Dance Program
Assistant Professor of the Practice of Dance Jingqiu Guan joins the Duke faculty this year. (John West/Trinity Communications)It seems fitting that Jingqiu Guan, assistant professor of the practice in the Dance Program, now teaches at the university where her career as a dance film artist first took shape. “This is definitely a full-circle moment,” she acknowledges. Her ties to Duke began in 2013 when she was a graduate student pursuing an MFA in dance performance at the University of… read more about Jingqiu Guan Starts Cross-Cultural Dialogues with Her Work »
The Duke Dance Program MFA in Dance: Embodied Interdisciplinary Praxis (MFAEIP) welcomes its fifth cohort to campus this fall. The two-year, full-time, terminal degree program is grounded in Duke’s interdisciplinary approach and encourages research responding to global issues while joining critical conversations both within and beyond the arts. Sarah Wilbur, director of the MFAEIP program and associate professor in the Dance Program, looks forward to how the cohort’s individual creative endeavors will influence Duke’s… read more about Five Join Duke’s Dance M.F.A. Program, Bringing Interdisciplinary Research Along »
Traditionally, the arts and the sciences at Duke have been viewed as two distinct fields of study that are unrelated to each other. But it isn’t uncommon to see students with defined paths in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) choosing to double major or minor in either the performing or visual arts — intentionally adding these disciplines to their course loads because they recognize the benefits the arts can bring to not only individual career goals but also shared human experiences. Florence… read more about Divergent Thinking by Dint of Dance »
The Dance Program recently presented five undergraduates with awards celebrating ongoing achievements in the discipline. “Congratulations to all the awardees. Three of our Dance majors received awards: Joey Rauch for the Julia Wray Award; Alyssa Shi for the Clay Taliaferro Award; and Nicole Schwartz for the Dance Writing Award. In addition, I would like to acknowledge two students who have been actively involved with the Dance program: Sierra Putney, also for the Dance Writing Award; and Tia Smith for the Dance Project… read more about Dance Awards Five Students »
As the annual spring dance between fauna and flora plays out across campus each spring, the Dance Program prepares for a concert of its own: ChoreoLab. The annual performance showcases original works from both Dance faculty and Duke students. “This annual concert series provides an excellent opportunity to present and experiment with new choreography while introducing students to the behind-the-scenes mechanics of a concert performance,” explains Professor Michael Kliën. “We’re always excited to see the growth of a student… read more about Dance Provides Ph.D. in Literature Student Space to Grow as an Artist and Scholar »
To strengthen the role of the arts at the university and to attract nationally and internationally known artists to the faculty, Duke should establish a new tenure track for visual and performing artists, a faculty committee reported to the Academic Council Thursday. The special pathway in the report would be part of the university’s normal appointments, promotions and tenure (APT) process and would allow for appointments (external or internal) of tenured full professor or professor of the practice to attract the most… read more about Academic Council Considers Tenure Pathway for Creative Artists »
In partnership with Directors of Academic Engagement, faculty and students from across Trinity programs took time this year to explain the value of research experiences for undergraduates and break down the elusive process of finding a research project. From Dance and English to Biology and Neuroscience, these faculty demonstrate the various types of research available to students in all areas of Duke while breaking down myths that research is out of reach. Iyun Ashani Harrison was one of the faculty who discussed ways… read more about Iyun Ashani Harrison: How Undergrads Can Engage in Research »
Traditionally, the arts and sciences have been viewed as two distant fields of study. But it isn’t uncommon to see Duke students who have defined career dreams in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) also majoring or minoring in the performing and visual arts — adding these disciplines to not only their course loads but also their career goals. At Duke, Lihua Mo-Hunter (B.S. Neuroscience; minor Dance and Linguistics ’23) has been laser focused on a pre-med track. She’s found that her… read more about Dance Provides a Humanistic Outlook for a Future Neurosurgeon »
The Duke Dance Program has welcomed its fourth MFA cohort to campus. Julia Piper and Angela Marina Arriaga are the latest multi-faceted artists to join the Master of Fine Arts in Dance: Embodied Interdisciplinary Praxis (MFAEIP) Program. The Duke Dance MFAEIP is a two-year, full-time terminal degree program dedicated to expanding dance and embodied knowledge across cultures, communities, and contexts. The program endorses dance as a transformative force in society and engages students whose research centers around… read more about MFA in Dance Welcomes its Fourth Cohort »
Sarah Wilbur's debut book Funding Bodies: Five Decades of Dance Making at the National Endowment for the Arts has been shortlisted by the Dance Studies Association for three annual book awards, each of which celebrates and acknowledges scholarly excellence in dance studies. Wilbur is the Director of Graduate Studies (MFA in Dance: Embodied Interdisciplinary Praxis) and Associate Professor of the Practice of Dance Program, as well as Associate Professor of the Practice of Theater Studies. About the book… read more about Sarah Wilbur's "Funding Bodies" shortlisted for three book awards »
