Gift to Name Dance Studio

The Oscar A. Keller, Jr. family has given a six figure gift to support renovations to the Fitness Center in the Weatherspoon Complex. In honor of the gift, the dance studio will be named the Oscar A. Keller, Jr. and Elderlene R. Keller Dance Studio.

“I am honored to support Meredith College during this time when I feel so connected and proud of the work Dr. Jo Allen is doing. Meredith has been a very special place to so many in my family and helped provide a positive educational environment for them,” said Keller.

The dance studio is an integral part of the dance program. A student may train seriously in dance as a major, minor, or co-curricular option and perform and choreograph as early as her first year. Meredith prepares students for successful careers in dance in areas such as dance education, performance, choreography, arts administration and entrepreneurship, graduate study. In addition, it prepares graduates for work environments that value critical thinking, creativity, leadership, and adaptability.

“The walls, floor, and ceiling of a dance studio elicit a strong emotional response that literally lasts a lifetime for most dancers. We never forget the places we dance,” says Carol Finley, department head of dance and theatre. “At Meredith, we sweat, cry, shout, laugh, learn, and create together in Weatherspoon. The students and faculty of the dance program are deeply honored that a member of the Meredith community values our hard work and the positive role that dance plays in the world.”