The Florida State University School of Dance will launch a one-of-a-kind certificate program this fall, providing formal training for musicians interested in working in the dance field.

Created in partnership with the College of Music, the new Dance Accompanying Certificate is designed to develop the skills, experience and musical adaptability needed to work alongside performers and choreographers in academic institutions, conservatories and professional studios.

“This certificate offers students a rare hands-on opportunity to develop both the musical and collaborative skills needed to work with dancers,” said Daniel Smith, School of Dance assistant professor and director of the certificate program. “Dance accompanying is a sophisticated musical practice that requires creativity, artistic awareness and a deep sensitivity to movement.”

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(Updated 12:20 p.m. Jan. 28, 2026) 

Florida State University’s Office of Research will host the 2026 Festival of the Creative Arts, a campuswide event that highlights the voices, talents and creativity of FSU faculty and students in February and early March.

Departments from across campus will celebrate the innovation and creative excellence that results from combining various modes of expression and disciplines.

“Each year, the Festival of the Creative Arts celebrates interdisciplinary engagement across campus with events that include faculty and student participation,” said Iain Quinn, festival director and FSU’s Research Fellow in the arts and humanities. “In addition to ongoing research conversations that develop from one festival to another, there are also new collaborations and multiple first performances.”

Several events are offered for K-12 students and families, including “It’s the Weather!” at the Challenger Learning Center of Tallahassee on Saturday, Feb. 7. There will also be a premiere of a new performance work involving digital art and music.

“It’s an excellent opportunity to learn about the historic and contemporary connections between art and science with multiple hands-on activities,” Quinn said. “The festival is always a special opportunity for everyone to be inspired by the creative spirit that defines FSU.”

All events are free of charge, and no reservations are required. For more information, visit research.fsu.edu/fca.

The full list of events includes:

FRIDAY, FEB. 6

Poets at the Party
7:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Nancy Smith Fichter Dance Theatre, Katherine W. Montgomery Hall

A special collaboration between dance, hospitality, music and poetry featuring multiple premieres across disciplines.

Participants: Darcie Ogando Almánzar, Jacob Andrews, Lilian Baker, Shea Boeker, Jacob Grice, Isabelle Hagley, Caroline Laganas, Raúl Parra, Natalie Eleanor Patterson, Camille Pepper, Christell Victoria Roach, Jan Schwalbe, Sophia Upshaw, Hugh Wilhelm, Kuan-Yu Yang and members of the FSU Trombone Choir. 

SATURDAY, FEB. 7

It’s the Weather!
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Challenger Learning Center of Tallahassee

Come and learn about the weather and nature in works of art while discovering scientific facts about the world around us. This event features hands-on activities led by faculty from the departments of art history, art education and music education, as well as the first performance of a new interdisciplinary work with digital art and music. Great for K-12 students.

Participants: Angelina Ciardi, Eren Gümrükçüoğlu, Ann Harrington, Stephanie Leitch, Marlo Ransdell, Keith Roberson, Sara Scott Shields, the FSU Guitar Ensemble and the National Weather Service Tallahassee.

SUNDAY, FEB. 8

Storytime Under the Stars
6 – 7 p.m.
Challenger Learning Center of Tallahassee

Experience an evening of nostalgia and wonder at the Fogg Planetarium, where classic stories come to life under a celestial canopy of stars. This event is specially designed for young children and their families.

Participant: Christine Hansen.

TUESDAY, FEB. 10

Arts-Health-Humanities Symposium VI
12 – 2:30 p.m.
Claude Pepper Center

This annual festival meeting of faculty and students — from design, medicine, music education, music therapy and musicology — continues conversations about current research and future interdisciplinary collaborations. Includes poster presentations by art therapy and music therapy.

Participants: Michael Bakan, Daejin Kim, Adriana Lizardi-Vázquez, Parintorn “Pim” Pankaew, James Riley, Tana Jean Welch and Racheal Yap.

