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Scholarships and Financial Support

Students can find a number of financial aid opportunities through the Student Financial Aid Office. With the Husky Promise, the UW guarantees to cover the full cost of tuition and standard fees for qualified students who otherwise could not afford to attend.

Undergraduate Scholarships

The Department of Dance currently has several funds that support undergraduate scholarships. There is no application process. Scholarship recipients are determined by a vote of the Department of Dance faculty based on the criteria set for each scholarship. Recipients are notified of their awards at the end of spring quarter for the next school year.

Evelyn H. Green Endowed Scholarship

Evelyn Green joined the University of Washington faculty in 1967 and taught all levels of ballet. She became head of the Division of Dance in 1976, and in the same year won a Distinguished Teaching Award. Professor Green retired in 1981 and passed away in 1993. Among her most famous students are Mark Morris, artistic director of the Mark Morris Dance Company; Harry Groener, an actor who won a Tony award for his performance on Broadway in Cuts; Stanley Perryman, who was a principal dancer with Alvin Ailey and the Dance Theater of Harlem; and Chad Henry, Seattle composer known for his 1980s hit Angry Housewives This endowment is funded by Professor Green’s estate as well as memorial gifts from friends and colleagues.

Mary Aid DeVries Scholarship

Mary Aid de Vries was an accomplished dance educator who served as a University of Washington faculty member for more than forty years, starting in 1921. Upon her passing in 1963, her husband established this scholarship in her memory. As one of the oldest honors in the UW Department of Dance, this award has a long history of supporting “worthy and needy” students – selected by the faculty scholarship committee – engaged in dance study, dance education, and dance performance at UW.

Department of Dance Scholarship

This fund is made possible through direct donations from alumni, family, friends, and other supporters of undergraduate dance majors at the University of Washington. Each year the faculty in the UW Department of Dance identify top students who have distinguished themselves by embodying the Department’s mission of promoting and elevating the value of play, creativity, critical thinking, and embodied knowledge for our students and global communities.

James Fesalbon Scholarship

James Vamenta Fesalbon entered the University of Washington in 1992, intending to pursue a pre-pharmacy course of study. To add variety to his science courses, Mr. Fesalbon enrolled in an introductory dance class and discovered a new world of possibilities. He went on to explore a range of techniques and cultural traditions in Dance, ultimately declaring a major in Dance, and performed in several UW concerts with Dance, Music, and Drama. Mr. Fesalbon continued his dance education, earning a Master's degree in Dance at Texas Woman's University along with multiple certifications in arts administration. As a professional dancer, Mr. Fesalbon performed with David Rousseve | REALITY at On the Boards, West Side Story at the Village Theatre, Miss Saigon and several other musicals at Tacoma Musical Playhouse. As an arts advocate, he has been an active fundraiser for arts organizations such as the Pacific Northwest Ballet.

In 2008, Mr. Fesalbon established this endowment to support academically meritorious students with demonstrated financial need – including students who have overcome adversity and students whose personal pathway to a career in dance has been non-traditional such as having limited dance experience before attending UW.

Graduate Fellowships

The Department of Dance also has several funds that support graduate students. Fellowships recipients are determined by a vote of the Department of Dance faculty based on the criteria set for each fund. Recipients are typically notified in Winter or Spring, for the next school year.

Helene Tsutsumoto Yorozu and Arthur S. Yorozu Endowed Fellowship in Dance

The Yorozu Endowed Fellowship was established as a lasting tribute to Mrs. Yorozu’s life-long love of dance and learning. Born in 1932 to Japanese immigrant parents in Seattle, WA, Helene began studying dance as a small child. Later, at the University of Washington (1952-1955), her passion for modern dance was ignited along with her dedication to teaching, service, and sharing. This fund supports the passionate, creative, enthusiastic, vibrant, and ineffable spirit of UW Dance graduate students who honor Helene’s legacy. 

Dance Graduate Student Support Endowment

The Graduate Student Support Endowment was established to further the Department of Dance’s mission to make world-class graduate education accessible to the broadest possible range of professional dancers. Contributions to this fund support the academic and real-world needs of our graduate students as they work and study to become the next generation of dance educators and leaders in colleges and universities around the world.

Department of Dance Fellowship Fund

The Department of Dance Fellowship Fund receives gifts of all sizes and ensures they are put to direct use supporting the educational and professional development of UW Dance graduate students. This fund is an essential resource supporting graduate student participation in professional conferences, conducting hands-on research, and pursuing innovative dance-making projects.

Learn more about Department scholarships on our Awards & Honors page

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