Mary Wolff

In addition to mentoring young choreographers, I am interested in exploring the intersection of dance theory and practice and in developing courses that are based in this kind of investigation.

Mary Wolff was a member of the Conservatory faculty from 1976 to 1982 and 1988 to 2021. Now retired, Wolff taught courses in dance composition, dance history, and senior seminar.

During her long career, Wolff has worked as a dancer and choreographer in multiple dance genres, including ballet, modern dance, opera, and traditional dance. Her work has been commissioned by Arizona Dance Theatre, Southwest Chamber Ballet (Tucson), Mandala Folk Dance Ensemble (Boston), Westwind International Folk Ensemble (San Francisco), Walt Disney World’s Epcot Center, the Christmas Revels (Cambridge, Massachusetts), and others. Her pieces for students have been performed at the American College Dance Association’s regional festivals and the National College Dance Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Wolff has toured internationally as a dancer, choreographer, and researcher, most recently in Eastern Europe. Her folk and vernacular dance works have been presented at festivals in England, France, Sweden, and Canada and can be seen in the feature film Once Around (Universal Pictures) and Celebrate: A Time to Dance (WGBH Boston).

Wolff has received choreographic grants from the Massachusetts Council on the Arts and Humanities and the Arizona Commission on the Arts. She has also served as a dance adjudicator for state arts funding agencies in Arizona and Rhode Island. 

In addition to teaching, Wolff produced the Conservatory's annual concerts of student choreography, WINTERWORKS, and the Senior Choreographers’ Concert. She was a member of the Faculty Advisory Council and also served as an academic advisor and on departmental and Conservatory-wide advisory committees.

Wolff received a B.A. in history and philosophy from Duquesne University, and she holds an M.A. in folklore from Indiana University and an M.A. in dance performance and choreography from the University of California, Los Angeles. She is a member of numerous dance organizations and has been a faculty member or guest lecturer at the University of Arizona, Tufts University, Bridgewater State University, and New England Conservatory.

Recent Notable Works

• Ex-Movere: Senior Choreographers’ Concert (Boston Conservatory, 2020)—Producer
• Re:Member: A Series of Solos and Duets (Boston Conservatory, 2020)—Producer
• WINTERWORKS (Boston Conservatory, 2019)—Producer and Artistic Director
• Square One: Senior Choreographers’ Concert (Boston Conservatory, 2019)—Producer
• VII: Senior Choreographers’ Concert (Boston Conservatory, 2018)—Producer
• WINTERWORKS (Boston Conservatory, 2018)—Producer and Artistic Director
• In the Flesh: Senior Choreographers’ Concert (Boston Conservatory, 2017)—Producer