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Backstage Pass

The Center for the Arts blog offers a closer look at the people, ideas, and work behind our performances, exhibitions, and engagement programs. Through peeks behind the scenes, stories from artist and student perspectives, and reflections on access and impact, this space invites readers to see how creative experiences come to life and why they matter.

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    View from the stage of an orchestra performing for a large audience filling the orchestra level and three balconies of the Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre.
    Wait, Do I Clap Now? A Guide to Applause at Classical Music Performances

    When do you clap at a classical concert, and why does everyone wait between movements?: Learn the traditions behind applause and how to know when the moment is right.

    Date: Aug 26, 2026 -
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    Detail of Guadalupe Maravilla’s Tijuana Retablo, with tortillas layered over a colorful painted scene filled with figures, animals, food, and symbolic imagery. A handwritten narrative in Spanish runs along the bottom of the work.
    Trauma, Healing, and the Ties That Bind

    This essay places Guadalupe Maravilla’s work within the intertwined histories of El Salvador and the U.S.: Exploring migration, trauma, and displacement alongside Indigenous traditions of knowledge and healing.

    Date: Aug 25, 2026 -
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    Cedric Watson, wearing a straw hat, plays fiddle alongside an accordionist during a performance.
    From Appalachia to Louisiana, Follow the Fiddle

    Cedric Watson's music is rooted in the Cajun and Creole traditions of southwest Louisiana.: But listen closely and some of the sounds may feel surprisingly familiar.

    Date: Aug 14, 2026 -
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    Two people experience an immersive digital projection inside the Cube at the Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech. Colorful imagery fills three walls of the space as one person gestures toward the display.
    Step Inside the Cube

    Inside the Center for the Arts is one of the world's most unique performance spaces — the Cube: It looks like a black box theatre, but it sounds like something else entirely.

    Date: Aug 01, 2026 -
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    Close-up of a black, faceted 3D-printed rhinoceros figurine standing on a rocky base in the Center for the Arts lobby.
    A Herd of Tiny Traditions

    What do ticket counts, a 3D printer, and miniature rhinoceroses have in common?: A behind-the-scenes tradition that keeps growing.

    Date: Jul 01, 2026 -
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    Scenic view from Mountain Lake in Giles County, Virginia, where the Mountain Lake Workshops brought artists, students, and community members together. Forested Appalachian mountains stretch into the distance beneath storm clouds and rays of sunlight.
    The Remarkable Story of the Mountain Lake Workshops

    An artistic hub: A mountain retreat brought world-renowned artists to Southwest Virginia and left a legacy that lives on in the Center for the Arts' current exhibition.

    Date: Jun 26, 2026 -
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    A dancer from Compagnie Hervé Koubi’s “Sol Invictus” balances upside down in a breakdance-inspired headstandbeneath a sweeping canopy of illuminated gold fabric that stretches across the stage.
    Your Guide to Building the Perfect Season Subscription Package

    Start with Yo-Yo Ma. Stay for the surprises.: From crowd pleasers to global music and emotionally powerful performances, learn how to build your perfect season package.

    Date: Jun 11, 2026 -
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    Decorated graduation caps fill a crowded commencement ceremony. One black mortarboard in the center is adorned with gold and silver star stickers, standing out among the surrounding caps.
    Meet Our Graduating Student Staff Members

    From backstage and the box office to production and admin, graduating student staff members shape the Center for the Arts experience while building futures of their own.

    Date: May 06, 2026 -
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    Members of Stephanie Lake Company wear white costumes and perform on stage in front of a towering pink curtain and several drummers.
    Behind the Scenes of Manifesto

    What does it take to stage something bold? Go behind the scenes of Stephanie Lake Company's "Manifesto" at the Center for the Arts.

    Date: May 04, 2026 -
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    Members of the Irish Baroque Orchestra stand and sit in front of wooden doors in a grand room, all wearing black and holding their instruments.
    Inside an Acting Master Class

    A student perspective on a collaborative session with Mill Mountain Theatre and visiting artists Bert and Nasi.

    Date: Mar 16, 2026 -

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