UpStart is an experimental project choreographed, researched, and performed by Dance MFA students at the Peck School of the Arts. Each performance reflects deeply personal themes and self-exploration by the individual artists. Led by dance professor and graduate program director Maria Gillespie, the project features eight first- and second-year MFA …
Dance, MFA MFA
Our low-residency Dance MFA program meets the scheduling constraints of professional working performers, choreographers and educators. That means you’ll have the flexibility to learn on-campus during summer semesters and online or on-campus during fall and spring semesters.
Our program prioritizes contemporary choreography and individual creative research. The curriculum encourages embodied scholarship and community engagement while emphasizing the reciprocal relationship between critical dance studies and choreographic research. Through intensive in-person learning and self-directed research, you’ll connect traditions to emergent forms and new communities, bringing social and racial justice into focus through practice. In-depth choreographic practice, research and dance scholarship provide a framework for you to situate your work within a global perspective.
Program Type
Master’s
Program Format
On Campus
What it’s like to be a student in our low-residency Dance MFA program
Our rigorous and diverse curriculum combines technical training with artistic exploration. Our in-person summer graduate intensive provides ample studio space for you to develop your choreographic research with access to our six rehearsal studios. Our accomplished faculty bring years of professional experience to the classroom. And they are more than seasoned artists; they are active researchers shaping the future of dance and bringing you along for the journey. Plus, our location in the vibrant city of Milwaukee, not far from the bustling city of Chicago, provides countless opportunities for performance and collaboration with local and national artists.
But don’t take our word for it. Experience for yourself what it’s like to be a Dance MFA student here by scheduling a personalized tour with one of our graduate program coordinators.
Dance MFA Program Details
The low-residency Dance MFA program immerses you in choreographic research through physical and theoretical inquiry while critically examining technical movement practice through a variety of somatic and theoretical perspectives. We also support your inquiry by providing facilities and customized opportunities to investigate and perform your work nationwide. Through faculty mentorship and rigorous personal investigations, you are guided to integrate knowledge produced through creative and scholarly investigation into a final thesis project.
Our graduate faculty are nationally and internationally acclaimed performing and choreographic artists. Their research specialties span cultural perspectives, technical forms, somatic modalities, site-specific performance, improvisation, interdisciplinary collaboration, community engaged social justice work, and integration of technology and new media.
With our program, you will be well-equipped to develop your career as a professional dancer, choreographer or educator in the field. And because we are a collaborative community of artists ourselves, we are committed to providing you with an immersive and transformative educational experience to get you to where you want to be next.
Explore the Dance, MFA requirements in the Academic Catalog.
Entrance Auditions/Interviews & Admission
Peck School of the Arts degree programs may require additional steps to enter. For most dance, music and theatre programs, applicants must first be accepted to UWM, apply to Peck School of the Arts and complete entrance requirements such as an audition and/or interview.
Scholarships & Aid
UW-Milwaukee and Peck School of the Arts offers a variety of cost-saving opportunities, including scholarships, grants, fellowships and residency-based tuition rates. Learn more about scholarship and aid opportunities available to you.
Graduate Assistantships
Students may be eligible for funding support and tuition remission through graduate assistantships. A limited number of teaching assistantship stipends are available, and some provide full tuition remission and benefits eligibility.
Performances
Four concerts are presented at UWM each year: “Winterdances” and “Springdances,” which showcase students performing in world premieres by faculty and guest artists, and “New Dancemakers” and “UpStart,” which feature choreography by undergraduate and graduate students. Learn more about performing arts.
Internships & Opportunities
Our students are involved with the city’s professional and pickup dance companies, including Danceworks, Ko-Thi Dance Company, Wild Space, Hyperlocal MKE, Panadanza and more. See where your education can take you. Learn more about internships and opportunities.
Student Organizations & Clubs
Meet like-minded people in a wide variety of student organizations and clubs who inspire creativity and will support your aspirations. Collaborate and create, network with professional artists, and deepen your connection with faculty, mentors and fellow students outside of the classroom.
Study Abroad
We believe that a complete education in the arts should take you beyond the classroom and the local community. By studying abroad, you’ll gain more than a change of scenery. You’ll embark on a transformative educational experience and bring a global perspective to your field of study. Explore upcoming trips offered in partnership with the Center for International Education.
Dance Alumni Stories
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Dance MFA Students Turn Research into Performance
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Original dance by senior PSOA student selected for ACDA national conferenceSenior dance student Megan Holzhauer visited Washington, DC, to present her original choreographic work, “BEHIND THAT GLEAM,” at the 2025 National College Dance Festival hosted by the American College Dance Association (ACDA). Held every two years, the festival showcases the nation’s top college-level choreography and is considered the highest recognition for …
Dance Careers
- Alexander Technique Practitioner
- Artistic Director
- Arts & Entertainment Writer
- Arts Administrator
- Arts Advocacy Agent
- Arts Council Director
- Athletic / Gymnastic Club Teacher
- Ballet Master / Mistress
- Box Office Manager
- Boys / Girls Clubs Educator
- Broadway Performer
- Camp Director
- Choreographer
- City Recreation Department Teacher
- Community Arts Work
- Community Center Director
- Company Manager
- Consultant
- Costume Designer
- Creative Director
- Cruise Line Performer
- Curator
- Curriculum Developer
- Dance Anthropologist
- Dance Archivist / Librarian
- Dance Critic
- Dance Filmmaker
- Dance Historian
- Dance Journalist
- Dance Medicine Specialist
- Dance Movement Therapist
- Dance Researcher
- Dance Studio Owner
- Dance Therapist
- Educator
- Feldenkrais Practitioner
- Fitness Instructor
- Freelance Dancer
- Fundraiser / Grant Writer
- Health & Wellness Advocate
- Health Coach
- Interdisciplinary Collaborator
- Laban Movement Analyst
- Lighting Designer
- Marketing & Programs Manager
- Massage Therapist
- Nonprofit Founder & Organizer
- Outreach Coordinator
- Performance Artist
- Personal Trainer
- Photographer
- Physical Therapist
- Pilates Instructor
- Principal Company Member / Dancer
- Production Designer
- Regional / Community Theatre Choreographer
- Rehearsal Director
- Répétiteur
- Talent Agent
- Resident Choreographer
- Senior Home Community Engagement
- Set Designer
- Social Media Coordinator
- Special Events Planner
- Sports Trainer
- Stage Manager
- Studio Director / Teacher
- Talent Agent
Dance MFA Program Faculty
Which faculty you have within this program is dependent upon your chosen courses or interests. For a list of all Dance faculty and staff please click the button below.
- Associate Professor, Dance
- Chair, Department of Dance
- burkhol6@uwm.edu
- 414-229-2648
- Mitchell Hall 345D
- Professor, Dance
- Graduate Program Representative, Dance
- gillespi@uwm.edu
- 414-251-8716
- Mitchell Hall 345A
- Teaching Faculty III, Dance
- Advisor, Dance Performance Minor
- Coordinator, ACDA
- schuch@uwm.edu
- 414-229-4947
- Mitchell Hall 345
