Maggie Allesee National Center For Choreography - Conception and Planning

Conception and Planning

In the first proposal of creating a national choreographic center, Carolelinda Dickey and Susan Sheppard stated: “Every important project originates in a confluence of ideas, need, and opportunity. The National Center for Choreography (NCC), which is now known as The Maggie Allesse National Center for Choreography (MANCC) was set in motion by Florida State University’s Dance Department administration and faculty in order to explore the definition of “research and development” within the field of dance, as well as to investigate the need within the national dance field to develop new models that support the creation of dance”.

For nearly seventy years, Florida State University has supported and encouraged the growth of its dance department and its role in progressing creative research in the field. In 2002, the President of FSU and the Dean of Visual Arts and Dance invited Libby Patenaude, former Chair of the Department of Dance, to begin searching for ways to initiate the creation of The National Center for Choreography (NCC) as a “Center of Excellence,” which would be associated with FSU, a Research I university.

After interviewing various national dance leaders, Patenaude became aware that such a choreographic center would be vital in making progress in the field. With this realization came an understanding of the challenge she was about to undertake, so she proposed hiring a consultant team to assist in the planning and structuring of the NCC. After measuring the viability behind the project proposal, several pilot projects, which grew out of discussions with European national choreographic centers, were presented to clarify the company’s mission statement and structure, and Jennifer S.B Calienes, former Director of the National Dance Project (New England Foundation for the Arts) was hired as the Director.