THURSDAY, FEB. 12

Classics Symposium
5:30 – 7 p.m.
Beth Moor Lounge, Longmire Building

Join a celebration of Ancient Greek and Latin poetry featuring an evening of readings of ancient texts and creative performances by students and faculty.

Coordinator: Virginia Lewis.

MONDAY, FEB. 16

Nickel Boys
6 – 9 p.m.
Askew Student Life Center

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead, “Nickel Boys” chronicles the powerful friendship between two young African American men sentenced to Nickel Academy. Co-presented with the FSU Civil Rights Institute.

Participants: Ted T. Ellis, Keithen Mathis, Dennis Moore and Mark Schlakman.

TUESDAY, FEB. 17

The Art of Walking
12 – 1:15 p.m.
Bradley Reading Room, Strozier Library

Walking in the city is not only a form of physical exercise and transportation, but a social and cultural practice described as flânerie. The lecture will amble through some of the major French figures who wrote about the flâneur’s and flâneuse’s kaleidoscopic encounters with the sights and sounds of urban life. Co-presented with the Milton S. Carothers Faculty Lecture Series.

Participants: Aimée Boutin and Meaghan McSorley.

FRIDAY, FEB. 20

Lay of the Land
Symposium: 2 – 5:30 p.m.; Opening: 6 – 8 p.m.
Facility for Arts Research

“Lay of the Land” is a Department of Art faculty exhibition and symposium exploring the beauty, complexity and fragility of the landscapes we inhabit.

Participants: Department of Art Faculty.

SUNDAY, FEB. 22

Chamber Music of Frank Martin
4 – 5:30 p.m.
Longmire Recital Hall

A concert devoted to the music of the great Swiss composer Frank Martin (1890-1974), offering an exceptional opportunity to hear his distinctive voice across numerous contrasting ensembles.

Participants: Stijn De Cock, Geoffrey Deibel, Amy Dill, Suzanne Lommler, Mary Matthews, Dylan Principi, Pamela Ryan, Gregory Sauer, Natalie Sherer, Marcy Stonikas, Shannon Thomas and Valerie Trujillo.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 25

The Contemporary Film – Finding Your Family
6 – 9 p.m.
Askew Student Life Center

An evening of cinematic exploration with panel discussions about the many definitions of family. Screening of a collection of student shorts followed by a Q&A conversation with members of FSUFILM faculty.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEB. 27-28

24-Hour Create-A-Thon
Feb. 27, 4 p.m. – 12 a.m.; Feb. 28, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Pitches, Performances, Awards: Feb. 28, 2 – 4 p.m.
Innovation Hub

FSU students from across campus work in interdisciplinary teams to develop new works that celebrate creativity as a foundation of innovation across the disciplines. Registration opens Jan. 26.

Coordinator: Ken Baldauf.

SUNDAY, MARCH 1

Interlocking Art: A Mixed Media Gala
6 – 9 p.m.
Student Union

Club Downunder and the Department of Student Engagement present an evening of student creativity across the arts, culminating in an annual fashion show.

Exhibitions

Water Ways: Indigenous Ecologies and Florida Heritage
Elizabeth A. Cecil (Curator)
Co-presented with the FSU Native American and Indigenous Studies Center.
Museum of Fine Arts

Akimbo: A Solo Exhibition by Zoë Charlton
An installation and animated film exploring themes of memory, place, and resilience in the Tallahassee Landscape.
Museum of Fine Arts

Lay of the Land
Department of Art Faculty
Facility for Arts Research

The Art of Healing – Ted T. Ellis
Robert Manning Strozier Library

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Florida State University’s School of Dance presents “An Evening of Dance” featuring a blend of contemporary and traditional works, staged and choreographed by FSU faculty and nationally acclaimed guest artists and performed by FSU dance students.

Performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, and Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Nancy Smith Fichter Dance Theatre in Montgomery Hall.

