Dr. Dixie Durr

The Department of Theatre mourns the loss of a long-time colleague and friend. Countless MSU students who knew and loved Dixie share our profound sense of loss. Our condolences go out to her mother and family. We leave Dixie's biographical sketch below, as she wrote it for the Department.

The memorial service for Dixie Durr is scheduled for October 14 at 2:00 p.m. in the River Terrace Church on Hagedorn.

Dr. Dixie Durr

Professor Emerita of Dance, holds her Ph.D. from The Ohio State University; a M.A. in Theatre from Michigan State University; a MA in Anthropology of Human Movement from New York University; and a B.A. in Dance from Butler University. In addition, she is a Certified Teacher of Labanotation, and has earned an Advanced Certification in Labanotation from the Dance Notation Bureau in New York. In addition to her own choreography for the concert stage, she has reconstructed from Labanotated scores Charles Weidman's Flickers and Brahms Waltzes; Elizabeth Keen's Mini-Quilt; Judy Allen's In The Swing; and Doris Humphrey's Partita and Soaring. She has received special recognition for her choreography in Carousel, West Side Story, Cabaret, Guys and Dolls, Brigadoon, The Music Man, The Pirates of Penzance, My Fair Lady, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum and The Mikado. Dr. Durr has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Congress on Research in Dance (CORD). She continues to serve on the CORD Awards Committee. She has been a member of the Professional Advisory Committee to the Dance Notation Bureau, a member of the Board of Directors of the American Dance Guild, and President of the Michigan Dance Association from 1987-1989. The National Dance Association recognized her with a Presidential Citation in 1994. In 2004, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Michigan Dance Council. She has published in the Journal For The Anthropological Study Of Human Movement, the Journal Of Physical Education, Recreation, And Dance, the Journal Of Aesthetic Education, the Dance Research Journal, and Educational Gerontology.