UNC School of the Arts will soon be looking for a new dance dean.
Ethan Stiefel announced today that he will step down as the dean of UNCSA's School of Dance in the summer of 2011. Stiefel said in a statement that he is leaving to "reconnect to some important professional and personal matters." He did not elaborate.
"We will sorely miss Ethan's presence here on the campus," said John Mauceri, UNCSA's chancellor. "As a fellow artist, I perfectly understand that he should continue his art and share it with the world."
Stiefel is one of the finest male dancers in ballet today. During his tenure at UNCSA, he kept working for the American Ballet Theatre, where he has been a principal dancer for some time. He did not seek the job of dance dean and, initially, did not accept Mauceri's offer. But Mauceri persisted and eventually persuaded Stiefel to run what is one of the finest dance programs in the country — while keeping up his career as a dancer.
Mauceri said a search for a new dean will begin during the 2010-11 school year. He added that he is in discussions with Stiefel about an ongoing relationship with the school; Stiefel said he will remain open to that idea.
"UNCSA is indeed a unique and special institution, and I look forward to helping the school in other ways in the future," Stiefel said.
kkeuffel@wsjournal.com.
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