Mary Ann Mayer

Mary Ann Mayer (MFA ‘22, The University of Oklahoma) is Visiting Lecturer of Dance, teaching ballet and related courses as well as composition, ballet history and a personally designed course titled Accessing Creativity through Collaboration. Before coming to UMass Amherst, she served as Assistant Professor of Dance at Oklahoma City University from 2022-2025. Ms. Mayer is a founding member of Ballet Rhode Island, formerly Festival Ballet Providence (FBP). She performed extensively with State Ballet of Rhode Island (toured the former Yugoslavia), Festival Ballet Providence and Providence Opera as well as the University of Rhode Island Dance Ensemble, before an injury forced early retirement. 

Her pedagogical studies include the National Ballet School of Canada, studies with Jurgen Schneider and David Howard as well as London’s Royal Ballet School. She served as Acting Director of Dance at the Performing Arts School of Worcester and directed the School of Festival Ballet Providence for 14 years. Mayer’s choreographic collaborations include the University of Oklahoma’s School of Dance and School of Music, Oklahoma City University, Festival Ballet Providence, Ocean State Ballet, The Rhode Island Philharmonic, Youth America Grand Prix, The Performing Arts School of Worcester, The Hartt School of the University of Hartford, and Burklyn Ballet. Her choreography has been presented at the Palm Desert Choreography Festival. Ms. Mayer is also on faculty at Boston Conservatory at Berklee.