New timeline chronicles evolution of TWU Dance

Feb. 24, 2026 ― DENTON ― Dance as an academic pursuit has evolved dramatically in the 125 years since Texas Woman’s University was founded as the Girls Industrial College in 1901.

The first dance classes began in 1903 and consisted of courses in social and folk dance. Over the decades, programs were added, including a PhD in Dance and Related Arts (1958) and a Master of Fine Arts in Dance (1988).

There was a curriculum overhaul in 1967 that added new undergraduate and graduate courses; and in 1996 TWU was named as a Top 10 School for its Dance programs.

A revised timeline of TWU’s Division of Dance has been created by MFA Dance alumna Hayley Duplantier, directed by Dance Division Head, Professor Jordan Fuchs, and edited by MFA Dance alumna Annalise Boydston. The timeline, which chronicles key events in the division’s history, can be viewed on the History of TWU Dance page.

 

Page last updated 4:29 PM, March 3, 2026