The former Marymount Manhattan College dance program is now part of Northeastern University in New York City, bringing enhanced resources and expanded artistic programming to the 128-year-old institution’s first-ever department for dance.
The program maintains its conservatory training model within a liberal arts framework, keeping its established schedule, faculty, and programming intact while gaining infrastructure and support, Dance Magazine reported.
Northeastern University Integrates Former Marymount Manhattan College Dance Program
- The former Marymount Manhattan College dance program is now part of Northeastern University, retaining its core curriculum and faculty.
- Melanie George stepped in as dance chair in January 2026, leading plans to expand faculty and artistic programming.
- Students continue to gain immediate stage experience through multiple yearly concerts and long-term artist commissions.
Infrastructure and Resources Expand Under Northeastern
“This merger allows us to have an infrastructure and resources that, as a small institution, were not previously available,” dance chair Melanie George told Dance Magazine. The investment from Boston-based Northeastern University provides the dance program with enhanced support during a precarious time for arts and academia.
While Northeastern maintains its first campus in New York City, the expansion marks the private university’s inaugural dance department. “It’s heartening and empowering that the manner they are investing in New York City is through a school that’s renowned for its successful dance program,” George said to Dance Magazine.
George assumed her role as dance chair in January 2026. An in-demand dramaturg, jazz choreographer, and scholar, she aims to give students access to top-tier dance artists by using the school’s location in the heart of New York City.
Conservatory Training Meets Liberal Arts
The curriculum and departmental structure continue to function as a conservatory training model within a liberal arts program. “We will retain our schedule and our faculty and our programming,” George told Dance Magazine.
Six full-time faculty members and about 40 adjuncts teach ballet, modern, contemporary, jazz, club and street dance styles, and embodied African aesthetics. Each technique class features a rotation of multiple instructors throughout the semester, giving students exposure to deepen their skills and virtuosity.
Those pursuing a BA in dance sciences, pedagogy, or dance and media receive the same conservatory-level training as BFA students. “Students begin to form individual one-on-one relationships with faculty members based on their dance expertise or networks they’re connected to,” George told Dance Magazine.
Direct Pipelines to Professional Careers
Recent alum Christina Naslund entered the dance program in 2022 aiming to become a contemporary ballet dancer before connecting with the jazz faculty. “The teachers are legends in dance,” Naslund told Dance Magazine. “Every day, I was challenged and pushed beyond my comfort zone.”
Dylan Pearce, who serves as the associate choreographer for the Radio City Rockettes, selected Naslund for a jazz piece during her junior year. “Getting that experience and his getting to know my dancing, my style, set me up for the following summer, when I trained at Radio City,” Naslund told Dance Magazine, which resulted in a performance contract with the Rockettes her senior year.
“One of the biggest selling points of our program is that our dancers work,” George told Dance Magazine. “There’s a direct pipeline to having a dance career, whatever version of a career you decide it’s going to be.”
Immediate Stage Experience in New York City
BFA and BA students gain stage experience right away, with every freshman taking a stagecraft class that covers both performance and stage crew operations within their first year. Students audition for two to three concerts per year across various styles.
Keerati Jinakunwiphat contributed contemporary ballet, Betty Weinberger brought theater jazz, Tatiana Desardouin presented house dance, Rena Butler provided contemporary work, and Larry Keigwin staged contemporary dance during the previous semester. Being located in New York City allows the school to commission artists for semester-long commitments.
Butler rehearsed students for two to four hours a week over the course of three months. “It gave me an opportunity to actually absorb what their needs are, where I could challenge them, where they shine,” Butler told Dance Magazine.
The department schedules performance runs spanning two weekends, including two Saturday performances, preparing dancers physically and mentally for company work or Broadway. “Part of the education is learning how to care for their bodies for longevity in the field,” George told Dance Magazine.
