NANCY SMITH FICHTER

Professor Emerita, Department of Dance Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida

Nancy Smith Fichter retired in 1997 after a 45-year professional life in the field of dance; the last 33 years were spent as chairperson of Dance at Florida State University. Currently she continues her choreographic activities; and she teaches graduate coursework at FSU, where she is Professor Emerita. Over the years she has created over 90 choreographic works for FSU dancers, other schools and universities and for professional companies. Her work is widely known through teaching and choreographic residencies and consultancies throughout the country and through her writing in various publications.

She has also frequently been a featured speaker at professional meetings. Dr.Fichter served as President of the National Association of Schools of Dance and was also a member of the association's Commission on Accreditation. She was a founder and President of the Council of Dance Administrators(CODA) and is Director Emerita of the Board of the Florida Dance Association. She was the first recipient of that association's annual award for "outstanding contributions to the development of dance in Florida"; the award is known as the Nancy W. Smith Award. In 1986 she received the Florida Alliance for Arts Education award given in recognition of her contributions to arts education in the state of Florida. She served as Editor of the publication DANCE ADMINISTRATION, THEMES AND DIRECTIONS; and she has served on the Executive Editorial Board for ARTS EDUCATION POLICY REVIEW.

She has been a recipient of a Florida Fine Arts Council Fellowship for Individual Artists and several grants from FSU for choreographic work. 

In 1991, she received the Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor Award, FSU's highest honor. Upon her retirement in 1997, her career was recognized with a weekend celebration and a retrospective concert of her choreography. At this time the dance theatre was named in her honor: The Nancy Smith Fichter Dance Theatre.

In 2001-2002, she resumed full- time work as Interim Dean of FSU’s School of Theatre. In 2002 she received the Artes Award from the Faculty Senate for her significant contributions to the University’s mission. 

 Since her retirement she and her husband (visual artist Robert W. Fichter) have been involved in the development of an artists retreat in the north Georgia mountains on properties that belonged to her late aunt, Lillian E. Smith, eminent author and human rights activist. The retreat is named the Lillian E. Smith Center for the Creative Arts.

Nancy working with University of Florida dancers, January 2008.