Katie Langan Appointed Interim VPAA / Dean of the Faculty

Professor Katie Langan

An alumna of MMC, Katie has served in various leadership roles at the College for 30 years, first as Chair of the Department of Dance and more recently as Chair of the Division of Visual and Performing Arts (formerly Fine and Performing Arts) simultaneously as Interim Chair of the Department of Art and Art History, which houses the recently opened Judith Mara Carson Center for Visual Arts.

“Katie has taken a leading role at MMC in fusing the liberal arts and sciences with the creative and performing arts,” said President Kerry Walk. “She is the embodiment of educational excellence, and her deep and abiding dedication to the College and our outstanding faculty is unparalleled.”

As Chair of Dance for over twenty years, Katie transformed what was once a niche program into a Top Ten powerhouse, which draws students from across the country and around the world, and served as Artistic Director of the department’s performance series, featuring new and restaged works by the dance community’s most noted choreographers.

Katie also spearheaded the MMC Dance Advisory Board, now 18 members strong, whose goal is to support Dance at Marymount Manhattan College, providing both scholarship and guest artist opportunities and hosting an annual Dance Gala. In 2017, she received the Raymunde McKaye Award in recognition of her contributions to establishing a world-wide reputation for MMC Dance.

“Katie has been one of MMC’s greatest champions since she was a student here,” said Peter Naccarato, VPAA/Dean and Interim President-elect. “I know that she will bring vision and the highest level of devotion to every project she works on with the entire MMC faculty. I very much look forward to continuing our collaboration as she takes on this critical leadership role.”

In addition to taking on leadership roles at MMC, Katie is an award-winning teacher, who regularly teaches both at the College and for major dance companies and programs, which have included The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and School, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, New York City Dance Alliance (NYCDA), Youth American Grand Prix coaching, and guest teaching for Ballet Hispánico’s second company. She was featured in the September 2017 issue of Dance Teacher magazine: Katie Langan: A Day in the Life. She is also the author of numerous articles on dance and dance education.

Katie received her dance training at the North Carolina School of the Arts, American Ballet Theatre, and the School of American Ballet. She went on to perform with numerous companies, including the Boston Repertory Company, New York City Opera, the Zurich Ballet, Chamber Ballet USA, and Twyla Tharp Dance. She had the opportunity to work directly with Rudolf Nureyev, Natalia Makarova, Anthony Tudor, William Forsythe, and Rudi van Dan Zieg, to name a few.

Katie is also a noted choreographer, with over thirty ballets created. Her 1995 ballet, Akhmatova, is in the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts video archive. Most recently her choreography, Under The Surface, was performed at The Joyce Theater to represent Marymount Manhattan College at NYCDA’s Destiny Rising gala, and Masking was performed at the Manhattan Movement Arts Center Theatre for Earl Mosley’s Dance of Difference (EMDOD) fundraiser, Dance Beyond.

After retiring from performance, Katie studied art and design at MMC and received her B.A., summa cum laude, in 1990, when she graduated as class valedictorian. Her career as a professional dancer, choreographer, dance educator, higher education leader, and ambassador of the arts can be summed up in one word: excellence.

“This role is not only an honor but also a responsibility that I readily embrace,” said Katie. “I have always seen clearly the extraordinary possibilities for MMC, and I am eager to serve in this leadership position during a pivotal period for the College. I look forward to continued collaboration with my exceptional faculty colleagues and the wonderful staff who shape so much of the student experience.”

Published: June 21, 2023