Ten Things to Know About Krisha Marcano

Krisha Marcano, an innovative theater educator, choreographer, and entrepreneur, joined Boston Conservatory at Berklee as dean of theater in July 2024. Her wide-ranging and distinguished career has included dancing with top companies and performing on Broadway for nearly two decades. Here are 10 things to know about Marcano, from how she fell in love with modern dance to how she covered nine roles as a swing in Aida—and the mantra that has guided her through it all.   
 

1. Marcano danced professionally with not one but two of the most prestigious dance companies in the United States: Martha Graham Company and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
    
2. From the age of four, Marcano knew she wanted to be a professional dancer—though she briefly considered being a nun and a dancer. “I didn’t know how that was going to work, but it made complete sense to me,” she says. “Children are crazy-pants.”
    
3. Throughout her childhood in Trinidad, Marcano studied ballet. After high school, she moved to New York City and enrolled in the conservatory program at SUNY Purchase, where she fell in love with modern dance—specifically the work of Martha Graham. “It took my breath away, in a way that the bliss of being highly spiritual can tend to do at times,” she says. 
    
4. Marcano spent more than 15 years of her career performing in musical theater on Broadway and with national touring companies. Her credits include Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida, Sweet Charity, Motown the Musical, and the first national tour of Fosse.
    
5. In 2005, she originated the role of Squeak in The Color Purple on Broadway, and its opening night was the most memorable moment of her career. “I still don’t have words. It was a dream,” she says. “That piece of work was transformative.” 
    
6. She knows Aida inside and out. As a swing in the original Broadway production, she covered nine roles (in two vocal ranges) and later became the show’s dance captain, learning all of the choreography.
    
7. She gives great advice: “Be okay with ambiguity, and be okay with ‘let’s try it.’ Discovery mode is the only way to have the longest career and the most innovative, vibrant career.” Marcano practices what she preaches, allowing her professional life to branch out in unexpected directions. “I’ve had to keep dreaming myself into more fantastic places,” she says. 
    
8. She’s an entrepreneur. In 2016, Marcano founded the Artistry Center, channeling her extensive professional experience into mentorship for fellow artists. The center offers online courses and career coaching for performers, with an emphasis on wellness and creative longevity. 
    
9. She is forward thinking. One of Marcano’s long-term goals for the Theater Division is to collaborate with software companies in developing creative technology for performers. She hopes to give Boston Conservatory students a seat at the table, helping to design new platforms on which the theater of the future will be made.
    
10. “Everything to share and nothing to prove” is a mantra that has served Marcano throughout her career, enabling her to frame performance in a profound way. “When you have to stand in front of thousands of people, it can be a lot of fear or a lot of ego,” she says. “That one phrase puts the whole experience into perspective.”
     

READ: STAGES 2025

“Ten Things to Know About Krisha Marcano” first appeared in the 2025 issue of STAGES, Boston Conservatory’s annual magazine.