Cultivate the talents of performing artists
Not only have hundreds of students and alumni found a home with the Performing Arts Department (PAD) across its remarkable history, but in a single year, over 5,000 audience members enjoy the generous and remarkable creativity of the Abbey Players, the Dance Program, and the Choir – as well as Arts at the Abbey, a series of free concerts and performances open to the public.
If you have yet to attend a Performing Arts Department show, you may not realize what you’re missing. But ask any student or alumni, and they’ll tell you that dance, music, and theater (musical or otherwise) are a potent force on campus. In fact, the PAD’s primary struggles involve meeting the ever-increasing student demand for new classes, larger casts, and other opportunities. The Dance Showcase alone has doubled in size in the past three years, as more and more students invest their time, energy, and gifts in the performing arts.
In fact, with 140 years of continuous theater on campus, the Haid is the longest-running theater in the state of North Carolina, cultivating local community, creativity, and enjoyment since its opening in 1883.
This growing legacy increasingly stretches the department’s resources, which makes opportunities like the Founders’ Day Challenge all the more critical to the future of Abbey Performing Arts. Last year’s donations enabled students to participate in the Belmont Summer Dance Festival performance, purchased costumes for the Dance Showcase, and funded additional performance opportunities.
This Founders’ Day, your gift will help to:
- Establish a Shakespearean troupe to travel to local high schools
- Refurbish the stage
- Enable students to participate in further adjudicated and performance opportunities, including the ACDA
- Provide professional development for professors, especially through the National Shakespeare Conference
And, as a special thank you for a donation of $25 or more during the Founders’ Day Challenge, we will send you a Tiny Saint Benedict keychain as well as a bracelet featuring Saint Benedict’s medal.
Make a Gift to support Performing Arts Today!
Recent Donations
During my time at the Abbey, I participated in many different performances, and Mrs. Hayes and Simon Donoghue taught and encouraged all of their performers to work outside of their comfort zones.I am especially grateful to Mrs. Hayes for teaching me how to be confident in myself and my dance skills, and for creating an environment where all are welcome to learn, excel, and thrive in the dance community.”