Dance at Geneseo

The Dance Program at Geneseo offers students opportunities to develop excellence in their creative, performance, and scholarly pursuits within the setting of a liberal arts college. We foster a diverse artistic community marked by mutual respect for the unique talents and contributions of each individual. By providing a diverse learning environment students broaden their viewpoint to participate in our multicultural society and interrelated world.

The Dance Program promotes a nurturing and supportive learning environment; the faculty encourages students to be supportive of each other’s work. The atmosphere is friendly and accepting, fostering a strong work ethic, self-discipline, self-motivation, and consideration of a student’s range of training, performance aptitude and multiplicity in approach. Longevity is a valued aspect of our program as we celebrate 50 years of Dance presence on our campus.

Opportunities

Our program offers students a range of opportunities to study technique, dance history, choreography and more. We host an artist-in-residence every fall, giving the students the opportunity to work with renowned artists and choreographers. In addition, the department's Dance Ensemble presents student and faculty work in a collaborative concert each spring.  

List of Past Artists-in-Residence 

For the past 55 years, the Dance Studies Program has sponsored Guest Artists-in-Residence, creating new works or restaging historic works for the Geneseo Dance Ensemble including:

2024: 

• Dr. Darwin Prioleau creates a traditional jazz work

2023:

• Jon Lehrer, La Follia

2022:

• Dr. Darwin Prioleau creates a traditional jazz work, Kat in the Hat.

2020:

• Guy Thorn creates a traditional Jamaican Dance, They Slice the Air and Reinvent Themselves.

2019:

• Jon Lehrer creates a modern jazz work, Sirenic.

2018:

• Chung-Fu Chang stages a traditional Chinese dance, Wandering River.

2017:

• Molly Christie González stages a Cuban social dance, Candela.

2016:

• Norwood Pennewell creates Rising, a modern work based on Garth Fagan's movement style and technique.
• Mariposa Fernández collaborates with Real World Geneseo to stage First Flame. 

2015:

• Kiara Danielle Brown '01 creates Six Years, One Day, a World War II love story.
• Robin Dunn stages BeyCollage, which blends hip-hop, jazz and house dance styles to music by Beyoncé. 

2014:

• Melanie Aceto ‘95 stages a modern work Merge.
• Merete Muenter ’86 creates a jazz work Cave Paintings/Hieroglyphics.
• Adrienne Hawkins and Nathan Lee Graham Collaborate with Mark Broomfield ’94 on a theatre piece, Feardom.

2013:

• Kylee Pike Fassler ‘04 stages a jazz work Falling on Five (Trip Beat).

2012:

• Jon Lehrer, stages a modern work Murmur.
• Shahin Monshipour teaches Persian Dances.
• Edward J. Murphy, Jr. restages an Irish dance, Tealtaithe Loch.

2011:

• Kylee Pike Fassler ‘04 creates a jazz work, Route 66.
• Joe Langworth ‘88 creates a jazz work, Cut Short.
• Sabatino Verlezza restages a classic modern work, Tobi Roppo.
• Eran David P. Hanlon creates a theatre piece, The Last Coronation.

2010:

• Heather Acomb ‘05 restages her MFA choreographic thesis Ode.
• Bill Evans restages a large ensemble tap piece, Yes, Indeed!.

2009:

• Kylee Pike Fassler ‘04 creates a jazz work, Funny Heartache.

2008:

• Christine Seward ‘04 restages a comic modern piece, Take a Number.
• Meredith Keiser Klus ‘00 restages a modern work, Coming Together.
• Alexander MacDonald ‘08 creates a tap piece, On Common Ground.

2007:

• Thomas Warfield creates a modern work, Gather Here.

2006:

• Tom Ralabate restages a jazz work, Deep Awakening.
• Kylee Pike Fassler ‘04 stages a jazz work Falling on Five (Trip Beat).

2005:

• Mark Santillo creates a modern work, Aaah-Oooh!.

2004:

• Leslie Wexler stages a contemporary dance, Rapid Motion Through Space Elates One.
• Kylee Pike Fassler ’04 stages jazz work, Falling On Five (Trip Beat).

2002:

• Melanie Aceto ‘95 creates an improvisational work Together, We Must.

2001:

• Heather Klopchin ‘95 creates a modern work Reflection.

2000:

• Lesley Tillotson creates Moving Rites.

1999:

• Mark Broomfield ‘94 creates a contemporary piece, Go.
• Melanie Aceto ‘95 and Diana Ricotta ‘95 create A Celebration.

1998:

• Anita Dixit stages Bharatanatyam dances, Ganesha Kauthuvan and Alarippu.
• Rachna Ramya Agrawal stages a Kathak dance Ja Ja Re Kagawa.

1995:

• Ambre Emory-Maier ‘86 restages Michael Uthoff’s, Ode to José.

1994:

• Clyde Alafiju Morgan creates a Nigerian dance, Ijesha.
• Myrna Packer and Art Bridgman create Last Meeting at the Jam House.
• Jacqueline McCausland ‘76 stages In the Spirit of . . ..

1992:

• Nona Schurman stages Doris Humphrey’s, Shakers.
• Anita Dixit stages a Rajasthan folk dance, Jayo Jayo and Bharata Natyam, Dances of India.
• My Hang Huynh creates Vietnamese Dance Suite.
• Fan Yisong restages Chinese Dance Suite.

1991:

• Deborah Carr restages Charles Weidman’s St. Matthew Passion (four excerpts).

1990:

• Nona Schurman stages From Studio to Stage (1957).
• Michelle Buschner creates a jazz work, Give It All You Got.

1989:

• Santo Giglio creates a modern piece, Circle Around The Sun.
• Deborah Carr stages Charles Weidman’s Opus 51 Opening Dance (1938) and Bargain Counter (1936).

1987:

• Deborah Carr restages Charles Weidman’s Christmas Oratorio (1961).
• Ambre Emory Maier ‘86 restages Ann Wilson’s Pre-Classic Dances.

1986:

• Deborah Carr restages Charles Weidman’s Brahms Waltzes (1960).
• Angela Amedore Caplan ‘75 creates Play of Opposites.
• Ambre Emory-Maier ‘86 stages from a Labanotation Score Nona Schurman’s Songs From the Hebrides.

1984:

• Angela Amedore Caplan ‘75 creates Wild Things and Earth Song.

1983:

• Deborah Carr stages Charles Weidman’s Lynchtown (1936).

1982:

• Richard Croskey creates Dance Suite.

1980:

• Jozia Mieszkowski stages Anton Dolin’s Pas de Quatre.

Facilities

The Dance Studies Program is housed in the Brodie Fine Arts Center. The program uses two dance studios, Brodie room. 152 and Schrader room 152. Each studio has heat, windows for fresh air (Schrader), clean sprung dance flooring covered with Marley dance flooring, full-length mirrors, wall-mounted and portable ballet barres, portable air fans, a piano, percussion instruments, audio video equipment, digital projectors, women’s and men’s dressing rooms with attached toilets and showers.

The Brodie Fine Arts Center is also home to two stages: Alice Austin proscenium stage and Robert Sinclair laboratory theatre. Both are located on the second floor in Brodie Hall. Each is equipped with lighting instruments and sound systems. A Marley dance floor is used for all dance concerts. Men and women’s dressing rooms with adjacent toilets, sinks, and showers are located on the first floor. Two fully equipped costume shops and a make-up room are located on the first floor near the dressing rooms.

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