Jawole Willa Jo Zollar

The Big Story: October 4, 2021

Published: October 4, 2021 | 4:27 pm | Posted in: The Big Story

Jawole Willa Jo Zollar is a professor at FSU’s School of Dance and founder of Urban Bush Women (UBW). Photo courtesy of John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Photo courtesy of John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Florida State University’s Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, a professor at FSU’s School of Dance and founder of Urban Bush Women (UBW), has received the 2021 MacArthur Fellowship — also known as the “genius grant” — for using the power of dance and artistic expression to celebrate the voices of Black women and promote civic engagement and community organizing. Read more…

FSU dance professor among organizations to benefit from MacKenzie Scott donations

Published: July 21, 2021 | 9:46 am | Posted in: Arts & Humanities

Urban Bush Women’s "Girlfriends" | Photo Credit: Hayim Heron

Urban Bush Women (UBW), founded by Florida State University School of Dance Professor Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, received a $3 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott — the largest monetary award in the company’s history. The gift is one of 286 high-impact contributions from Scott given to organizations and communities that have been historically underfunded and part of a $2.7 billion in donations. “There have been numerous studies from different sectors of the arts field that have […]

FSU Dance Professor receives prestigious grant from Ford Foundation

Published: October 22, 2020 | 9:58 am | Posted in: Arts & Humanities

Urban Bush Women's I Don’t Know, but I Been Told, If You Keep on Dancin’ You Never Grow Old | Photo Credit: Ian Douglas

The Urban Bush Women (UBW), founded by Florida State University’s School of Dance Professor Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, will receive a seven-figure award from the Ford Foundation as part of an initiative to recognize Black, Latinx, Asian and Indigenous arts organizations negatively impacted by COVID-19. “This major honor comes at an important time when the […]

FSU School of Dance presents striking works at annual ‘An Evening of Dance’

Published: November 18, 2019 | 11:43 am | Posted in: Arts & Humanities

The annual "An Evening of Dance," presented by the Florida State University School of Dance, will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, and Saturday, Nov. 23.

The Florida State University School of Dance presents “An Evening of Dance,” an annual event that highlights the creative choreography and performance skills of the school’s students and faculty. Performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, and Saturday, Nov. 23, at the Nancy Smith Fichter Dance Theatre in Montgomery Hall, located on […]

FSU dance professor honored with lifetime achievement award

Published: October 10, 2017 | 2:15 pm | Posted in: Arts & Humanities

Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, FSU's Nancy Smith Fichter Professor in Dance, receives a lifetime achievement award in dance at the 2017 Bessie Awards Oct. 9 in New York. (Photography by AK47 Division)

Jawole Willa Jo Zollar has used the power of dance to tell heartfelt, transformational stories throughout her entire career. The Florida State University professor’s own story was honored by The Bessies —the Tony Awards of the dance world — as she received the 2017 NY Dance and Performance Award for Lifetime Achievement in Dance during a […]

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