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Florida State University’s Gwen Welliver has dedicated her career as a choreographer and dancer to exploring the expressions of lines in performance and visual art. In 2020, a new intangible but transformative line impacted her life and career, culminating in her recognition as a Guggenheim Fellow.

Welliver, associate professor in the School of Dance, is part of the 100th class of Guggenheim Fellows, 198 distinguished individuals working across 53 disciplines. She was among a group of about 3,500 artists, writers, scholars and scientists who participated in the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation’s competition. Her fellowship is in the choreography category.

“The Guggenheim Fellowship is one of the highest honors that can be awarded to an artist, and Gwen is truly deserving of this recognition,” said James Frazier, dean of the College of Fine Arts. “Her dedication to her craft shines through in her work as a choreographer, performer and instructor. Gwen is exploring new horizons in the field of dance and serving as a mentor to the next generation of leaders in the field. We are incredibly proud to count her among our School of Dance faculty, and to congratulate her on this prestigious award.”

Welliver’s work, which spans performance, teaching, opera and drawing, has been recognized with numerous awards and fellowships throughout her career, including the Bogliasco Foundation Fellowship in Choreography, the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Choreography, and the New York Dance and Performance (“Bessie”) Award for Sustained Achievement in Dancing.

“Thankfully, I have a brilliant, hilarious and generous family who encouraged me to keep applying for the Guggenheim Fellowship. That was good advice!” she said. “In this moment I want to immediately highlight all my extraordinary collaborators whose commitment, skill and character are of the highest caliber. Thank you to FSU’s Council on Research and Creativity for their invaluable support for the research necessary to make original work. I’m elated and deeply honored to be selected as a Guggenheim Fellow.”

In 2019, Welliver embarked on a new series of projects, driven by her curiosity about simultaneity — the idea of a performer negotiating multiple things at the same time, or within the work itself. Little did she know that the pandemic would soon hit and force her and her team to face this concept in a completely new way. Her ability to adapt to the shifting environment helped her create unique works and she continues to explore the theme of losing control of the outcome.

“The simultaneity of academic demands and creative pursuits has been a constant in my life. Being honored with the Guggenheim amidst a curriculum committee meeting, where I was mapping student learning outcomes to courses, beautifully illustrates the balance I strive for between my roles as an educator and a choreographer. It reminds me of the importance of focus and dedication to one’s work, regardless of the setting or recognition.”

— Gwen Welliver, associate professor in the School of Dance

“The fear and isolation brought by the pandemic turned private spaces into public ones, thanks to Zoom, and disorientation became a new reality,” she said. “However, losing control isn’t an obstacle but a gift. In allowing both the performer and the director to confront the impossibility of the task, we find true artistry in the struggle and unpredictability of the outcome.”

For her fellowship submission, Welliver proposed a piece called “We Are No Longer Ourselves (Live),” the eighth in a series of works including one live performance, three dance-on-video works, a documentary titled “Pandemic Dance Making,” and two in-process books of images.

As a choreographer, Welliver believes “adaptability is key; it involves reflecting on who you’re working with, where you’re working and the possibilities around you. It’s about embracing the contemporary moment and the people, place and time, thus unlocking new creative potential.”

Despite her preference for live performances, she adapted to the circumstances and produced video works, incorporating the close-up and framing techniques she had developed from Zoom rehearsals. Performers engaged in both simple and complex actions while also combining improvisation with storytelling that questioned reality and imagination.

“These tracks included physical tasks, such as line, fold and rotate, and simple stories like ‘go away and come back with purpose,’” she said. “This approach allowed for remarkable human moments and high-level improvisation.”

When Welliver finally brought her collaborators into the same room at the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York City, she set up half of the studio space with mirrors and props to mimic the apartments they had been rehearsing in, while the other half remained open.

“This taught me a lot about the assumptions I had been making about my work and allowed the performers to traverse and re-situate their typical place of working,” she said.

