Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts at Texas A&M University

05/11/2026

🎉 Congratulations to AVPA guest artist Allison Orr, the Founder and Artistic Director of Forklift Danceworks, on receiving one of the six prestigious Doris Duke Artist Awards for 2026! We are so proud of you, Allison! 🌟

Each award recipient received $525,000 plus up to $25,000 for retirement savings. They also gained access to professional development, financial planning, and a supportive network to help them continue their creative journeys.

Forklift Danceworks is currently engaged in a multi-year residency and commission, collaborating with students from Texas A&M University's College of Performance, Visualization, and Fine Arts and with the Transportation Services team. This partnership will highlight transportation issues within our campus community, culminating in a spectacular performance in April 2027.

Stay tuned for updates on this exciting project!

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Photo by Erik Carter

02/13/2026

🎉 Reminder: Join us for "We Were Here – The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe" on February 19 at 7 PM at Rudder Theatre!

Don’t miss out on the chance to engage in an inspiring Q&A session with Director Fred Kudjo Kuwornu after the show!

Get your free tickets here: https://u.tamu.edu/WeWereHere.

This event is cosponsored by the Melbern G. Glasscock Center for Humanities Research and Race & Ethnic Studies Institute.

01/14/2026

🎭✨ Don’t miss out! Join us for a work-in-progress showing of DNAWORKS' adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s “The Secret Sharer” on January 16-17, 2026, at 7 pm in the Rudder Auditorium.

DNAWORKS' bold adaptation transforms Conrad’s 1909 novella into a powerful multimedia performance that blends dance, music, sound, text, and art installation.

Grab your pay-what-you-will tickets now! MSC BOX Office: https://boxoffice.tamu.edu/

More information about The Secret Sharer: https://www.dnaworks.org/secretsharer

12/03/2025

Mark your calendars! Join us on January 16 and 17 at 7 PM at Rudder Auditorium for AVPA’s first event of the Spring semester. DNAWORKS' bold adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s 1909 novella The Secret Sharer transforms the text into a powerful multimedia performance blending dance, music, sound, text, and art installation. Get your pay-what-you-will tickets today! boxoffice.tamu.edu

11/13/2025

🌊🎶 Get ready for an incredible evening! Join us for Chad Cannon’s "Music for the Ocean" at the Rudder Forum on November 22, 2025, at 7 PM. Don't miss this unique musical experience! 🎶🌊

Get Pay What You Will tickets today at https://u.tamu.edu/CHADCANNON

08/25/2025

🌟 Exciting news! 🌟 Mark your calendars for September 3rd at 7 PM at Rudder Auditorium for the AVPA's first event of the semester: **Performance Dork**, presented by Daniel Oliver! Performance Dork is a unique and energetic blend of magic, roleplay, and experimental performance art. Get your pay-what-you-will tickets today! boxoffice.tamu.edu

04/10/2025

🚛 TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT! Join us at 7 PM in Rudder Forum for Trash Dance ! Experience the magic of this award-winning documentary that transforms garbage trucks and sanitation work into an unforgettable performance.

🎬 Stay after the screening for a special live Q&A with Choreographer Allison Orr—don’t miss this chance to hear about the creative process behind the film!

📅 Thursday, April 10, 2025
🕖 7 PM
📍 Rudder Forum

This event is FREE!

04/10/2025

Couldn’t make it to the first event? Join us now at 12PM in the Louis Pearce Pavilion for CATTLELAND Bovine Boogie II!

Bovine Boogie: Moooooving through Human-Animal Relations is an open, embodied workshop exploring cattle movement facilitated by professionals from Dance Science, Performance and Visual Studies, and Animal Sciences. This 2-part workshop is for everyone, join us in thinking human-animal relations through movement.

This event is FREE!

04/09/2025

🎬 Meet the minds behind Trash Dance ! https://youtu.be/10uYTN1MOl4

Choreographer Allison Orr will be in attendance for a special Q&A session after the screening! Hear firsthand how she brought this vision to life, turning sanitation workers into performers for a one-night-only spectacle.

💬 What would you ask her? Drop your questions below!

This event is FREE!

Shot as we were getting ready to film the performance of "The Trash Project" for Trash Dance. The award-winning documentary, Trash Dance, now available on ...

04/09/2025

Join us today at 7PM in the LAAH Courtyard for The Deer, The Hunter, and the Wardrobe!

A.J. Villarreal (MA candidate, Performance Studies), presents The Deer, The Hunter, and the Wardrobe, a performance that explores Texas hunting culture as a ritualistic practice. It invites the audience to engage with human-animal relationships, power dynamics, and cultural rituals, while challenging anthropocentric narratives.

THIS CATTLELAND EVENT IS FREE!