TL/DR –
The Women of Color in the Academy Project will honor Clare Croft and Lester P. Monts at the 12th Annual Shirley Verrett Awards ceremony. Clare Croft, the director of arts research / creative practice in Office of the Vice President for Research, is receiving the 2024 Shirley Verrett Award for her contributions to the understanding of dance’s cultural and social roles. Lester P. Monts, a professor emeritus of music, is being awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the arts and academia.
12th Annual Shirley Verrett Awards Ceremony
Clare Croft and Lester P. Monts will receive honors at the 12th Annual Shirley Verrett Awards ceremony, organized by the Women of Color in the Academy Project, on Feb. 13.
Croft, the 2024 Shirley Verrett Award recipient, is the director of arts research / creative practice at the Office of the Vice President for Research. She is an acclaimed dance historian and theorist, her work having significantly influenced the understanding of dance’s cultural and social significance.
![\"\"](\"https://record.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/mc-image-cache/2024/02/240206_VerrettAward_Croft.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://record.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/mc-image-cache/2024/02/240206_VerrettAward_Monts.jpg\")
Monts, a professor emeritus of music, will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his significant contributions to the arts and academia.
The ceremony is set for 5:30 p.m. Feb. 13 at the U-M Museum of Art.
About the Shirley Verrett Award
The Shirley Verrett Award was established in 2011 in honor of the late U-M professor and opera singer Shirley Verrett. Her legacy continues to inspire female artists from diverse backgrounds.
Croft’s scholarly work spans dance history, theory, and gender and sexuality studies. She has made significant contributions to the field through her works “Her Disruptions: Dancing with Jill Johnston” and “Dancers as Diplomats: American Choreography in Cultural Exchange.” Croft is also the founder and curator of Daring Dances, a southeast Michigan-based initiative that uses dance as a medium for difficult yet important conversations.
Monts, a champion for diversity and inclusion, is also a leading scholar on music and culture in West Africa. He has made significant contributions to the university and has served as a consultant to prestigious institutions such as the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Association of American Colleges and Universities.
The Shirley Verrett Awards ceremony is open to the public. Interested attendees are requested to RSVP.
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