Centennial Celebration

UW–Madison Dance Department Centennial Celebration

Mark your calendars and join us at Lathrop Hall for a historic gathering honoring a century of innovation, artistry, scholarship, and community in dance. We are thrilled to invite you to celebrate 100 Years of Dance in higher education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison!

In addition to our Centennial Celebration April 14-17, 2027, we have scheduled a series of special events across the 2026-27 academic year, bringing alumni back to campus to teach master classes, set choreography, and share their scholarship and journeys in the field.

The Centennial Celebration Festival Legacies in Motion
April 14-17, 2027

This intensive 4-day festival will feature an extraordinary lineup! Across four days, audiences and participants will experience four juried dance concerts, curated screendance screenings, historical talks and panels, master classes, workshops, and vibrant social events designed to reconnect you with your Badger dance community.

Highlights of the celebration include:

• Keynote Address: Preeminent philosopher, independent interdisciplinary scholar, and distinguished UW–Madison dance alumna Dr. Maxine Sheets-Johnstone will give the keynote as part of the UW–Madison Hilldale Lecture Series April 14.
• Headliner at Shannon Hall: Pilobolus: Trips will be performed at Shannon Hall in the Wisconsin Union Theater, April 16.
• Legacy Panels: Special historical discussions celebrating Margaret H’Doubler and her enduring pedagogical legacy, featuring prominent scholars such as Janice Ross, Margaret Nagle, Tom Hagood, and Andrea Harris.
• Alumni to Perform, Present Work, Teach and Share their Research: Over 65 alumni artists and scholars will share their original choreography, teach master classes, lead research talks, and engage in mentorship with current students.

Whether you’re a current student, alum, faculty member, or friend of the department, this centennial year is a tribute to the past, present, and future of dance at UW–Madison. All major festival concerts, screenings, panels, and talks will be free and open to the public, with live-streaming options available for our global community.

Let’s move forward together—celebrating 100 years of dance and imagining the next 100 years!

Schedule of Events