The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation grants fellowships to individuals who have shown a significant capacity for productive scholarship or creative ability in the arts. Recipients receive a monetary stipend to support their independent work. Welliver plans to incorporate the concept of simultaneity throughout her fellowship, continuously exploring how performers negotiate multiple tasks in various contexts.

“The simultaneity of academic demands and creative pursuits has been a constant in my life,” she said. “Being honored with the Guggenheim amidst a curriculum committee meeting, where I was mapping student learning outcomes to courses, beautifully illustrates the balance I strive for between my roles as an educator and a choreographer. It reminds me of the importance of focus and dedication to one’s work, regardless of the setting or recognition.”

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Florida State University’s School of Dance students had a unique opportunity to work with world-renowned choreographer Peter Chu during two separate weeklong residencies. Chu is known for his evocative fusion of contemporary movement and traditional Chinese medicine.

During these residencies, Chu and Jenni Gordon, artistic collaborator with Chu’s company chuthis, adapted the original work of “Text When You Land,” and guided the students through an intensive creative process. This process emphasized exploring movement from new perspectives, focusing on the importance of intention and the transformative power of dance. Chu’s unique approach blends contemporary dance with elements of traditional Chinese medicine, Qigong and Taiji, immersing the students in a holistic and innovative dance experience.

“Bringing in guest artists like Chu is part of our ongoing commitment to student growth, providing dancers the opportunity to interact with and learn directly from artists of international acclaim.”

— Anjali Austin, chair of the School of Dance

“For School of Dance students, working under Chu’s mentorship was an invaluable experience — one that extended far beyond the dance floor,” said Anjali Austin, chair of the School of Dance. “Bringing in guest artists like Chu is part of our ongoing commitment to student growth, providing dancers the opportunity to interact with and learn directly from artists of international acclaim.”

Throughout the residencies, students were challenged to push their boundaries and think deeply about their artistic choices. Chu’s mentorship provided them with insights into the professional dance world, highlighting the behind-the-scenes work required to bring a piece to life. 

The culmination of this intensive process is the world premiere of Chu’s adapted piece “Text When You Take Off,” part of “An Evening of Dance,” which features works by FSU faculty alongside Chu’s. The evening not only showcases the talent and dedication of FSU’s students but underscores the School of Dance’s commitment to providing transformative, world-class learning experiences. 

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Florida State University’s School of Dance presents “An Evening of Dance,” showcasing five groundbreaking choreographic works.

The performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15 and Saturday, Nov. 16 in the Nancy Smith Fichter Dance Theatre, located in Montgomery Hall on the FSU campus. Friday evening will include a pre-show discussion beginning at 6:30 p.m., offering the audience insight into the creative process behind the performances.

“This year, we are thrilled to present a collection of innovative works that bring contemporary issues and personal expression to the forefront,” said Anjali Austin, chair of the School of Dance. “These pieces reflect the diversity, creativity and power of dance as a storytelling medium.”

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For nearly 30 years, Anjali Austin, professor and chair of Florida State University’s School of Dance, has trained and inspired some of the world’s leading performers, choreographers and teachers in Tallahassee. However, her roots in the community run much deeper.

Austin is sharing her family’s heirlooms and history — five generations’ worth — through an ongoing quilt exhibit at the FSU Museum of Fine Arts and a performance of her original work, “Live Oak,” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, at the Nancy Smith Fichter Theatre. “Live Oak” features Austin, who offers memories of her heritage and lineage through spoken word, movement and voice.

These deeply personal explorations of family history and resilience are recognized as part of the city’s 200-year anniversary, celebrating the diverse communities that have shaped Leon County’s history.

“Anjali Austin’s contributions to Florida State University through her expert instruction in dance and physical conditioning, as well as her active engagement as a creative and performing artist, have helped to define what it means to be a graduate of the FSU School of Dance for the many alums who were fortunate to study with her during her long tenure here,” said James Frazier, dean of the College of Fine Arts. “We are honored to count her as a member of our community, and very excited for her to share her story through this performance and exhibition.”

