Choreographer and dance educator Simone Ferro is a vital voice in the performing arts whose work blends traditional Brazilian influences with contemporary social issues to create deeply moving movement. Ferro is a Professor Emerita at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she served as Chair of the Department of Dance and Director of its nationally recognized MFA program. Throughout her distinguished career, she has been a tireless advocate for the field, serving as President of the Wisconsin Dance Council and championing dance education and access across the state. Her leadership was instrumental in creating the Emerging Artist Program, a statewide initiative providing funding and mentorship to the next generation of Wisconsin choreographers. Ferro’s artistic practice is deeply rooted in social justice and "embodied research". Her projects, such as Milwaukee Through Embodied Research, combine dance with oral history to explore resilience in local neighborhoods, resulting in site-specific performances in public spaces and homes. She has also used her choreography to investigate complex social realities like housing insecurity, inspired by works such as Matthew Desmond’s Evicted. Internationally, Ferro is a Fulbright Fellow whose ethnographic research into traditional folk cultures in rural Brazil has led to extensive documentation and podcast series amplifying the voices of women artists. Her legacy is one of unwavering service to both the academic and artistic communities of the Midwest.
