George Willis, M.F.A.
Associate Professor Emeritus of Dance
Service Years: 1967-2001
SDSU
Bio
Professor Emeritus of Dance, George Willis earned his A.B. and M.A. from California State University, Los Angeles and his M.F.A. from Arizona State University. Hired as a dance specialist in 1967 by SDSU’s Physical Education department, Willis served as a foundational faculty member for SDSU’s dance program. He is also a founder and past President of the Board of Directors of Jean Isaacs San Diego Dance Theater. Mr. Willis has performed with the Charles Weidman Dance Theatre, San Diego Dance Theatre, San Diego Ballet, the Harry Partch Ensemble, Starlight, Fantasia Espanola (Flamenco), and 3’s Company & Dancers. He is a past President of the San Diego Dance Alliance, (SDDA). In 1998 he received the “Tommy Life Time Achievement Award” from SDDA. He became Professor Emeritus of Dance upon his retirement from SDSU in 2001.
As past director of the San Diego State University Studio Theatre, he has presented over 500 concerts of student and professional dance. In 2007 he received the Outstanding Faculty Award in the Dance Division of the School of Music and Dance. In 2019 he was honored by the Jean Isaacs San Diego Dance Theater with the title “Founding Director.” Along with Jean Isaacs he received an award, Reconocimientos, for many years of cross border exchanges with Mexico, the award presented at the opening of Cuerpos en Transito 2019 at the Centro Cultural Tijuana.