Melonie Buchanan Murray portrait
  • Director, School Of Dance
  • Professor, School Of Dance

Current Courses

Spring 2025

  • DANC 4388-005
    Dance Performance

Fall 2024

Summer 2024

Professional Organizations

  • CORPS de Ballet International. 07/01/2022 - 07/31/2024. Position : President-Elect.
  • Corps de Ballet International. 07/01/2021 - 07/01/2022. Position : Board Member.
  • Dance Studies Association. 09/2017 - present. Position : Member.
  • Corps de Ballet International. 01/01/2015 - 07/01/2021. Position : Board Member, Secretary.
  • Congress on Research in Dance + Society of Dance History Scholars. 01/01/2014 - 09/2017. Position : Member.
  • World Dance Alliance. 01/01/2014 - present. Position : Member.

Curriculum Work

BFA in Ballet:  In 2015-16, the Ballet Program underwent a major curricular overhaul to address issues raised by NASD (National Association of Schools of Dance), the department's accrediting body.  Melonie was instrumental in raising the academic rigor of the BFA in Ballet degree through her research of other institutions and significant contributions to the curriculum development.

MFA in Ballet:  In 2016-17, the Ballet Program proposed an updated relaunch of the MFA in Ballet degree program which had been placed on hiatus since 2012.  Melonie’s extensive research for developing the curriculum included site visits to universities offering ballet-focused undergraduate degrees, conducting interviews with ballet faculty at universities across the nation, and developing a market analysis.  Addressing criticism from the accrediting body and the university graduate school, Melonie created a newly structured and re-visioned curriculum.  The MFA in Ballet degree program will relaunch in Fall 2017.