Dance and Theatre Not Just at UA

The University of Alabama has a lot to offer in both the theatre and dance departments, for it puts on about eight theatre shows and four dance performances each academic year. I think a lot of students think this is all the city of Tuscaloosa has to offer in these two areas, for they are advertised all over campus. This is what I thought also until my Arts of Tuscaloosa class recently taught me other wise.
I learned that outside of the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa is home to the Tuscaloosa Community Dancers, Inc., a company of dancers from all area schools. It includes both a professional company and apprentices and puts on several productions each year at Tuscaloosa’s downtown Bama Theatre such as the holiday favorite, the Nutcracker. This is a great opportunity to see dancers from outside the university and compare their style to the dance department's.
Tuscaloosa also offers Theatre Tuscaloosa, one of the largest community theater companies in the state of Alabama. Theatre Tuscaloosa is a non-profit organization that works with Shelton State Community College to provide opportunities for locals to partake in live performances. The company not only puts on several public performances of their own, but also supports children’s theatre and the Tuscaloosa Community Dancers. All of the company’s performances are held at the Bean-Brown Theatre located on Shelton State Community College’s campus.
It is great to support the university's art programs, but can also be fun to go see other community dancers and actors. I think Tuscaloosa has much more to offer in the arts than most people think.