When I asked Alicia Graf Mack, dean and director of The Julliard School’s Dance Division, to recall a moment that felt like a manifestation of her vision, she shared a recent Zoom conversation she had with seven Julliard seniors. They’re touring with dance companies and joined from around the world to share stories about their first performances. 

As a former principal dancer, Graf Mack understands her students’ journeys. She joined Julliard in 2018 with a bold vision to modernize dance education. As Julliard President Damian Woetzel captured: “on a macro level, what she is doing is influencing the very future of dance in the world.” 

“I’d love to see a field that is so diverse that we don’t have to put any labels on the artists themselves,” she says. “I’d love to see a world where leadership is rooted in the same values that our school is: equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging, and creative enterprise.” 

“There is no one way to define what excellence is,” she adds. “I wish for all of our dancers to have a stage for their unique voices and lives.”