Tristian Griffin came to the Master of Fine Arts in Dance: Embodied Interdisciplinary Praxis (MFAEIP) program for its interdisciplinary focus and the opportunity to extend his choreographic practice through Duke’s broader academic resources. He will graduate in May with an M.F.A., as well as a graduate certificate in African and African American Studies. “The ability to engage beyond the studio, integrate Black studies into my research and thesis, while also being guided by the insights of exceptional faculty — those… read more about Tristian Griffin, MFA '26: Documenting Ancestry Through Movement »
Michela Arietti is a senior who designed an interdisciplinary Program II major in Embodied Resilience, combining Dance, Neuroscience and nutrition. Building on her classical ballet training, she has explored a range of movement practices, with particular interest in deinstitutionalized dance and social choreography. Her academic work examines how trauma can be both produced and healed through dance and nutrition, moving from individual healing toward broader social change. Through multiple performance opportunities,… read more about Michela Arietti '26: From Ballet to Brain Science »
From April 10–12, Professor Woods Valdés and eight Duke Dance students — including Dance majors, minors and Program II students — traveled to New York City for the inaugural Duke Dance Program New York Weekend, sponsored by the Hymowitz Guest Artist Residency. Participants included Michela Arietti, Diego Benitez, Gabriel Bostick, Katherine Cheng, Aissatou Diallo, Ashley Greeno, Rachel Tang and Destiny Touchine.The weekend offered a blend of live performance, professional training and alumni engagement. Students attended… read more about Duke Dance Students Take Their Practice to New York City »
The Office for Faculty Advancement has awarded seed grants to seven new projects led by Duke faculty members. The theme for this grant cycle is “Building Community and Strengthening Networks to Improve the Faculty Experience.”Faculty were invited to propose innovative initiatives to build community, creative approaches to address specific mentorship needs, and novel approaches to improve the faculty experience.The seed grant program will provide financial support for these projects through April 2027. Project leaders… read more about Trinity Faculty Awarded Seed Grants by Duke Office of Faculty Advancement »
Join Us For Duke Dance's Open Studio DayTuesday, March 31Rubenstein Arts CenterPut on your dance outfit and get ready to move!Drop in and experience any dance class offered on the day!~ NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED! ~BOBA TEA & PASTRIES WILL BE SERVED OUTSIDE RAC 224 BETWEEN 1:00-2:00 PMLIST OF DROP-IN CLASSES:Beginning Ballet, 8:30-9:45 am, RAC 224Elementary Modern, 10:05-11:20 pm, RAC 201Intermediate Ballet, 10:05-11:20 pm, RAC 224Advanced Ballet, 11:45-1 pm, RAC 224Capoeira, 3:05-4:20 pm, RAC 224Dance for the Camera, 3:… read more about Open Studio Day »
Graduating senior, Aissatou Diallo, is concluding her capstone project exploring how different modes of performance alter audiences embodied experience. Over the past year, she has adapted the same performance across three mediums: live theater, video, and virtual reality. As the final step in her Program II major,The Intersections of Performing Arts and Science, Aissatou will share what she learned from experimenting with these different mediums. To follow her progress and learn more about the results, visit… read more about Follow a Capstone Project In Progress »
The Duke Dance Program is excited to present our inaugural Hymowitz Guest Artist Residency with musical theater artist Stephanie Klemons. Stephanie is the Associate Choreographer of Hamilton worldwide, the choreographer of Stephen Schwartz’s New York Premiere of Baker's Wife, and the UK/West End Tour choreographer of the original musical Rock & Roll Man, which premiered in NYC in 2023. During this four-day residency, March 23-26, 2026, registered… read more about Inaugural Hymowitz Guest Artist Residency with Stephanie Klemons »
When most people hear the word “research,” they picture Bunsen burners and artifacts, datasets and libraries. But in dance reconstruction, research rarely resembles its conventional counterparts — it does not begin in a laboratory or remain confined to the page. Rather, the primary evidence unfolds through revisiting, remembering and reinhabiting work shaped by time and shared experiences. For Iyun Ashani Harrison, this embodied mode of inquiry framed his restaging of John Taras’ ballet “Firebird” for the Dance Theatre… read more about The Body as Archive »
The 2025 Duke Dance Program Spring Dances Concert, will take place April 17 and 18 in Von Der Heyden Theater, Rubenstein Arts Center. Auditions will be open in January for interested participants. After each audition, students will receive a permission number to register for the course. AuditionsPerformance: Modern/DANCE 412Instructor: Kristin Taylor DuncanAudition Date/Time: Thursday, January 8, 7:30 - 8:45, Rubenstein Arts Center Studio … read more about Auditions for Spring Dances Concert - 2026 »
Duke’s Trinity College of Arts & Sciences has invited its faculty to submit proposals for the creation of new research initiatives on campus.Following the successful launches of the SPACE Initiative and the Society-Centered AI Initiative, the Trinity Research Initiative will support new directions for interdisciplinary research through seed funding for nascent research collaborations, community-building, and complementary educational and outreach activities.Open to all areas of research and… read more about Trinity College of Arts & Sciences Invites Proposals for New Research Initiatives »
