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Ms. Wallie Wolfgruber New Purchase Director of Dance

Date Released: 5/25/2010

She has had a distinguished teaching, performing and choreographic career with a wealth of experience in the studio, on stage and behind the scenes.

Following  a national, search Ms. Wallie Wolfgruber, Brooklyn, will join Purchase College as Director of Dance beginning July 1.  Ms. Wolfgruber has a distinguished teaching, performing, and choreographic career.  She brings a wealth of experience in the studio, on stage, and behind the scenes. Her leadership and commitment to internationalization will enhance the Conservatory of Dance and the College as a whole.

 

Ms. Wolfgruber holds an MFA in Dance from NYU Tisch School of the Arts.  She comes to Purchase from Rutgers University, where she teaches contemporary dance, ballet and improvisation.  She also currently serves as an instructor of ballet at the Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn.

 

She has served on the faculty at Florida State University, Manhattanville College and SUNY Brockport, where she was undergraduate program director for the Dance department.  Ms. Wolfgruber has taught internationally in Kenya, Germany, Brazil, and Austria.

 

An accomplished choreographer, Ms. Wolfgruber’s work has been presented internationally and in New York City at La Mama E.T. C., the Abrons Arts Center, the Tribeca Performing Arts Center, and with Dance/Now at the Joyce Soho, Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater, the Duke
Theater on 42nd Street, and Dance Theatre Workshop.  Ms. Wolfgruber co-founded the Salzburg Experimental Dance Academy (SEAD) in Austria-at the time of its founding, SEAD was one of the first places to provide professional-caliber training for contemporary artists in Austria.  In 2008, Ms. Wolfgruber established her company, Walllie Wolfgruber & Company, where she serves as choreographer and artistic director, and fulfills most administrative duties.

 

Ms. Wolfgruber’s performing career spanned over 20 years.  She was a principal dancer in the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, also serving as Mr. Lubovitch’s choreographic assistant.  She has worked with other notable names in modern dance such as Rod Rogers, Donald Byrd/The Group, Ohad Naharin and Sung Soo Ahn.