CoPA News Archives | College of Performing Arts Archive

Where Music Meets Sport: Chapman Professor Draws Parallels Between Orchestras and Sports Teams Music faculty member Dr. Danko Druško applied his musical expertise to sports psychology with a Swedish dragon boat racing team.

April 16, 2026 by Sydney Paik | CoPA News

Danko Druško, conductor of The Chapman Orchestra and Director of Orchestral Studies at Chapman University’s College of Performing Arts, comes from a rich background in several disciplines, including both the musical arts as well as athletics. Recently, Dr. Druško led a consulting session for a Swedish dragon boat racing team, during which he highlighted the

Beyond the Stage How Joe Chantry ’14 turned a dance degree into a global entertainment career on land and sea.

April 6, 2026 by Zoe Braggs | CoPA News

For students curious about the many paths an arts degree can open, Joe Chantry ’14, a Dance and Peace & Conflict Studies alumnus, offers one inspiring example. Today, as Vice President of Entertainment and Enrichment at Holland America Line and Seabourn, he oversees casting, production, and guest experience across a fleet of 17 cruise ships. He shared how Chapman shaped his path from performing artist to

Chapman’s Student Dance Club, Team Shaka, Sweeps World of Dance Los Angeles Competition Student-run hip-hop club on campus competes for the first time and walks away 2x champions.

April 2, 2026 by Zoe Braggs | CoPA News

This spring, Chapman’s student-organized hip hop performance team, Team Shaka, stepped outside of the university’s performance spaces for the first time ever and brought back two 1st Place trophies and boundless Panther pride. Shaka Co-Presidents, Jimena Casasola and Nanea Yu, had a dream their freshman year to take the team to World of Dance (WOD),

Chapman Student Dancers share the stage with the Iconic Martha Graham Company Students perform Graham’s Steps in the Street for the dance company’s centennial celebration in a journey of rich history and emotion.

March 17, 2026 by Zoe Braggs | CoPA News

Chapman Dancers have once again received a once-in-a-lifetime performance opportunity through the university’s College of Performing Arts (CoPA). As part of the Marybelle Musco Contemporary Dance Series at the Musco Center for the Arts, 17 dancers graced the Musco Stage with the world-renowned Martha Graham Dance Company after months of rehearsals, diving headfirst into the

CoPA Theatre Student Ruby Mejia’s Segerstrom Internship Experience and Beyond From a Segerstrom Internship to her work with CoPA productions, Ruby has gained the inspiration and skillset to pursue an interdisciplinary career in performing arts education.

March 10, 2026 by Jessie Levasheff | CoPA News

Community engagement is a value that drives Ruby Mejia, a Chapman Theatre and Integrated Educational Studies student in the Class of 2026; it has played a pivotal role in her decisions to pursue her first internship and a career in performing arts education. “It’s so vital to connect with the community through theatre,” Ruby says

From CoPA to Pacific Symphony: How a Music Alum Turned Her Chapman Education Into a Career Cellist and music librarian Kelly Picton brings her passion for her craft together with the skills she developed at CoPA in her work with Orange County’s leading orchestra.

February 18, 2026 by Sydney Paik | CoPA News

We had the chance to speak with 2025 CoPA alum Kelly Picton (B.M. Cello Performance, Film Music minor), who currently spends her time working for Pacific Symphony in addition to her work as a freelance musician. She shared with us how her experience at Chapman shaped and contributed to the development of her career in

Opera Chapman Receives Prestigious National Awards for 2024–2025 Productions Productions of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Fright Night!, From the Towers of the Moon, and Il sogno di Scipione earn top honors in major national competitions.

December 10, 2025 by Sydney Paik | CoPA News

Congratulations to Opera Chapman for its outstanding achievements in prestigious national competitions across the United States. These honors not only highlight the strength of the program, but also affirm, as Opera Chapman Director Marc Callahan notes, “the care, imagination, and discipline that went into each production—and the collaborative spirit that runs through the Conservatory and

Chapman Dancers Open for Complexions Contemporary Ballet in New York City Eight students embraced themselves in an elite creative process with renowned choreographer Dwight Rhoden, strengthened their community, and exemplified how Chapman’s training prepares artists for the world stage.

December 9, 2025 by Zoe Braggs | CoPA News

Eight Chapman dancers received the special opportunity to open for the world-renowned Complexions Contemporary Ballet at the iconic Joyce Theater in New York City. This journey began with an audition in the spring semester, continued into rehearsals throughout the fall, and concluded with performances at both the Musco Center for the Arts and the Joyce

Recent CoPA Graduate Ariya Selvakumar Assists with Center Theatre Group’s Production of American Idiot Ariya Selvakumar's experiences and education at Chapman University have prepared her for diverse career opportunities, from projection design to performance.

November 3, 2025 by Jessie Levasheff | CoPA News

Ariya Selvakumar (BA Theatre, Psychology minor), a Chapman University College of Performing Arts (CoPA) graduate in the class of 2024, continues to display Chapman’s values as she pursues her passions in the performing arts. Recently, Ariya had the opportunity to apprentice and assist with the projection design for Center Theatre Group’s production of Green Day’s