Autumn semester was packed, and while stressful at times, it was full of full out dancing and laughter and rigorous thought. Read this edition of Inform for stories about our faculty and visiting artist concert, faculty research, graduate students’ producing work, and celebrating the legacy of retiree, now Emeritus, Professor Mitchell Rose.

I am thrilled to announce that Abby Zbikowski is joining us, first as a Visiting Associate Professor for the spring semester where she will teach movement practice, choreography, and create a work on our students, and then permanently as a tenured Associate Professor starting autumn 2022, bringing an exciting and new profile to the department.  We welcome Abby to the team!

I’m also happy to share that Eddie Taketa is now a Professor of Practice not a senior lecturer. This promotion is to a new type of faculty position – the first for this department. It affords him more access to research funds, and greater integration as a full faculty member.

We also welcome Alon Karniel with the support of the Israeli Foundation for the semester. He is teaching movement practice, improvisation, and creating a work for our students. He brings his deep practice of Feldenkrais into the studio and our students will gain profound experiences through this work. We also continue our relationship with Thiossane West African Institute and Director Suzan Bradford-Kounta and her drummers teaching West African dance; the wonderful Donald Isom teaching Krump to the majors and large hip hop classes; and Emerita Bebe Miller creating a work for the students too. All this repertory can be seen April 7-9 in the Barnett.

The early part of the semester will see us meeting candidates for a new faculty line in “Dance and Health” and for a new faculty to be chair. By our spring publication, you can expect announcements!

We continue the Community Conversations that were started in 2020 by our former chair Dr. Nadine George-Graves and the Anti-Racist Working Group of our Dancers in Graduate School organization. This spring starting on February 16 every Wednesday at noon, we will have a visitor. Stay tuned and Zoom in!

Join me in thanking the extraordinary staff and faculty that keep this boat afloat.

Susan Van Pelt Petry 
Professor, Interim Chair