David Grenke

David Grenke is Professor of Theatre & Dance at the University of California, Davis, within the College of Letters and Science. He served as Chair of the Department from 2008–2011 and currently serves on the oversight committee for the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. He is also affiliated with the Taylor School and has taught master classes internationally at institutions including Brigham Young University, SUNY Brockport, Oure Academy (Denmark), and the Baltimore School for the Arts.

His research and artistic interests span Dance, Choreography, Theater, Contemporary Dance, Performance Art, and Dance Education. A former principal dancer with the Paul Taylor Dance Company and founder of ThingsezIsee’m Dance/Theater, his creative work explores interdisciplinary expression and innovative choreographic forms. His career blends performance, education, and artistic leadership.

Grenke has received significant recognition in the field, including:

• Doris Duke Award (1998)
• Scripps/ADF Humphrey-Weidman-Limón Fellow for Choreography (1997)
• Nora Kaye Award for dance

He has been supported by grants from the U.S. Embassy, Trust for Mutual Understanding, and the Harkness Foundation for international tours. He has curated and directed student performance series such as Outside the Lines, fostering emerging choreographers at UC Davis. He has also been guest faculty at multiple institutions, contributing to dance education beyond his home institution.

David Grenke is actively involved in his department and the broader dance community, leading performance initiatives and promoting innovative dance-theater work through both his practice and pedagogy.