UW Madison Dance Department

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Madison, WI
UW Madison Dance Department

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Innovators in the field of dance, world class faculty, state-of-the art facilities, developing well-rounded artists for the global & technological community

The UW-Madison Dance Department is a leader and innovator in the field of dance. Emphasizing the development of the well-rounded dance artist living and working within a global and technological community. Contemporary dance is at the heart of the program, which is enhanced by the study of somatic practices and other dance forms such as ballet and cultural dance. Physical practice is deepened by rigorous study of conceptual frameworks, history and critical theory. The spirit of creative investigation, originality, innovation, and productivity are main themes within a greater context of social awareness. Courses stress personal creativity, individual growth, and strong dance training. We offer BFA and BS degrees in Dance, certificates in Dance, Dance/Movement Therapy and Pilates.

10/16/2026

The Dance Department is hiring a tenure-track faculty member!

We're seeking candidates whose teaching and creative work will engage students across a range of experience levels, from advanced BFA students and MFA dance graduate students to general education students.

The successful candidate will be a versatile instructor who can offer courses in their areas of specialization, deliver existing courses that bridge theory and practice, and demonstrate experience teaching contemporary dance at all levels plus at least one other dance form. Candidates' creative work should demonstrate the capacity to teach students through original repertory and choreography courses, as well as mentor student works.

We are particularly interested in candidates with expertise and experience teaching in one or more of the following areas: Contemporary Dance, Screendance, Composition, Improvisation, Movement Analysis, Repertory, Contemporary Dance practices from the African(ist) lineage/Africanist Diaspora, Hip Hop/urban dance, ballet, percussive dance, jazz, tap, dance and media, and/or other embodied research practices.

Qualifications & Details:

Education: MFA or PhD in Dance or a related field (by start date)
Start Date: August 2027
Location: Madison, WI
Position: 9-Month Academic Appointment (Includes comprehensive UW benefits and pension)
Deadline to apply: December 31, 2026

Learn more and apply: https://go.wisc.edu/63342u

10/09/2026

A full circle moment during our Centennial Year!

Dance Department alumna Rosa Cisneros returned to Lathrop Hall all the way from the U.K. to lead two immersive Flamenco master classes.

She's done it all! After earning her BFA at UW–Madison, she went on to earn an MA in Dance History and Criticism at the University of New Mexico and a PhD in Sociology from the University of Barcelona.

A professional dancer, historian, and researcher—we were so lucky to have her here so our students could learn Flamenco firsthand!

Thank you, Rosa, for returning to UW–Madison and sharing your time, knowledge, and artistry.

On, Wisconsin! ❤️

10/08/2026

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Dance Department, Omari Carter and Bradford Chin present “Interconnected: A Dance Festival of Bodies, Technology, and Shared Space,” a two-day pop-up festival taking place on Friday, October 16 and Saturday, October 17, 2026, inside the historic Lathrop Hall, 1050 University Avenue, Madison, WI.

Curated to highlight the creative research of Assistant Professors Omari Carter and Bradford Chin, the festival celebrates the interconnectivity of dance by weaving together diverse movement traditions, digital mediums, and collaborative live performances.

Visitors can explore digital works, tactile screendance installations, and live choreographic showcases unfolding across multiple spaces in Lathrop Hall. Installations and site-specific works are scheduled with repeating schedules so that attendees can curate their unique path through the building. Theater performances include a mix of live dance and screendance.

After the final installation circuit, the festival will close with a lively reception in the Virginia Harrison Parlor within Lathrop Hall, featuring a specially curated World Music DJ set, mixed by Omari Carter.

Read more about this event: https://dance.wisc.edu/interconnected/

INSTALLATIONS & PERFORMANCES�
Friday, October 16, 2026
Installations: 2:00-4:00 p.m. & 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Theater Performance: 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, October 17, 2026
Installations: 12:00-2:00 p.m. & 3:45-5:45 p.m.
Theater Performance: 2:30pm

LOCATION
Lathrop Hall, 1050 University Avenue, Madison, WI

TICKETS: https://go.wisc.edu/0y35gf
General public $22 Single-Day Theater Performance or Installation Pass
$27 Full Experience Pass

Students and seniors are $14 Single-Day Theater Performance or Installation Pass
$19 Full Experience Pass.

10/07/2026

Feeling the Legacy! This week, students in Dance 200 explored more than 100 years of the Dance Departments history through the university archives. Getting to handle photographs, documents, and other archival materials offered a hands-on connection to the people and practices that continue to shape dance at UW–Madison today.

09/11/2026

The UW-Madison Dance Department and Kate Corby present “Residues,” a split-bill, contemporary dance concert featuring work by Professor Kate Corby alongside long-time collaborator and guest artist Erin Kilmurray September 25-26, 2026, at the Margaret H'Doubler Performance Space in Lathrop Hall. This visceral, electric program pairs two compelling contemporary choreographic voices that push aesthetic boundaries and ask big questions about the body, performance, and the ways in which we interact with ourselves and others. Read more about the concert here: https://go.wisc.edu/18ydp4

PERFORMANCES�
Fri Sep 25 at 8:00 p.m.
Sat Sep 26 at 2:30 p.m.

LOCATION
Margaret H'Doubler Performance Space, Lathrop Hall
1050 University Avenue, Madison, WI

TICKETS
$27 general public $19 students & seniors
Online: go.wisc.edu/y9hm3d
By phone: (608) 265-2787

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS�
This concert is presented and produced by the Dance Department and supported by the Buff Brennan Professorship of Dance. Erin Kilmurray’s work was made possible with support from Links Hall + Department of Cultural Affairs Special Events/Chicago Cultural Center. Images include a photo of Anna Peretz Rogovoy performing Kate Corby’s “Residues” taken by Tori Duhaime (top) and a photo of Deandra Alaba in Erin Kilmurray’s Untitled (fka Nightshade) taken by Sarah Joyce (bottom).

09/08/2026

Interested in applying for our MFA program in Dance? Want to learn more? We're hosting an online Info Session, Tuesday, September 15 from 9-10am CST over Zoom.

Register here: https://go.wisc.edu/n9w74o

To learn more about our MFA program, including our two named options: 1) Screendance, and 2) Creative Research, Culture, and Practice visit https://dance.wisc.edu/academics/graduate-programs/

09/04/2026

We're loving the start of this 100th Anniversary year & looking forward to a momentous year of learning, creating, and growing together. Go Badgers!

08/03/2026

UW-Madison Dance MFA
Fully funded. Artist-centered. Future-driven.
Applications open Sep 1

More info website

07/15/2026

We have the space you need for creative inquiry and movement exploration. Our tier-1 research facilities are housed in beautiful, historic Lathrop Hall -- the place where tradition meets innovation and where new ideas take shape.

Discover your artistic path at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Dance Department!

More info website

06/25/2026

One Degree. Two Options. Tailor your trajectory. Our 60-credit curriculum is designed to support deep specialization.

More info website

Address

Lathrop Hall 1050 University Avenue
Madison, WI
53706

Website

http://www.dance.wisc.edu/

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