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Florida State University’s School of Dance Krafft Professor Suzanne Farrell, an internationally recognized New York City Ballet principal dancer, a 2005 Kennedy Center Honoree and the founder of Suzanne Farrell Ballet, has long been regarded as one of the most extraordinary and influential ballerinas of the late-20th century.

Farrell, who performed with the New York City Ballet for 28 years, is considered the last muse and protégé of choreographer George Balanchine, founder of the New York City Ballet.

This year, Farrell set an excerpt of “Divertimento No. 15,” a choreographic piece by Balanchine. This classical ballet was featured in the school’s annual “An Evening of Dance,” which highlighted a diverse lineup of seven live works restaged by retired and current faculty.

“One of my dreams as a dancer was to perform the choreography of George Balanchine,” said Associate Professor Ilana Goldman, who served as the rehearsal director for this work. “When I finally did, it felt sublime, as if I was the physical embodiment of the music. I am so thrilled that our students had the opportunity to not only perform Balanchine’s choreography but to have been coached by his muse, Suzanne Farrell — it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Farrell has been a member of the School of Dance faculty for more than 20 years and continues to work with and mentor students, hosting master classes and workshops at FSU each semester.

“The opportunity to work with a legendary performer like Suzanne Farrell is an amazing experience for our students,” said Anjali Austin, professor and chair of the School of Dance. “Her dedication to our program throughout the past 20 years has made an indelible mark on many.”

In an interview, Farrell re-lived her history with the New York City Ballet, working with Balanchine and how she came to Florida State University to teach.

“Initially, I was not going to teach at a college level,” Farrell said. “I had just been giving young dancer auditions in Miami but came to FSU on my sister’s request and met many nice dancers that made me rethink. It’s a beautiful atmosphere, and I love working here. I give everything when I teach.”

Even early in her career, Farrell thought teaching was not a path she intended to take.

“When I was a young dancer, I thought I had forever,” she said. “Mr. Balanchine once said, ‘One day, you will all teach.’ I thought to myself, ‘I’m not going to teach. All I want to do is dance.’”

That moment of retirement came sooner than Farrell thought, so she began staging and teaching Balanchine’s ballets around the world.

“In a nice way, it extended my dance life,” she said. “I’m not dancing, but I’m still doing what I love to do.”

Farrell noted that the transient nature of a dance career instills a sense of immediacy in a dancer.

“Dance is a young profession; we retire at a young age because the body has to stop,” she said. “Therefore, you have to positively profit from everything you do and every moment you do it. You can’t say, ‘I’ll do it tomorrow’ because before you know it, it’s time to retire.”

Farrell explained, “In ballet, we are our own technology. It’s not like sending someone a text and it’s done — it’s a constant evolution of getting the choreography to where it should be.”

“I like bringing my stories into my teaching because it’s not just the technological aspect, it’s also passing on stories from one person to the next,” she said.

Farrell learned to use visual aspects to provide dancers with a mental image when correcting inaccuracies.

“I’d say ‘move your arms like the leaves when the wind comes, the leaves turn over, they don’t resist.’ Moving with nature is what ballet is all about.”

When asked about the evolution of ballet since she first began her professional career, Farrell highlighted the inheritable legacy left by previous generations.

“We are the beneficiaries of every dancer that came before us. Nobody can do it by themselves,” Farrell said. “There are stories you inherit from someone who maybe danced it first or before you were alive. There’s so much legacy and it’s not just in the past. Just because someone isn’t alive anymore doesn’t mean they are not influential and inspiring in spirit.”

This academic year, the School of Dance is celebrating 90 years of dance, 60 years of dance degrees and 20 years of the Maggie Allesee Center for Choreography at FSU. Recently ranked as one of the top five dance programs in the nation by Backstage Magazine, the School of Dance is dedicated to providing the highest caliber of training to its students.

To learn more about FSU’s School of Dance and the special events scheduled for the 90/60/20 celebration, visit dance.fsu.edu.

