By Kari Dickinson
As the Dance Department celebrates its centennial, it is also looking to the future with the launch of a new Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Dance program. The first students will arrive in fall 2026.
This fully funded, two-year degree gives outstanding artists opportunities to push the boundaries of their creative and scholarly work, positioning dance as a vital cultural force.
“This program is for dance artists whose work is grounded in critical inquiry, cutting-edge performance-making, and interdisciplinary collaboration,” says Jin-Wen Yu, professor of dance and department chair. “It is another example of our commitment to shaping the future of the field.”
The MFA program offers two tracks — Screendance and Creative Research, Culture, and Practice — built around a collaborative structure, where students will engage deeply with one another’s work.
“They will influence and inspire one another,” says Li Chiao-Ping, director of the MFA program, Sally Banes Professor of Dance, and a Vilas Research Professor. “We’re looking for the change-makers of the future, the next leaders — we want to help them get there.”
For the first time in the U.S., students can earn an MFA in screendance, a hybrid art form blending dance and digital media.
“Screendance is exploding, especially post-pandemic,” says Li, whose work spans multiple art forms on stage and screen. “Empowering the next generation to investigate these possibilities deeply and seriously will transform the dance field across the globe.”
Joining Li as screendance faculty are Douglas Rosenberg, an award-winning filmmaker, scholar, and Vilas Distinguished Professor of Art recognized as a leading voice in the field, and Assistant Professor Omari Carter, a choreographer and screendance maker whose work has been showcased worldwide.
The Creative Research, Culture, and Practice track examines the theories and scholarship shaping dance in today’s globally connected, technology-driven world.
“We’re seeking artists who will engage with emerging technologies while remaining rooted in culture — interrogating histories, reimagining identities, and challenging systems,” says Chris Walker, professor of dance and UW–Madison’s special assistant to the provost on the arts. Walker’s interdisciplinary work explores the visual and performance cultures of the African diaspora.
Supported by endowed funding, including a gift from the estate of Professor Emerita Buff Brennan, a pioneering dance scholar and former department chair, the new MFA program will allow students to advance their education — and further their artistic practice — without financial barriers.
“This endowment is a profound investment into the future leaders of the field — and it’s timely,” says Yu. With the first cohort arriving during the department’s 100th year, Yu adds, “It’s a perfect time to celebrate this program, which will be another great addition to our legacy.”
Special thanks to Kelly Kwiatkowski, UW–Madison Dance Department, for contributing original reporting to this story.