Melonie B. Murray

 I am an Associate Professor within the School of Dance at the University of Utah and am also currently serving as an Associate Dean within the College of Fine Arts. At Utah, I have also served as the Ballet Program Coordinator and Director of Graduate Studies for Ballet. I hold a BFA in Ballet from Friends University, MFA in Dance from the University of California, Irvine, and a PhD in Dance from Texas Woman’s University. 

My research interests lie in exploring the continual evolution of ballet and, while honoring the past, investigating ballet through a critical theory lens. Topics of recent research have included a case study of ballet programs in American higher education, analyzing the commoditization of dancers in the advertising campaigns of American ballet companies, exploring notions of ballet as a form of cultural identity, and examining how gender is performed in early ballet training. My academic writing has been published in peer-reviewed journals. I believe that there is a place for all dance forms within the academy, and my commitment to dance as a scholarly endeavor is paramount. 

Access my full CV here.