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In my presentation, I will discuss how I reach across disciplinary boundaries to incorporate visual and performing arts in college courses that are usually solely text-based or primarily focused on language; and, further, how the inclusion of the arts made the courses more accessible to students of a greater variety of learning styles, interests, and backgrounds.

I incorporate fields trip to performances and exhibitions such as Aquila Theatre’s Our Trojan War, Martha Graham’s Greek-inspired dances, and Marcus Gardley’s black odyssey. I will share the reflections of some of my students, including those from underrepresented groups (including African-American, Asian, and Latinx) about how the inclusion of the arts in our classes facilitated and enriched our discussion of topics such as gender dynamics, human responsibility, and divine and human justice; or, as one student put it, helped them to “connect their learning in the classroom to the real world.”