Program II has launched a bold initiative that puts students directly into the worlds they hope to change. The inaugural cohort of Annenberg Fellows for Interdisciplinary Learning and Engagement (AFIRE) represents the start of a dynamic program open to sophomores, juniors and seniors. Powered by a generous gift from the Annenberg Foundation, AFIRE provides funding for internships and research opportunities that enrich and expand on a student’s individually crafted academic track. “Program II has long been known for… read more about Program II Annenberg Fellows Are Fueling the Future »
The Dance Program celebrated its graduates with a breakfast reception on Saturday, May 10th at Ruby Lounge in the Rubinstein Arts Center. Graduates enjoyed live music from pianist Mark Wells and a heartwarming welcome speech from department Chair Andrea E. Woods-Valdés. Following an introduction by Associate Professor of the Practice and Director of Undergraduate Studies Iyun Harrison, many program professors presented tributes to the undergraduates majors and minors. Associate Professor of the… read more about Congratulations, 2025 Graduates! »
When I learned that Glenna Batson had passed away this past August, I felt the profound weight of absence. Yet alongside the sadness came a stirring impulse — to gather her stories, her spirit, and her love of movement, and let them speak. Glenna was never simply my teacher, nor only my student, nor merely a colleague. She was all three at once — and always a source of inspiration, both in her pedagogy and in the way she lived her life as a creative being and an endlessly curious spirit.The Many Pathways of a Life… read more about Remembering Glenna Batson: A Life in Motion, a Legacy in Embodiment »
Growing up, Tamara Houck trained in the pre-professional division of Dance Theatre of Harlem and then at Ballet Hispánico, taking a full load of classes in ballet, modern, and more. But when applying to college, she knew she didn’t want to major in dance. “As much as I love it, I didn’t see myself having a career in it,” she says. She didn’t want to stop dancing, though. So she became a biochemistry and biotechnology major at Tufts University, and, in addition to taking dance courses open to nonmajors, she joined the Tufts… read more about Duke Dance Professor Shares How to Have a Rich Dance Life at College Without Getting a Dance Degree »
On September 18th, Duke’s Asian American & Diaspora Studies (AADS) Program and Dance Program co-sponsored the screening of the documentary film "Mama Dancers" at the Rubenstein Arts Center Film Theater. Mama Dancers, co-directed by Assistant Professor of the Practice of Dance Jingqiu Guan and Yang Tao, received the “Outstanding Documentary Film Award” in July at the Beijing Dance Festival and “Asian Premiere & Recipient of Outstanding Documentary Award” in August at the Manifest Dance-Film Festival, the biggest… read more about Duke Dance and AADS Host Screening of Jingqiu Guan’s Award-Winning “Mama Dancers" »
Date & Time: Tuesday, October 28, 3:05-4:40PMLocation: Rubenstein Arts Center, Studio 124 This class is open to all students and community guests! Registration Required!About the ClassFlamenco Vivo offers classes that increase the participant's awareness and understanding of flamenco dance and its cultural heritage. The classes include a brief history of the origins of flamenco dance, music and song and how the various cultures that… read more about Flamenco Vivo! Master Class »
Natalie Gilbert, a longtime accompanist for the Duke Dance Program, was recently honored by the International Guild of Musicians in Dance (IGMD) with the Louis Horst Award for her outstanding contributions to the field. Gilbert was presented with the award at the organization’s conference at Bellhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi. The Louis Horst Award celebrates Gilbert’s decades of work at the intersection of music and movement, and also highlights Duke’s continued commitment to live music in dance — a… read more about Duke Dance Accompanist Natalie Gilbert Honored by International Guild of Musicians in Dance »
On Sunday, June 29, 2025, The American Dance Festival (ADF) presented the 2025 Balasaraswati/Joy Anne Dewey Beinecke Endowed Chair for Distinguished Teaching to dance educators Lynda Davis and Clay Taliaferro in a ceremony at The Fruit in Durham, North Carolina. Nile H. Russell, ADF’s Director of Education wrote, “Their remarkable careers in education have impacted and inspired generations, both in and beyond the studio. By fostering care, curiosity, and intellect, they create a space for… read more about With Celebratory Brunch, Clay Taliaferro Receives ADF's 2025 Endowed Chair for Distinguished Teaching »
Welcoming to our NEW MFAEIP dance cohortThe Dance Program is thrilled to welcome the newest MFAEIP students to our dance community: Celeste Brace, Haiyi Chen, Michela Dwyer and Xinyi Zhang. The 2027 cohort joins us from Chicago, Beijing, Washington, D.C. and Shanghai — bringing a wealth of new perspectives and intriguing research goals. Celebrating past and present Duke dance graduates at the annual Summer HothouseOur new, returning and alumni dance graduate students have already hit… read more about MFAEIP Summer News »
