Andalusia the native Clare Croft was recently selected for a leadership role focused on expanding and integrating the arts into faculty research in the University of Michigan.
Clare Croft, a dance historian as well as a theorist and curator who has led national efforts to build up the infrastructure for the arts, will be serving an appointment of three years as the first director of the university’s department of creative research/arts.
Clare is a native of Andalusia and attended the city schools through tenth grade. She graduated in the Alabama School of Fine Arts in the year 1996.
Her parents were previous Andalusia teacher, John Croft and the late Rozilyn Croft. John Croft was known locally as the “Voice of the Andy Bulldogs,” calling Andalusia football matches on the local radio for over 30 years. John is now residing within Daphne and Rozilyn died in the last week of this year.
Clare stated that her time in Andalusia taught her valuable lessons she uses in both her personal and professional life.
“Growing in a small community, you discover that forming bonds is the key to achieving success,” she said. “I am in (and reside) in larger environments now with more people around, but recognizing that it’s equally vital and uplifting to be able to connect with those with whom you’re working is crucial and something I observed everywhere I went growing up. .”
Her love for writing and dance also started with Andalusia where she danced in the Andalusia Ballet where she was inspired to marry the two.
“I enjoyed dancing since when I was a child. I started my first dance classes with Andalusia Ballet at the age of just three in the days when Ballet was a few classes that were offered from the Murphy’s house,” Clare said. “The one thing I enjoyed almost the same as the dance, was writing. At the age of 14 years old, director of the Andalusia BalletDirector of Andalusia Ballet Meryane Murphy mentioned that there were writers about dance as a profession. It was probably a remark that was made in passing however I held on to the idea with a lot of. I composed my first piece on dance at the same time then The Andalusia Star-News published it. My interest in combining writing and dance continued to increase. I took classes in dance history and critique in college. That led to my professional writing career which includes articles for The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun as well as The Austin American-Statesman. I went back to graduate school to earn my PhD in part because I wanted to teach, write and discuss dance in full-time. It’s a matter of opinion on what you tell teenagers !”
Her current role with Michigan’s University Arts Initiative is a broad attempt to promote the importance of the arts in the context of a top educational institution for research and education.
“As an academic as a teacher, a member of the audience and dancer, I understand in my own experience how the arts can be a subject of research and study that encourages innovative, thoughtful and critical thinking. It does this by focusing on collaboration, and even love,” said Croft, who is also an associate professor of American culture as well as gender and women’s studies in LSA and an assistant professor of music at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance.
“The arts should be essential to the life at a research institution, since they can bring scientists what they might refer to as new discoveries and what social scientists could call fresh perspectives as well as what humanists could describe as new insights. I am looking forward to developing new support and funding methods to aid my colleagues in advancing and enhancing their work.
In her role as director Croft creates strategy for funding programs, and develop infrastructure to support research in the arts and creative practices at U-M. Her initiatives will be in close alignment with the objectives that are part of the Arts Initiative, a universitywide initiative that was launched in the year 2019 to enhance and strengthen human connections, encourage collaboration, and create a more equitable and just globe through arts.
She will work with staff, faculty and students from all disciplines to determine gaps and requirements within the field of arts research.
With the help of The Arts Initiative and OVPR, Croft will create and manage the new five-year $2.5 million program designed to fund faculty-led research in the arts and creative practice. The program will make its first call for proposals in the autumn.
Croft has her Ph.D. in performance as public practice from the University of Texas at Austin. She was hired by U-M with the rank of assistant professor and, during her time within Ann Arbor, Croft has been a faculty member within the Michigan Society of Fellows, LSA and SMTD.
“As an educator, administrator, and performer the Dr. Croft brings a tremendous quantity of experience and knowledge to her new position as a leader and, through her steadfast support and direction it is expected that the University of Michigan will continue to expand the boundaries of research by articulating a vision of arts-integrative research by using creative methods,” said Geoffrey Thun the associate vice president of research in the humanities, social sciences, as well as the arts.
Clare claimed that she owes a lot of her success in the field her lessons received as a child in Andalusia and also as a member at the Andalusia Ballet.
“I don’t know what my life would look like in the absence of Meryane Murphy. Andalusia Ballet was my second home. Clare clearly instilled a enthusiasm for dancing within me, and even told me that the job I now enjoy is even possible. But, even more important I absorbed from her as well ballet what it means to be a hard worker with discipline and concentration and how enjoyable it is to be a hard worker,” Clare said.
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