Are you interested in getting involved with arts on campus? This edition of Where Art Thou is a guide to all of the arts auditions in the week to come. 

“Where Art Thou” is a weekly guide to interesting and notable performances and events for the literary/musically/theatrically-inclined. If you have an event or a group that you’d like to be featured, send us an email at bwog.arts@gmail.com. We try to include as many events as we can find and fit, but reaching out to us is the best way to make sure your event is promoted to the student community and is covered by a staffer. 

This week’s lineup is all auditions! For a sense of other groups on campus, take a look at Bwog’s Ultimate Guide to Columbia Theatre or CUPAL’s Fall 2025 Season Guide.

Dance

CU Generation

  • Friday, September 12, and Saturday, September 13, times and location TBD
  • CU Gen is a dance team that works in several styles, including hip-hop and commercial dance. The team encourages creativity, collaboration, and a blend of styles. Follow their Instagram for updates on audition times and locations. 

Onyx

  • Sunday, September 14, 1 to 4 pm, Dodge Fitness Center AR3
  • Onyx is an all-femme hip-hop dance troupe. No experience is required to audition or join the group. They are looking for dancers who are “enthusiastic, creative, team-players, willing to learn, and ready to accept constructive criticism.” Registration for this audition can be found here. 

Orchesis

  • Saturday, September 13, 10 am to 12 pm, Roone Arledge Auditorium (Lerner)
  • Orchesis is Columbia’s largest performing arts group. Each semester, they present a showcase of student choreography with dancers of all levels, including absolute beginner. All dancers who attend the audition are cast, and no dancing is required at the audition. 

Orchesis MaMa Project 

  • Sunday, September 14, 10 am to 12 pm, Streng (Barnard Hall Annex)
  • The Orchesis MaMa Project is a satellite of Orchesis and is a chance for student choreographers to work on a long-form project over two semesters. This year’s choreographers are Tal Bloom (BC ‘26) and Madeline Rosenthal (BC ‘25.5), and the theme is “Do You Believe in Magic?” 

Ijoya

  • Thursday, September 11, 9 to 11 pm, Lerner 477
  • Ijoya, which means “time to dance” in Yoruba, is Columbia’s African dance team. The group presents powerful and energetic performances each semester. 

Sabor

  • Tuesday, September 9, 8:30 pm, location TBD
  • Sabor is Columbia’s “First and Hottest Latine Dance Troupe.” No experience is required to attend the audition. Check their Instagram for location updates.

CU Raqs

  • Thursday, September 11th, 6 to 8 pm, Lerner 478
  • CU Raqs is Columbia’s only Middle Eastern dance troupe, performing belly dance. Dancers of all levels are encouraged to audition, including those with no prior experience in dance or in belly dance specifically, and male dancers. CU Raqs is also recruiting a darbuka drummer. 

MUSIC

Columbia Bach Society

  • Due Saturday, September 13, 11:59 pm
  • The Columbia Bach Society is Columbia’s student-led choir and orchestra ensemble, dedicated to performing baroque and early classical repertoire. Students, faculty, and staff are all welcome. Auditions take place through video submissions. 

Columbia Pops

  • Friday, September 12, to Sunday, September 14, times chosen by auditionee, Lerner 573
  • Columbia Pops is a pops ensemble that arranges and performs cinematic, animated, and video game music for an orchestra. The group also facilitates smaller pops chamber groups. Auditions take place throughout the weekend and prospective members should choose a time slot here and register here. 

THEATRE

CUPAL

  • Monday, September 8 to Wednesday, September 10, 8 to 11 pm, Hamilton Hall
    • Exact times and rooms depend on the specific show. 
  • CUPAL is the Columbia University Performing Arts League, and is an organization that works to facilitate theater and general performing arts on campus. Each semester, most student-run theater groups hold auditions through CUPAL’s centralized auditions, where students can audition and interview for as many shows as they would like. Then, through a process called Actorshare, roles and positions are offered to students.
    • For more information on how this works, see the CUPAL Glossary. For a full list of shows that are holding auditions this fall, see the CUPAL Season Guide. 
    • Registration for auditions is here, and for interviews is here. Students can pick time slots for auditions/interviews here. 

We hope to see you on stage, behind the scenes, in the pit, or in a studio sometime soon!

Orchestra via Bwarchives