Rules of Play – the 2025 Spring Dance Concert – seeks dancers to perform original works by student choreographers. The Department of Theatre and Dance will hold auditions on Feb. 4 and 5 in the Hickey Gym. Rules of Play will be presented in mid-May and the works will be curated by Visiting Professor Doria E. Charlson. 

The auditions are open to all UC Davis students. For the audition process, please choose which night you wish to attend. Please arrive at 6 p.m. for a group warm-up session. There will be a break. Beginning at 7 p.m. there will be individual auditions for which you sign-up for a time slot. We ask that you wear comfortable clothes that you can move in.

The “rules of play” outline how, and in what ways, people engage with the structures and systems around us. At their best, rules provide a clear framework that equalizes the playing field through transparency and enough structure such that all players have the potential to win. Rules can effectively create order and calm, such that it is clear to all players what to expect. Too often, though, is it unclear how the game is played. Unspoken rules, conventions, biases, and forms of gatekeeping prevent and obstruct success for so many people.

Rules of Play aims to explore how, and in what ways, people navigate through the game of life. Through dance and movement, collaborators are encouraged to creatively explore the systems around them and present work that helps audiences reflect upon what rules are of benefit to society and which may need to be revised or upended.