“Oedipus the King” was the first campus performance that included a small live audience since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Costume designers integrated masks into the show, which made its debut last spring.

Just as “Broadway is back” in New York City, the arts are back at The University of Texas at Dallas for in-person exhibits and performances featuring enthusiastic artists.

“There is an extra satisfaction in being able to again start working on pieces we had planned to perform in spring 2020,” said Dr. Robert Xavier Rodríguez, professor of music and Chair in Art and Aesthetic Studies. “One of our players confided to me that the music, all put together, was so beautiful to hear that it brought tears of delight.”

Because most UT Dallas classes met virtually during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the instrumental, choral, dance and theatre ensembles in the School of Arts and Humanities (A&H) had to retool how classes could be taught and how performances could continue.

Some ensemble instructors opted for virtual teaching with individual online performances. Others met with their students in person, although distanced from one another in outdoor locations. The dance instructors worked with small groups of students in person while other students participated online.

“It was challenging,” said Micki Saba, associate professor of instruction and dance instructor. “It was very difficult for the people at home because of their limited space. They were just dancing over their couches or into their dog, but they made it work.”

Safety protocols remain a top priority as in-person performances resume at UT Dallas. The University Choir recently performed fully masked at the Jonsson Performance Hall.

Employing social distancing, masks and videography, dance students were able to showcase their talents in performances that were recorded on campus and from individual homes.

Likewise, the theatre program staged shows during the past year using video and streaming.

The spring 2021 show, “Oedipus the King,” was the first campus performance that included a live audience since the pandemic began, albeit with only about a dozen people socially distanced in the 275-seat University Theatre. The show also was livestreamed and is still available for viewing. In addition, designers integrated masks into the show’s costumes.

Instrumental rehearsals and lessons also had to be improvised during the pandemic. The percussion ensemble was canceled because the students could not share instruments as they had previously. The UTD Pep Band, which typically performs at home basketball and volleyball games, as well as other events, met online.

The brass ensemble, however, took a different approach by holding every rehearsal outside in the covered concession area near the soccer complex.

Campus Arts

A full schedule of upcoming performances and art exhibitions on campus can be found on the School of Arts and Humanities website.

To learn more about how UT Dallas aims to become a cultural destination for North Texas, explore the New Dimensions: The Campaign for UT Dallas.

“It was terrific,” said Dr. Linda Salisbury, clinical associate professor and director of the brass ensemble. “We started fall 2020 around 105 degrees and, in the winter, the temperature tanked to around 47. But we only had to cancel twice due to weather.”

Salisbury said the objectives for the group during the pandemic differed from previous years. She wanted ensemble members to leave rehearsals feeling better than when they came and to prepare for the ensemble’s regular nursing home performances.

“What was hard was being cooped up by ourselves all of the time and being forced to live our lives on the computer. In that respect, given everything that was going on during the year, it was actually a very encouraging time of bonding,” Salisbury said. “I told the students to forget about COVID, that we were just going to make music together.”

While students are now back on campus and rehearsals are being held in person, with regular performances planned, instructors are focused on their students’ well-being as well as artistic excellence.

“Everybody is just trying to do their best to keep everyone safe,” said Dr. Jonathan Palant, A&H associate dean and director of choral activities. “To the best of our ability, we are spacing out the choir and ensembles, while strongly encouraging students to be masked.”

Dr. Nils Roemer, interim dean of the School of Arts and Humanities and the School of Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication, said students, staff and faculty are excited to again be able to share their artistic abilities directly with the UT Dallas community.

“Our galleries are open, and our performances have begun,” said Roemer, who also directs the Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies and is the Stan and Barbara Rabin Distinguished Professor in Holocaust Studies. “All of the visual and performing arts faculty and students are thrilled to be making music and creating art again.”