Lafayette has received a $450,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for “Choreographers on Campus,” a three-year initiative in collaboration with Cedar Crest, Moravian, and Muhlenberg colleges, and Lehigh and DeSales universities.
“We are delighted at this opportunity to partner with other area colleges and universities to enhance dance education and performance in the Lehigh Valley,” says President Alison Byerly. “This project will not only benefit the dance community, it will showcase the way in which art can stimulate explorations of creativity across a range of fields and disciplines.”
The centerpiece of the project is a series of semester-long and short-term residencies— many connected to touring performances by the guest choreographers’ companies—with Lafayette as the primary venue.
New York choreographer Ben Munisteri will lead the first residency. He will offer Dance as an Art Form in spring at Lafayette. He will be choreographer-in-residence, facilitating performances, classes, and teaching workshops on all of the campuses.