The Many Languages of Dance

Professor Emerita Nancy Lee Ruyter, Ph.D. honored at the 2024 OC Arts Awards for her work in dance education

Nancy Lee Ruyter, Ph.D., Professor Emerita in Dance, recently received the 2024 Helena Modjeska Cultural Legacy Award from the OC Arts Awards. This honor recognizes Ruyter’s achievements as an educator, dance historian and choreographer. With 32 years of service at UC Irvine and a legacy of philanthropic support for the UC Irvine Libraries, Ruyter’s research uplifts underrepresented dance traditions. At 91, Ruyter reflects with deep gratitude on her enduring academic and creative impact.

“It feels wonderful being honored for my life’s work,” shared Ruyter. “It’s especially meaningful because most of my research focuses on non-Western dance histories from the Balkans, Spain and India, regions and traditions that are often overlooked.”

When visiting Ruyter’s home, you are welcomed with laughter and classical music playing throughout the home. Her home is filled with beautiful rugs, paintings and a living room table stacked with issues of National Geographic, New Yorker and Time Magazine. Given Ruyter’s rigorous academic background, she also has an archival room going back to her life in the 1930s. Ruyter plans to write an autobiography detailing her journey from dance to academia.

“My mother wanted to dance, but she wasn’t permitted to,” shared Ruyter. “As soon as she had children, she put all the kids in dance lessons, and it’s been my whole life ever since. I’m grateful for her doing that. I moved to New York in the 1950s to pursue dance professionally, and when I got married, I moved to California. At that time professional dance companies weren’t settled all around the country, and someone suggested that I get a university degree and teach at a university, and that is exactly what I did!”

Image: Photos of Nancy Lee Ruyter from the 1940s-1970s. Photos courtesy of Nancy Lee Ruyter.

As Ruyter continued to pursue her education, she became interested in the evolution of dance, which led her to receive her Ph.D. in dance history from the Claremont Graduate School. At UC Irvine, she taught choreography, Spanish dance, Hispanic dance history and dance history. With such a body of work, Ruyter continues to share the nuances of dance.

“What continues to impress me is the variety of dance language,” shared Ruyter. “We know about the variety of verbal language globally; there are hundreds of them, but the same goes for the languages of dance, music and theater. Just as verbal language relates to the whole culture, so does physical language. Some dances are developed in an expression of a particular religion, philosophy and political situation.”

Beyond being a student of dance, Ruyter is also a dedicated teacher. She came to UC Irvine, giving up her tenure position at her previous university, hoping to make a lasting impact. After her first year, she gained tenure and taught for 32 years, inspiring generations of artists.

“My time at UC Irvine was delightful,” shared Ruyter. “The philosophy of the dance department and the art school was conducive to helping students balance their intellectualism and creativity.”

Throughout her career, she has also authored Reformers and Visionaries: The Americanization of the Art of Dance and The Cultivation of Body and Mind in Nineteenth-Century American Delsartism. In 2019 she wrote La Meri, about the dance pioneer and scholar who was one of the first Americans to travel extensively to learn dances from non-western regions and perform them across the world. La Meri was a great mentor to Ruyter in the 1950s and someone whose story Ruyter was committed to illuminating.

“La Meri was such an influence on my life, and when I first met her, I had been a ballet snob, in a way,” shared Ruyter. “I was devoted to ballet, but at Jacob's Pillow, which is where I met her in New York, I was introduced to these other kinds of dances: the modern dance, the Spanish dance and the Indian dance, and I became connected and fascinated. I felt so grateful that I studied with her, that I learned about these other dance cultures from La Meri, and that she had a school that didn't just teach us techniques but also taught us the importance of reading and learning about the dance styles.”

Image: Photos of Nancy Lee Ruyter from the 1940s and 1950s. Photos courtesy of Nancy Lee Ruyter.

As Ruyter reflects on her vast career journey, she encourages aspiring dancers to invite gratitude and to think about the sustainability of their practice.

“At some point when you are no longer able to perform, consider working at a university,” shared Ruyter. “It is very satisfying and very contributing to the culture.”

To learn more about the 2024 OC Arts Awards, visit here. To read more about La Meri, visit here.