BFA Friends University; MFA University of California, Irving; PhD Texas Woman's University

Office: MCD 104
Phone: 801-585-3335
Email: melonie.murray@utah.edu 

Dr. Murray is currently serving as the Director of the School of Dance at the University of Utah and as President-Elect of CORPS de Ballet International. She previously served as the Associate Dean for Faculty & Academic Affairs for the College of Fine Arts. Dr. Murray holds a BFA in Ballet from Friends University, MFA in Dance from the University of California, Irvine, and PhD in Dance from Texas Woman’s University. Her research interests lie in exploring the continual evolution of dance as an academic discipline and, and while honoring the past, investigating dance through a critical theory lens. Dr. Murray’s academic writing has been published in peer-reviewed publications, including a chapter in (Re:)Claiming Ballet (2021), and she continues to explore the arts and dance as scholarly pursuits. Dr. Murray is deeply committed to the arts in education and initiatives supporting justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Certified in American Ballet Theatre’s national training curriculum, Dr. Murray has taught multiple genres of studio and academic courses at several universities. Professional affiliations include CORPS de Ballet International, Dance Studies Association, and the World Dance Alliance-Americas; Dr. Murray has also served multiple times as an adjudicator for the American College Dance Association.