W&L’s Davies Named Fulbright Scholar
Jenefer Davies, professor of dance and theater at Was h i n gton and Lee University, has been selected as a 2026-27 Fulbright U.S. Scholar for the United Kingdom.
Davies has received the University of Roehampton Scholar Award, which fully funds her sabbatical to teach and conduct research at the University of Roehampton in London during the 2026-27 academic year. Her award includes membership in the U.K. Fulbright alumni network and access to Fulbrighter, a networking platform that enables grantees to connect, engage and collaborate with Fulbright alumni and grantees around the world. As part of her award, Davies will deliver a public lecture or other event at an outside institution at the completion of her experience.
Davies’ teaching and research during her time in the U.K. are expected to culminate in the completion of her third book, “Beautiful Risk: Unharnessing Bodies and Pedagogy.” Her research and the resulting book seek to explore and address risk – the physical risk within a specific dance form and the employment risk that artists experience when they are required to adapt and draw on other skill sets to maintain their presence in the industry.
Davies has been a member of the W&L faculty since 2006. She currently serves as chair of the Department of Theater, Dance and Film Studies and artistic director of the W&L Repertory Dance Company. Her choreography has been commissioned by dance, opera and theater companies in several countries, and her research is centered on modern dance, including the use of technology in dance composition and in-depth research and experimentation exploring aerial dance forms. She has served on the Reviewers’ Board of the Athens Journal of Humanities and Arts and reviewed dance proposals for the Oxford University Press. She has authored two books: “Aerial Dance: A Guide to Dance with Rope and Harness” (2017) and “Writing the Body: The Art of Dance Composition” (2023).
Davies earned a bachelor of arts in theatre arts/dance and a master of liberal arts and sciences in performance from Hollins University as well as a master of fine arts in choreography/dance from George Washington University.