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Florida State University’s School of Dance presents “An Evening of Dance,” featuring a diverse lineup of seven live works restaged by retired and current faculty ranging from classical ballet to postmodern choreography.

Performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3 and 4 in the Nancy Smith Fichter Dance Theatre in Montgomery Hall on the FSU campus. Each performance will have a facilitated pre-show discussion with choreographers and rehearsal directors.

“It has been an honor to bring retired faculty in to work with our current students,” said Anjali Austin, chair of the School of Dance. “The pieces that are being restaged have traveled the world and appeared on some of the biggest stages.”

This year’s Evening of Dance will include restaged works by retired faculty Lynda Davis, Anthony Morgan, Gerri Houlihan, Dan Wagoner and Nancy Smith Fichter. The lineup also features work restaged by School of Dance Krafft Professor Suzanne Farrell and work choreographed by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor and Nancy Smith Fichter Professor.

Nearly 60 dance students worked with retired faculty to prepare for the performances, learning works that have been showcased on the Nancy Smith Fichter stage throughout the dance program’s history.

“Providing students with the opportunity to have such an in-depth experience with these legends in the dance field is something that will stay with them throughout their careers,” Austin said.

Farrell, a legendary ballerina and founder of the Suzanne Farrell Ballet company, will showcase an excerpt from “Divertimento 15,” a George Balanchine ballet piece with assistance from former company members Kristin Gallagher and Michael Cook.

Zollar, a MacArthur Fellow and the founder of Urban Bush Women, choreographed “Give Your Hands to Struggle,” a call to examine themes of legacy and lineage — a tribute to civil rights leaders. The title is based on a speech by Adam Clayton Powell “What’s in Your Hands.” FSU alumna Bennalldra Williams, a former Urban Bush Women company member, restaged the piece.

“This is sure to be a year to remember,” said James Frazier, dean of the College of Fine Arts. “The works featured in the program showcase the school’s long and celebrated history. As a School of Dance alumnus myself, I am incredibly proud, and I can’t wait to see the show.”

This year, the School of Dance celebrates their 90th anniversary of dance on Florida State University’s campus, 60 years of professional degree programs and 20 years since the formation of the Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography.

The school is highly regarded for the creation, reconstruction and execution of first-class eclectic dance repertories. For the past 60 years, students have had the opportunity to be rewarded for the creation of such repertoire by pursuing degrees in the field of dance.

Tickets for “An Evening of Dance” performances are $20 for adults, $18 for senior citizens, $12 for children and non-FSU students and $10 for FSU students with ID. All seating is general admission.

For tickets or more information, visit tickets.dance.fsu.edu.

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Florida State University’s College of Fine Arts and several of its departments are observing special anniversaries this academic year, and students, alumni and friends are invited to join the celebration at several upcoming events.

The performing and visual arts have been interwoven into FSU since 1886, when art was introduced as a foundational course for most areas of study. Art became a department in 1906, the first theatre production was staged in 1915, and dance classes began in 1933.

“This academic year, we celebrate several milestones in the arts at FSU, all of which symbolize the legitimization and professionalization of our fields,” said James Frazier, dean of the College of Fine Arts. “This is an opportunity to look back on where we’ve been, where we are today and where we’d like to be in the future. It is also an exciting opportunity to engage with so many people who have helped define the college over the years.”

In 1973, the School of Visual Arts and the School of Theatre were formed from existing components in arts and sciences and education, among others. In 1989, the Department of Dance joined the school and changed its name to the School of Visual Arts and Dance. In 2008, the two schools united to form the College of Visual Arts, Theatre and Dance, and in 2015, the school became the College of Fine Arts.

Today, the College of Fine Arts houses the departments of Art, Art Education, Art History, Interior Architecture and Design and schools of Dance and Theatre.

“FSU’s deep history as an institution where the humanities and arts have figured prominently from the beginning is embodied and is on wonderful display in our various programs,” Frazier said.

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