Duane Cyrus

Duane Cyrus is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where he teaches dance technique and other courses focused on the development of well-rounded dance artists. Duane holds a BFA from the Juilliard School and an MFA from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. In between, he danced with the Martha Graham Company and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, in musical theater (including the original London production of Lion King), on television, and in a variety of other venues. He has worked as an independent artist throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia as teacher, performer, and choreographer, and was also a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Illinois. Duane Cyrus is the artistic director of Cyrus Art Production LLC, a dance and theatre company. His list of grants and awards includes the Princess Grace Foundation Award for Emerging Artists, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the 2009 Dance Teacher of the Year award by NCAAHPERD. He is the co-author and editor of the book Vital Grace--The Black Male Dancer, a photographic celebration of black men in dance. Visit www.cyrusartproduction.com for more information.