Krisha Marcano Announced as Dean of Theater for Boston Conservatory at Berklee

Distinguished theater educator, choreographer, performer, and entrepreneur Krisha Marcano will join Boston Conservatory at Berklee as dean of the Theater Division starting July 1.

With more than 30 years of experience in the performing arts, Marcano comes to Boston Conservatory from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA), where she served for eight years as associate professor of theater dance and assistant dean for student affairs and entrepreneurial studies. At the School of Drama, she was the resident choreographer, where she choreographed musicals, advised on dance movement for plays, and directed staged works.

Prior to UNCSA, Marcano led a dynamic performance career on some of the world’s most prestigious stages. For the first six years of her career, she danced with the acclaimed Martha Graham Dance Company, as well as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She performed on Broadway for the following 17 years in hit musicals such as Fosse (as part of its first national tour), Disney's Aida, Sweet Charity, and Motown: The Musical. Marcano notably originated the role of Squeak in Oprah Winfrey’s The Color Purple in 2005. She has also collaborated with esteemed organizations such as the Winston-Salem Symphony, the National Black Rep, and the International Black Theatre Festival (previously known as the National Black Theatre Festival) as a producer and choreographer.

Marcano has taught at the Ailey School, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Harlem School of the Arts, the Joffrey Ballet School, and the New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts’ New Studio on Broadway (NSB). After volunteering at Career Transition for Dancers as the co-chair of the business group for seven years, she founded The Artistry Center to help performing artists with creative and entrepreneurial wellness.

“I am thrilled to announce that Krisha Marcano will be joining our Boston Conservatory community as the dean of theater starting in July,” said Michael Shinn, interim executive director for Boston Conservatory at Berklee. “Her presentation during her campus visit articulated an inspired vision for the future of theater and energized our entire community. I am confident that Krisha’s excellence as an artist, entrepreneur, and community leader will help to propel the Theater Division forward into a dynamic future.”

Marcano is the fifth leader of the Conservatory’s Theater Division. She will be the first woman to lead the Theater Division and the first Black woman to serve as a dean at the Conservatory. 

Marcano received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Purchase and a Master of Business Administration from Kenney College. In 2008, she received a commendation for outstanding artistry and creativity from the office of the New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. She also received an Excellence in Teaching Award from UNCSA in 2020.