Schmidt Sciences Funds Motion Modeling Research
Professor Charles O. Anderson has been named an Artist Laureate.
Associate Professor Abby Zbikowski awarded the 2025-2026 ASC Mid-Career Faculty Excellence Award.
Assistant Professor Alfonso Cervera had a prolific season.
Assistant Professor Gerson Lanza was featured in the CUNY Dance Initiative.
Assistant Professors Alfonso Cervera and Irvin Manuel Gonzalez recently presented their collaborative work, Nostalgia.
Shaela Davis and Professor Momar Ndiaye were both selected for the 2026-27 Society of Fellows cohort.
Lindsey Beatty presented her findings at the Spring Undergraduate Research Festival.
🗞️ DEPARTMENTAL NEWS & NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Ohio State's Department of Dance Named a Top Dance Program for 2026 We are thrilled to announce that DanceUS.org has officially recommended The Ohio State University’s Department of Dance as one of the Best College Dance Programs in the USA for 2026. This recognition highlights our commitment to artistic rigor and academic excellence.
Schmidt Sciences Funds Motion Modeling Research The department is embarking on a cutting-edge project titled “Improving Motion Modeling: Dance Expertise, Archiving, and Analysis,” recently funded by Schmidt Sciences. This initiative will explore the intersection of dance expertise and data science.
🏆 FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: Awards & Commissions
- Professor Charles O. Anderson has been named an Artist Laureate, a prestigious honor reflecting his deep impact on the field of contemporary dance.
- Associate Professor Abby Zbikowski was awarded the 2025-2026 ASC Mid-Career Faculty Excellence Award for her outstanding contributions to the arts and sciences.
- Assistant Professor Alfonso Cervera had a prolific season, receiving the Community Engaged Scholar Award, a Research Seed Grant, and a commission to create a new work for Bates College.
- Assistant Professor Gerson Lanza was featured in the CUNY Dance Initiative for his upcoming performances of Dance Be Free.
- Assistant Professors Alfonso Cervera and Irvin Manuel Gonzalez recently presented their collaborative work, Nostalgia, exploring themes of memory and identity.
📚 RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS
Our faculty and lecturers are shaping the academic discourse of dance through several new publications:
- Professors Karen Eliot and Daniel Roberts both published new books this year, contributing vital history and pedagogy to the field.
- Assistant Professor Kym McDaniel published a chapter in the volume Applied Bioarchaeology: Making an Impact and was featured on the Voices of Excellence podcast.
- Professor Valarie Williams and Lecturer Ambre Emory-Maier co-authored a new book chapter and served as consultants for the George Balanchine Trust.
- Associate Professor Hannah Kosstrin served as a content expert for a feature article on the legendary choreographer Anna Sokolow.
- Lecturer Joyelle Weaver published an article with Balanced Body International focusing on movement wellness.
🔥 GRADUATE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS
PhD Excellence
- Alyssa Stover won the Selma Jeanne Cohen Conference Presentation Award.
- Alissa Elegant published her research in the prestigious Dance Research Journal.
- Sidra Bell was invited back to the Museum of the African Diaspora for Black History Month and commissioned for a new work by Columbus Dance Theatre.
- Zihao Yuan performed at the Boost Dance Festival and received an Honorable Mention at the Edward F. Hayes Research Forum.
MFA Innovations
- Jiara Sha’s dance film was accepted into both the American College Dance Association (ACDA) and the Liminal Dance Film Festival.
- Yinqi Wang performed in the Touch: Sin City Dance Showcase VII in Las Vegas.
- Zoey November and Mary Storm were profiled in CityPulse for their innovative capstone projects.
- Celia Benvenutti received the Graduate Award for Religion, Spirituality, and the Arts.
- Shaela Davis and Professor Momar Ndiaye were both selected for the 2026-27 Society of Fellows cohort. The Program 60 team and the College of Arts and Sciences also selected Davis for the 2026 Friend of Program 60 Award.
🧐 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Our BFA students continue to excel in the research arena:
- Three BFA students presented their original research at the competitive Denman Undergraduate Research Forum.
- Lindsey Beatty presented her findings at the Spring Undergraduate Research Festival.
- Meghan Bhanoo explored dance around the world.
🎉 ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENTS
- Marjana Krajac (PhD 2024) received the Annual Award for Outstanding Choreography in Zagreb.
- Quilan "Cue" Arnold (MFA 2016) won Best Short Experimental Film at the Dance Camera West Fest.
- Alisha Jihn (MFA 2025) and Joshua Manculich (MFA 2017) both received the Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award.
- Loren Bucek (MA 1980, PhD 2013) was awarded the GCAC Funds for Artists Grant.
🎥 DANCE ON SCREEN
Assistant Professor Kym McDaniel continues to garner international acclaim for her cinematic work, receiving several awards for her latest films at various global festivals.
🔗 STAY CONNECTED
Follow us on social media @osudance for daily updates on performances and masterclasses. Go Bucks!