre is an integral part of the Dance Program in the Recreation Center, where it receives primary funding. The company is housed in the Harjo Dance Studio in the Recreation Center. RDT has priority booking rights to the dance studio. The studio is reserved for company technique classes, rehearsals, and to perform the Fall Student Dance Concert.
Rebecca Valls, Christine Lidvall and Tracy King Perry are the faculty members of RDT. For more information visit the Faculty Page.
Rice Dance Theatre is considered a student organization. The company is governed by elected student officers. For more information, visit the Company Page
RDT was originally organized by a group of students in 1979. It developed as a modern dance company devoted to training students in the techniques of modern dance and choreography. Since 1982, the structure has remained fairly consistent with an average of 25 members. Annually, two dance concerts are presented with original choreography by faculty, students, and guest choreographers from the Houston community. The Fall Student Dance Concert is in Harjo Dance Studio Black Box in November and the Spring Dance Concert is usually in Hamman Hall in April. Auditions are held each semester to cast for performances.