Letter from the Chair

It’s the fall of 2021. First years, sophomores, juniors, seniors, graduate students, faculty and staff in designer and off-the-rack face masks—face-to-face, meeting in one space at the same time—dancing together outside on the lawn behind Montgomery Hall and in the studios. Our community reunited.

We recognized each other through laughter, shapes, sounds, and movements. The School of Dance (SoD) began its first week of classes with excitement and expectation. Even with the trepidation of gathering together, it was a glorious place to be and an opportunity to reflect on everything we had been through, discovered, lost, gained, feared, learned, lived and breathed.

As I reflected on what felt like the year when all stood still, the reality of how active we were began to materialize. SoD faculty projects and activities included thirteen dance films, ten dance screenings, three choreographic works, over fifteen presentations and panels, seven articles, two books, one exhibition and an opera. Engagements occurred with institutions across the U.S., Canada, England, Scotland, Switzerland and Greece. Our students were actively choreographing, creating dance films and rethinking their creative projects for site-specific locations. The School had over thirty lectures and masterclasses with nationally ranked artists, administrators, philanthropists, organizers and arts-related professionals. The Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography’s 2020–2021 season elegantly shifted to supporting an artist for a one-year Tallahassee-based residency while preparing for its busiest season in 2021–2022. There was also the great delight of honoring Professor Emeritus and former SoD Chairperson, Dr. Nancy Smith-Fichter, by celebrating her 90th birthday via Zoom with current and retired faculty staff, students, alumni and friends worldwide.

Alongside this was support from the FSU College of Fine Arts and Dean, Dr. James Frazier. Their tireless stream of energy, communication, availability and guidance buoyed us through uncharted territory while maintaining our purpose of student-centered learning. Our Friends of Dance Council were also instrumental in sustaining us. When the need arose they were there to help and supported our dance majors with over $30,000 of internal scholarships.

In all that we do, we “Do it with Love.” And we found new ways of being and doing. Indeed, the outlook for 2021–2022 is exciting and hopeful! Our annual Evening of Dance concert offers excerpts of choreographic works by George Balanchine, Ronald K. Brown, Dan Wagoner (restaged by Rachel Hunter), and Gwen Welliver. Thirdyear MFA candidates will present their creative projects in fall and spring with films, site-specific and concert works, and in April, our annual Days of Dance series will close the year.

We do hope you will join us, share the space and take in the experience.

Warmly,

Anjali Austin Chair, School of Dance