Christal Wagner

Christal Wagner is a Lecturer in the Dance Department at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) and serves as Outreach Coordinator for Dance Education. She is an alumna of UWM (BFA in Dance Performance & Choreography) and adjunct faculty there. Her artistic work spans screendance, cinematography, and choreography with notable collaborations in Milwaukee's artistic community.

Education: BFA, Dance Performance & Choreography, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Research interests focus on interdisciplinary dance practices, including film-based choreography, community engagement, and simultaneous music-dance creation through improvisation. Her work emphasizes identity narratives, particularly transnational adoption experiences in Midwestern America. Recent projects include the dance film Provenance (2022).

Awards include 8 Wisconsin Jerry Awards for choreography (2012-2019), a 2020 SEED Grant, and the 2023 Wisconsin Dance Council Award. She has received grants supporting artistic innovation and community projects.

As Artistic Director of Danceworks Performance MKE and co-founder of Cadance Collective, Christal leads teams creating original works that blend music and movement. She has held residencies including the Saint Kate Arts Hotel's inaugural co-residency (2020).