Alumni to Watch

Dance Alumna wins some of nation's highest honors

Diane Wawrejko, (MFA, Dance Choreography, '86) is now on the dance and humanities faculty at Columbia College Chicago. The Herberger College Dance alumna received a Fulbright Scholar grant to lecture at the National Academy of Theatre and Film Arts in Sofia, Bulgaria.

"It's a fabulous program and I loved my time in Bulgaria. I highly recommend it to your current students, says Wawrejko. "It was such a wonderful experience to be able to do my research, make new contacts and meet other Fulbrights who were there."

Wawrejko was one of only two dance artists/scholars selected in 2006 for a Fulbright. She will also conduct ethnographic research into traditional dances and teach dance composition and interactive improvisation to dance and physical theatre students while in Bulgaria.

After completing her MFA at Herberger College Dance, Wawrejko went on to complete her PhD in dance studies at the University of Surrey in the U.K. She served as executive director of the National Dance Association, Washington, D.C., and danced professionally with several dance companies. She has published several scholarly articles, and recently was nominated to the President's Committee on the Arts.

When asked to reflect on her time at Herberger College Dance, Wawrejko had many fond memories of the faculty and staff who helped develop her talent and passion, "My education at Herberger College Dance had a huge impact on my career. There, I was first exposed to modern dance as an undergraduate which stimulated an interest in me to branch into modern as a graduate student. I auditioned and was extremely impressed with the guest artists and I loved all of the permanent faculty."

In particular, Wawrejko noted her special relationship with renowned faculty member Daniel Nagrin, "The relationships I developed with the faculty were exceptional. Daniel Nagrin was in his second year at ASU. He was wonderful at helping students to 'find' dance, rather than just stringing dances together and to 'make' dance. He'd have you go in-depth, to find the core of who you are and translate that into movement. I remember being alone in studio, crying with frustration, but once you find it, it becomes is freeing."

The teaching and relationships Wawrejko received at Herberger College Dance helped her win the prestigious National Medal of the Arts, presented by then-President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hilary Clinton, in 1995 for her dance company's work with Urban Gateways. Dances Wawrekjo, performed in nursing homes, at home-schooling associations and churches. The group also conducted workshops for parents and teachers.

"Receiving one of the nation's highest honors for doing something I love, and helping others through my passion for dance, is truly the highlight of my life," says Wawrekjo. "I am so grateful to all who believed in me, pushed beyond my boundaries and made me who I am."

Diane Wawrejko dancers