News

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 to Duke »

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 »

The Duke Dance Program MFA in Dance: Embodied Interdisciplinary Praxis (MFAEIP) presents an exciting two-part movement and creative practice intensive designed to support the artistic evolution of Duke graduate dance students and alumni. The six-week program consists of the inaugural MFAEIP Alumni Hothouse, running June 6-17, 2022, and The Arks Incubator, presented in collaboration with the American Dance Festival (ADF) and running June 20-July 15. Across six weeks, Duke graduate dance artists participate in morning… read more about Duke Dance Program launches summer intensives to support MFA artistic research »

Avery Lythcott-Haims (B.A. Dance and Cultural Anthropology ’23) is no stranger to dance. Dancing for 18 years, the rising senior has performed in, choreographed or managed nearly 10 productions at Duke — and shows no signs of stopping.  Her dedication and talents haven’t been lost on audiences or faculty, either. Recently, the Dance Program unanimously named her the recipient of the Clay Taliaferro Dance Award in recognition of her artistic and technical growth, and potential to become a professional dancer, teacher or… read more about Summer Internship Reveals What's Behind the Curtain »

Traditionally, the arts and sciences have been viewed as two distant fields of study. But it isn’t uncommon for Duke’s arts departments to see students with defined career dreams in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) also enrolled in performing and visual arts courses — adding the arts to their educations and transforming STEM to STEAM.  STEAM student Alexa Robertson (B.S. Biology; minor Dance and Chemistry ’22) has already completed her required courses for the pre-med track. And during her… read more about Dance and Medicine Creating a Well-Rounded Scholar »

Not only is the senior Economics major with a finance concentration preparing for her move to New York City, where she will be working for JP Morgan as a first-year analyst in sales and trading, she’s debuting her original choreography for the Duke Dance Program’s ChoreoLab. An annual spring performance showcase of creative works by Duke faculty and students, ChoreoLab encourages dance experimentation across aesthetic genres and modes of presentation. Since its inception, the event has provided a support structure for… read more about Elizabeth Ehrlich has a busy last semester at Duke »

Raucous drag shows, dazzling Broadway performances, a smorgasbord of food: Duke in New York: Arts, Culture and Performance isn’t just a study away program, it’s a feast for the senses. Falling in love with the city is a familiar American story, and New York didn’t hold back on the charm for these program alumni. “My favorite part of the city overall is how creatively rich it is with opportunities (especially in fashion) at every corner,” said Sydney Reede, a sophomore who participated last semester. Hoping to work in… read more about Experiencing New York's Arts Culture for Credit »

Traditionally, the arts and sciences have been viewed as two distant fields of study. But it isn’t uncommon for Duke’s arts departments to see students with defined career dreams in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) also enrolled in performing and visual arts courses — adding the arts to their educations and transforming STEM to STEAM.  STEAM student Claudia Chapman (B.S. Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering, minor Dance ’22) is focusing on the software side of computer… read more about The Arts Advantage: Dance is the Balancing Force that Challenges this Software Engineer  »