By Lanita Withers Goins, University Relations
Janet Lilly
Contact: 336-334-3890
Posted 4-14-11
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Janet Lilly, a former principal dancer and master teacher with the renowned Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, has been named the new head of the Department of Dance in UNCG’s School of Music, Theatre and Dance. Her appointment begins Aug. 1.
Lilly comes to UNCG after more than 15 years with the Peck School of Arts Department of Dance at the University of Milwaukee-Wisconsin, where she was instrumental in creating a low-residence MFA program for returning dance professionals. Lilly also served as the dance department’s chair from 2005 to 2009.
The winner of a 2008-09 Fulbright Lecturer Award, Lilly has taught as a guest artist and master teacher on college campuses in the United States and abroad. She’s been awarded numerous grants and awards, including a 2001 National Endowment of the Arts Creation and Planning Grant. She’s also stayed active in dance performance, choreographing for dance companies in Milwaukee, New York City and Pittsburgh.
Prior to her academic career, Lilly spent eight years with the New York-based Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, performing in numerous international tours. In addition to her roles as principal dancer and master teacher, Lilly also served as rehearsal director and choreographic assistant with the company.
A native of California, Lilly grew up in Iowa City, Iowa, where her passion for dance was kindled after her mother enrolled her in children’s dance classes at the University of Iowa. Lilly earned a bachelor’s in dance from New York University in 1982 and a master’s in fine art in dance with highest honors from the University of Michigan in 1992.
Lilly said she was drawn to UNCG’s dance department, in part, by the balanced focus on dance scholarship and dance performance. “The key thing about dancers is that they keep training their bodies. You never really stop being a student,” she said. “To be in a situation where I am surrounded by new ideas and different ways of looking at things is a way for me to grow, not only as an artist but also as a thinker and an administrator.”
Lilly replaces Dr. Jan Van Dyke, who is entering phased retirement. Van Dyke, head of the Department of Dance for the past five years, has wide experience as a producer, administrator and an artist. She’s the founder and producer of the NC Dance Festival, an annual showcase of regional choreography, and her work has earned support from agencies including the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts Council and the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. A 1993 Fulbright Scholar, Van Dyke earned a doctorate in Curriculum and Educational Foundations from UNCG. The university community also honored her with the 2010 Gladys Strawn Bullard Award for initiative and perseverance in leadership and service.
