Alan Sener, artistic director of The Repertory of Louis Falco in New York City, will return to Morgantown as this years artist-in-residence in the West Virginia University Dance Program. While on campus in mid-October, he will work with dance classes and conduct choreography workshops.

This is Seners fourth visit as artist-in-residence at WVU . He will help students prepare dance concert pieces and will complete a new work to premiere at Dance Concert 2004 in March.

Mary Katherine Wiedebusch, professor and coordinator of the dance program in the WVU College of Creative Arts, is the founder of the artist-in-residence program that began in 1978. She said the artist-in-residency projects have been a major catalyst in the professional development of the students in the WVU Dance Program.

It is important for our students to have an opportunity to work with professional artists, experiencing new approaches to the art form, in addition to the technical and philosophical direction of their training,she said.

Sener was principal dancer with the Louis Falco Dance Company from 1978 to 1983 and performed extensively in theatres and on television throughout the world.

He served for 15 years as Louis Falcos choreographic assistant on feature films, music videos, television commercials, and for the creation and reconstruction of Falco ballets for many of the worlds leading dance companies.

In 1993, Sener became artistic director of The Falco Repertory and continues to stage the late choreographers work internationally.

Sener has conducted master classes and choreography workshops worldwide. His full-time visiting artist appointments in the United States include the University of California at Santa Barbara and Virginia Commonwealth University. For the University of Iowa Dance Department, he teaches contemporary technique, choreography, and improvisation. He also was director ofDancers in Company,the universitys touring repertory dance company, for four consecutive seasons.

Other schools he as worked with include the University of Wisconsin, Stephens College, West Texas A&M University, Ball State University, the University of Utah, Barat Conservatory of Dance, and the University of Colorado.

Sener has choreographed seven national television commercials, three music videos, and two feature films. His recent choreography for musical theater includes the Cleveland Playhouse production ofIts a Wonderful Life.