Juilliardโ Dance Division Poised for Expansionโ as School Pursues Tuition-Freeโค Model
New โYork, NY – Juilliard School is embarking on โa โฃmultiyear โfundraising โcampaignโข with the ambitious goalโ of eliminating tuition โfor all students, aโ move that promises to โฃdramatically reshape access to its renownedโ dance division.while a firm timelineโค for full โimplementation remains dependent โon fundraising success – the school โhas already secured $180 million towards the effort – the initiative signals a โคsignificantโฃ shift towards broader โคinclusivity at โthe prestigious conservatory.
Currently, 29 percent of all Juilliard students attend tuition-free, and some programs, like the graduate acting track, โฃalready operate on this model.School President Damian Woetzel, aโค former New York Cityโ Ballet star, believes extending tuition-free access will unlock a wider pool of talent. “We’ve seen what happens in the other programs that are tuition-free,” Woetzel stated. “The applications โgo up, theโข sense ofโ prospect and the range goes wider, โand you end up with a glorious pool of talent.” He further emphasized his belief that “art is a public good,”โ and this initiative is a concrete stepโข towards โrealizing โคthat principle.
The transitionโ to a tuition-free model willโค be phased, with increases in scholarship availability occurring “onโ a rolling basis” and perhaps driven by โgiftsโ designated for โคspecific programs like dance, or benefiting the entire school. Woetzel, who himself received a scholarship early in his ballet training “asโฃ they needed boys,” views the initiative as “the ultimate anti-elitist statement,” focusedโ on talent growth and removing financial barriers to entry. He added, “It’s about โคmaking sure โyour not โฃsaddled with debt when you leave.”
The newsโ arrives alongside significant leadership changes โwithinโฃ the danceโ division. Melissa Toogood, a lauded former Merce Cunningham dancer, โคassumed the role of dean in July, succeeding Alicia Graf Mack who departed to lead โAlvinโ Ailey American Dance Theater. Further bolstering โthe division’s faculty โฃare new appointments including Mario Alberto Zambrano as associate dean and director, Carla Kรถrbes โ(former Pacific Northwestโ Ballet star) as ballet chair, and choreographer Jamar Roberts (a former Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater standout) as the program’s Arnhold Creative Associate at Large.
Woetzel โขexpressed confidence in Toogood’s vision,describing her as “one of โthe most curious people Iโ know” โฃwho champions a broad and inclusive approach toโ dance โeducation. Ultimately,โค Woetzelโค hopes the initiative will inspire prospective students to view Juilliard as attainable.”So manny more people can see it as โขa possibility,” he โsaeid. “That’s really โkey-the idea thatโข someone would think it’s not possible as โฃof money is absolutely unacceptable. culture is what binds us, and it can’tโ just beโฃ culture for those who can โafford it.”