DURHAM -- Donna Faye Burchfield, dean of the American Dance Festival School since 2000, has been named director of the University of the Arts School of Dance in Philadelphia and will be leaving her position as ADF School Dean at the conclusion of the 2010 season. A search has begun for her successor.
A dancer, choreographer, and teacher, Burchfield first joined ADF as a student in 1982 and began working at ADF in 1984. She has since been a faculty member, associate dean, and in 2000 became dean, where she has overseen the entirety of ADF's educational offerings.
The ADF school is as an international model for dance training, and Burchfield worked to structure the school's curriculum and environment for students to develop skills and expand their growth. Her innovations included the MFA, Post-Baccalaureate, and combined BA/BFA programs in collaboration with Hollins University. In addition to her role as ADF Dean, Burchfield served as professor of dance at Hollins University in Roanoke, Va.
The ADF School is at the heart of the American Dance Festival, serving more than 400 students from around the globe every June and July on the campus of Duke University.
