Boston Conservatory Reveals Dance Partnership With The Verdon Fosse Legacy

Boston Conservatory at Berklee has announced a five-year partnership with The Verdon Fosse Legacy, founded by Nicole Fosse to preserve the work of her parents, dance icons Gwen Verdon and Bob Fosse. This five-year partnership marks the longest artistic and educational partnership since the founding of The Verdon Fosse Legacy, which meticulously reconstructs Fosse works in collaboration with dancers who performed the original roles, and has devised a professional training program to share these works with young dancers. 

“I'm overjoyed for the Dance Division to partner with The Verdon Fosse Legacy for the next five years,” said Dean of Dance Tommy Neblett. “This is a tremendous collaboration that will offer new creative and professional opportunities for our dance students, faculty, and larger community. Gwen Verdon and Bob Fosse changed the American dance landscape, and it is an honor to share their artistic legacy here at Boston Conservatory.”

Beginning in fall 2025, Boston Conservatory's Dance Division will host The Verdon Fosse Legacy in residency twice a year to reconstruct Fosse masterworks—once during the fall semester for the commercial dance BFA program, and again during the spring semester for the contemporary dance BFA program. 

The experience of reconstructing these dance works gives Boston Conservatory students a unique opportunity to master the game-changing choreography that revolutionized dance in the later half of the twentieth century. Fosse developed his eponymous style as a choreographer and director for landmark musicals, including Cabaret, Chicago, Pippin, and Sweet Charity, and he is widely recognized as one of the most influential figures in the field of jazzdance in the twentieth century. Bob Fosse's most renowned accomplishment remains unmatched: he is the only individual in history to win the triple crown—an Oscar, a Tony, and an Emmy—in the same year, all as a director. This historical milestone epitomizes the methodology and approach of The Verdon Fosse Legacy educational residency. The program is meticulously focused on triple-threat embodiment, emphasizing not just dance technique but also the integration of acting, voice, and deep character work. It's more than steps; it's a feeling—an immersive journey of personal exploration and artistic development that reaches far beyond the famous bowler hats and isolations.

Essential to the development of her husband's choreography, dancer and actor Gwen Verdon created the roles of Charity Hope Valentine in Sweet Charity and Roxie Hart in Chicago. She won a total of four Tony Awards for her performances in classic Broadway musicals, and served as an uncredited choreography assistant for many theater and film productions, including Gene Kelly's Singin' in the Rain.

Nicole Fosse, founder and artistic director of The Verdon Fosse Legacy, emphasized the urgency and purpose of this collaboration: “Educating the next generation is imperative to the continuation of this legacy. Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon's work is deeply rooted in the history of American movement—woven into our cultural fabric and a wellspring of inspiration for artists across generations. A multi-year partnership like this allows for a proper deep dive into the method, intention, and nuance that define these works.”

Executive Director Noah Fosse added, “Partnering with a program as well-respected as Boston Conservatory gives us unprecedented access to some of the most talented young artists in the country. These students are versatile, curious, and hungry for the kind of layered, expressive training that Fosse's work demands. This partnership is vital not just for preservation, but for the evolution of the work itself.”

The mission of The Verdon Fosse Legacy is to promote, preserve, and protect the artistic and intellectual property of Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon. Nicole Fosse and The Verdon Fosse Legacy began the Bob Fosse Master Class Series in 2013 with a goal to reconstruct both Fosse's popular and lesser-known repertoire with its original intent and integrity. In week-long workshops led by Lloyd Culbreath, Dana Moore, and Valarie Pettiford, an elite group of professional dancers reconstructed, rehearsed, and filmed Fosse's choreographic works for the Legacy's archive. The Verdon Fosse Legacy performs original Bob Fosse choreography at concerts, festivals, and charity events. The Legacy also reconstructs repertoire for professional dance companies and student performances.

“Boston Conservatory is a leader in dance education because of its innovative and holistic approach to dance training,” said Boston Conservatory at Berklee Executive Director Michael Shinn. “The Verdon Fosse Legacy partnership is an absolutely thrilling next move for the Dance Division that will immerse students in a distinct choreographic style that forever left its mark on dance and theater. I can't wait to see where it takes us.” 

Learn more about Boston Conservatory at Berklee's top-ranking programs in contemporary and commercial dance.