This summer, MFA in Dance candidate Tristian Griffin traveled to Benin, West Africa, with support from Duke's Dance Program and the Global Affairs Research Fund. He stayed in Cotonou for one month working with Marcel Gbeffa’s Centre Choregraphique Multicorps student dance company, Trans d’union. Griffin pursued his thesis research that explores the body and the land as living archives through which cultural transmission and transgenerational inheritance can be accessed. Amid dance, meals, laughter, site visits and… read more about MFA in Dance Candidate Explores Living Archives in Benin »
The 2025 Duke Dance Program fall performance, November Dances, will take place November 21 and 22 in Reynolds Theater. This is an evening of faculty and student works presented to the campus and community. Auditions are now open for interested participants.AuditionsPerformance: African Dance/Dance 432Ava Vinesett – Wednesday, August 27, 7:30 PM-8:45 PM, Rubenstein Arts Center 224Performance: Ballet/Dance 422Iyun Harrison - Tuesday, August 26, 3:05 PM - 4:20 PM, Rubenstein Arts Center 224Performance: Modern/Dance… read more about Auditions for November Dances - 2025 »
Fresh from the Outer Banks, sun-kissed, slightly sore yet fully inspired, Torry Bend is eager to continue the work started at Duke’s Marine Lab this summer. The professor of the practice in Theater Studies spent six weeks in Beaufort, North Carolina, directing Arts+ Resilience Through Puppetry and exploring the art form’s roles in teaching climate sustainability and community building. They came. They saw. They built a leviathan. The Arts+ team (from… read more about When Puppetry and Environmental Resiliency Go Hand-in-Hand »
As a student in Duke's Graduate Liberal Studies (GLS) program, Kalei Porter ('25) joined a unique multidisciplinary community with rich academic and artistic resources. Porter used the flexibility of her GLS degree to study History and the environment, while working as a dance teacher and performer. As the 2025 Season of the American Dance Festival came to a close, Porter reflected on a recent dance performance… read more about Reimagining 'Rite of Spring': Duke Alumna Reflects on Dance History Through KT Dance Collective Performance »
Each year, the Duke Dance program presents awards to undergraduate students in the arts. These awards highlight students with outstanding leadership, artistic and technical growth and potential, writing and research skills in the arts. Learn more about these exceptional students. The Julia Wray Memorial Dance Award 2025: Kayla LihardoThe Julia Wray Memorial Dance Award celebrates the memory of Prof. Julia Wray who for many years was the leader and passionate protagonist for dance at Duke and in North Carolina. The 2025… read more about 2025 Undergraduate Dance Award Winners »
Clay Taliaferro, professor of the practice emeritus in the Dance Program, will be honored with the 2025 Balasaraswati/Joy Anne Dewey Beinecke Endowed Chair for Distinguished Teaching award from the American Dance Festival (ADF) on June 29.A celebrated figure in the world of dance, Taliaferro has built a remarkable sixty-year career as a dancer, choreographer and educator. His professional teaching journey began in 1969 at the American Dance Festival, where his collaborations… read more about Dance Emeritus Clay Taliaferro Honored by American Dance Festival »
Bradley Simmons, director of the Duke Djembe and Afro-Cuban Ensembles, passed away on May 22, 2025. Since 1998, Simmons taught West African and Afro-Cuban music at Duke, using instructional methods steeped in a rich oral tradition passed down through generations of musicians. “We are deeply saddened,” said Verena Mösenbichler-Bryant, chair of the department of Music. “Bradley’s extraordinary passion, rhythmic brilliance and generous spirit left an indelible mark on generations of students and on our department.… read more about In Memoriam: Bradley Simmons (November 14, 1951 – May 22, 2025) »
At Duke, Marrujo found more than a college — he found a dance family built on collaboration and creativity. (Photo courtesy of Antonio Marrujo) “I started dancing in high school and quickly realized that it was something I wanted to stick with for the rest of my life,” shares rising senior Antonio Marrujo. “When applying to colleges, Duke stood out to me because I found the Dance Program to be so tight-knit and highly collaborative.”Student dance groups on campus stood out, too, so… read more about Mind and Motion »
The following is a partial list of national, university, school and departmental awards presented to the members of the Class of 2025. In some awards where there are multiple winners, only members of the Class of 2025 are included. read more about Department Honors and Laurels for the Class of 2025 »
In March, the Dance Program made a strong impression at the Mid-Atlantic regional conference for the American College Dance Association (ACDA), held this year at the University of Maryland. MFA in Dance candidates Sadé Jones and Tristian Griffin, along with Associate Professor of the Practice Iyun Ashani Harrison, represented the Program.“ACDA offers an invaluable platform for artists to share their research and engage with the work of their peers,” Harrison explainsJones and Griffin co-created and performed “UBUNTU,”… read more about Students Showcase Work at ACDA Conference »
The arts play an important part of the Duke student educational experience, providing exceptional performing opportunities. The benefits extend to the wider community outside of Duke, from the many community members who are entertained by the students’ concerts, plays, dances, films and exhibits.Some of these young artists are heading into career in the arts; most will head into other fields. But all student artists will carry the memories of the art they did at Duke for the rest of their lives.Below are snapshots of a few… read more about The Class of 2025’s Got Talent »