A recent issue of On Wisconsin, UW–Madison’s alumni magazine, featured an article about the 100th anniversary of the Dance Department.

The School of Education’s Dance Department is home to the first academic dance program in the United States, founded in 1926.

“From that beginning, generations of dancers, choreographers, and instructors have carried the Madison influence to stages and studios around the nation,” the On Wisconsin article notes. “This year, UW–Madison is honoring a century of dance with a yearlong celebration.”

The article also shares insight into the role of Margaret H’Doubler in shaping the dance program at UW–Madison. H’Doubler was well known for her unique academic perspective that brought together art and science. She was passionate about uniting creativity and physiology, and kept a human skeleton in her classroom to reinforce scientific concepts in her scholarship.

“A century later, the UW’s dance program is still closely connected with kinesiology,” the article notes.

Li Chiao-Ping, department chair, said the Dance Department’s centennial celebration will continue through May 2027 and include a faculty concert, alumni appearances, and visiting artists. Li also noted the department’s recently launched MFA program as an exciting milestone amid the festivities.