08/18/2026
💙 KNOW OUR HISTORY: CATHERINE J. FELLOWS 💙
To understand the history of Dance Education at Central Connecticut State University, you have to know the name Catherine J. Fellows.
For more than 40 years, Professor Emerita Catherine Fellows was a driving force behind Dance Education at CCSU. After joining the university, she began developing and teaching new dance courses and continued building the program from individual course offerings into a minor and ultimately into the Dance Education major.
Fellows is credited with making the Dance Education major a reality in
Her vision extended beyond the university. Beginning in 1989, she worked alongside dance professionals to advocate for state recognition of Dance Education teacher certification. After a 14 year effort, Dance Education teacher certification became a reality in Connecticut, creating an important pathway for future educators to bring dance into public schools.
She also championed the creation of a permanent home for Dance Education at CCSU. That vision became the Catherine J. Fellows Dance Education Center, which proudly bears her name today.
Throughout her career, Fellows remained a tireless advocate for dance, students, educators, and the belief that the arts are an essential part of education.
The B.S. in Dance Education, teacher certification pathway, and Dance Education Center that exist today are all connected to the foundation she spent decades building.
As we continue moving CCSU Dance Education forward, we also believe it is important to know and honor the history that made the program possible.
Thank you, Catherine Fellows, for building a legacy that continues to prepare and inspire generations of dance educators and performers. 💙
Know our history. Honor the legacy. Continue the work.
