Florida State University’s School of Dance is one of the top programs in the nation, according to Backstage Magazine, a leading entertainment industry trade publication.

Backstage ranked FSU’s dance program No. 4 nationally while touting the school’s outstanding facilities, skill-building curriculum, performance opportunities for dancers, post-college prep and notable alumni.

“This industry publication is largely centered in New York City, a major hub for dance in the world,” said James Frazier, dean of the College of Fine Arts. “For FSU to appear in that ranking as highly as we did is really something to be proud of.”

Backstage covers the performing arts from the perspective of the artists themselves. Apart from facilitating the casting and auditioning processes, Backstage also writes stories on important buzz in the industry.

“It always feels good to be acknowledged for the work we do here at the School of Dance,” said Anjali Austin, chair of the school. “This recognition speaks to the strength of our faculty and the quality of the experience we offer our students.”

“This recognition speaks to the strength of our faculty and the quality of the experience we offer our students.”

— Anjali Austin, chair of the School of Dance

Backstage also singled out the school’s world-class practice facilities, including its six studio spaces, a conditioning studio, a costume shop, centers for music and technology, a black box theatre and the fully equipped proscenium Nancy Smith Fichter Dance Theatre.

Notable alumni Jawole Willa Jo Zoller, founder of Urban Bush Women; Broadway performer Yeman Brown; and Lela Aisha Jones, founder of the Lela Aisha Jones FlyGround, were highlighted in the ranking as an example of what FSU dance students can achieve.

“We have an incredible roster of alumni,” Frazier said. “This speaks to the quality of our program in terms of teaching. The instructors we have are really committed to training and developing scholars, artists, choreographers and dancers.”

FSU’s rigorous dance BFA program allows students to explore performance and choreography, as well as pedagogy, history and aesthetics. Through the two unique programs — Arts in NYC and FSU Dance in Paris — students can immerse themselves in the culture and interact with industry professionals, attend masterclasses, take courses and perform for audiences.

The rankings news comes as FSU’s School of Dance rings in its 90/60/20 Celebration, honoring 90 years of Dance at FSU, 60 years of dance degrees and 20 years since the founding of the Maggie Allesse National Center for Choreography, or MANCC.

The school plans to honor the alumni, current students, faculty and staff who contributed to the program’s growth through a yearlong slate of events.

MANCC is the world’s first national center for choreography, located in a major research institution. MANCC offers opportunities for contemporary choreographers to hone their artistic practice and develop new work inside a creative community that offers opportunities for FSU dance students to work with these artists directly or perform in their work.

Through annual events like “Days of Dance” and “An Evening of Dance”, FSU students apply what they have learned and showcase their abilities while performing before audiences.

“There are other programs with deep and rich histories on that list, so we’re just really proud to be in the company of those programs,” Frazier said. “The rankings are one thing, but the idea of being known for the company you keep or the people and institutions you’re placed alongside becomes meaningful. It’s a great list of schools. To have Florida State featured prominently in that list makes me proud.”

For more information on the School of Dance, visit dance.fsu.edu.

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Margaret “Maggie” Strum Acheson Allesee, who attended Florida State College for Women just as it was transitioning to a co-ed university, passed away on Jan. 27 at the age of 94.  

A 1949 FSU graduate in English, journalism and education, Allesee went on to earn a master’s degree in education, guidance and counseling and a post-master’s degree in gerontology from Wayne State University, along with four honorary doctoral degrees.  

As FSU’s first head cheerleader leading the opening cheer at the first football game in 1947, Allesee was also the first woman to win a varsity letter. She later went on to be the only female of the FSU Varsity Club’s dozen founders.  

Allesee traveled the world and settled in the Detroit area, but she never stopped cheering for Florida State, returning annually to Tallahassee to don her original uniform and make appearances in the FSU Homecoming Parade and on the football field.   

“It was such a joy to see her return each year for our homecoming festivities,” said Julie Decker, president and CEO of the FSU Alumni Association. “She leaves a generous legacy that will continue paving the way for a new generation of FSU athletes and artists.” 

An avid Seminole fan and ardent supporter of her alma mater, Allesee had a rich history of philanthropy to FSU.

In 2000, Allesee endowed the Maggie Strum Allesee Women’s Golf Scholarship, which has greatly benefited female student-athletes in the sport, most recently Kaylah Williams, a sophomore psychology major from South Africa. 

Allesee also gifted the university the one-ton, 15-foot-tall statue, Sportsmanship, which stands in Strum Plaza at Doak Campbell Stadium. Unveiled in 2000, the gift honors her father, Al Strum, an athlete in his own right who had a remarkable reputation for grace and sportsmanship.  

Most notably, she endowed the Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography in 2004. The center, housed within the FSU School of Dance, is the first national center for choreography located in a major research institution. Since its inception, MANCC has supported multi-week residencies for more than 150 choreographers and their 1,100+ collaborators worldwide. In 2013, FSU honored Allesee with a Doctor of Humane Letters degree for her support of dance innovation and research. 

“Through the experience in this center for choreography, FSU offers a positive impact for developing outstanding dancers from all over the world,” Allesee said. “High levels of education are the finest gifts we can provide for our students today.” 

Carla Peterson, MANCC director since 2014, credits Allesee’s “expansive vision, deep passion for dance, commitment to students and abiding generosity” for inspiring artists and propelling the center’s success.  

“We owe her a deep measure of gratitude for a center that will continue to support artists and model professional pathways for students long into the future,” Peterson said. 

Maggie will be mourned by many, including her three children Shirley Shirock (Bob), Kathy Cooke (Kim) and Michael Acheson (Adele); three stepchildren Robert Jr, John (Karen Sterzik) and Bill Allesee (Joan); 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. 

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A unique residency program gave Florida State University School of Dance students the opportunity to learn from a legend last fall.

The Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography (MANCC), a dance and choreographic research center in the FSU School of Dance, hosted renowned choreographer Dianne McIntyre as part of Living Legacy, a program created to offer American artists of global significance the opportunity to further their legacy and ideas.

Anjali Austin, chair of the School of Dance, said the artist residencies help students forge connections that serve “as a gateway into the world of dance outside of FSU.”

While in residence at FSU last November, nationally acclaimed dance pioneer McIntyre invited students to help in the development of her new work, “In the Same Tongue,” a full-length multidisciplinary piece that features poetry by the Obie-winning playwright Ntozake Shange, a composition by celebrated jazz musician Olu Dara and original music by renown American composer and cellist Diedre Murray.

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