MMC proudly salutes Robert Battle as 2015 Honorary Degree Recipient

Robert Battle. Photo by Andrew Eccles (3)

Marymount Manhattan College proudly salutes Robert Battle, whose accomplishments in dance and strikingly physical choreography have earned him a global reputation as a pioneering force in the arts.

Robert Battle became Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 2011 after being personally selected by Judith Jamison, making him only the third person to head the Company since it was founded in 1958. 

Over the years, Mr. Battle has provided Marymount Manhattan students with transformative opportunities to stretch beyond their curricula.  He staged The Hunt, one of his signature works that is a grueling feat of physical stamina, Promenade, a poignant satire on societal norms and aristocracy, and finally, Channels, which had its premiere in the Theresa Lang Theatre and has since been presented at several other undergraduate dance programs.  It was during the performances of Channels that Mr. Battle’s appointment as the Artistic Director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was publicly announced.  In addition, Mr. Battle has employed MMC alumni in his Battleworks Dance Company.

For his outstanding contributions to the arts, the faculty, the President, and the Board of Trustees of Marymount Manhattan College are proud to confer on Robert Battle the degree of Doctor of Arts, honoris causa.

Published: May 20, 2015