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Lee Duveneck (B.F.A. ’10) is this week’s featured alum in our new Alumni Spotlight series for the This Week at Meadows e-newsletter. Each week, a different Meadows alum will be highlighted for their accomplishments post-graduation.

The connections forged at Meadows often ripple far beyond the classroom or the stage. For Lee Duveneck, a graduate of the Division of Dance, those ties led directly to the Paul Taylor Dance Company, where he now performs as a company member and serves as Assistant Rehearsal Director. He credits Meadows with giving him both the technical range and professional pathways that shaped his career.

During his time at Meadows, Duveneck became acutely aware of the school’s strong connection to the Paul Taylor legacy. Alumni frequently went on to join the company, and Taylor’s repertoire was regularly performed on the Bob Hope Theatre stage. It was in this environment that he began to see a potential career path with the company.

“During my junior year I was fortunate to learn Taylor’s Cloven Kingdom and meet Ruth Andrien, who went on to become my rehearsal director when I danced in Taylor 2 and has continued to be a mentor as my career has moved forward,” says Duveneck. “Connections like these between Meadows and the larger dance world helped me feel a path forward when I started to dance professionally.”

Duveneck performs in Taylor's "Company B" with fellow dancers in the company. Photo by Whitney Browne.

Since graduating, Duveneck has built a career at the Paul Taylor Dance Company performing an expansive range of repertory. The company maintains a large rotation of Taylor’s most popular dances but also resurrects pieces that have gone unperformed for many years. Duveneck’s role has taken him into collaborations with prominent contemporary artists such as Pam Tanowitz and Kyle Abraham, as well as resident choreographers Lauren Lovette and Robert Battle.

“Though I dance in a company founded by one choreographer, Paul Taylor's work draws on a variety of styles and the company now commissions new work from a diverse set of choreographers,” he explains. “With so many styles and challenges thrown your way in today's dance field, and in the Taylor Company in particular, knowing I could rely on the range of techniques that the Meadows curriculum taught me has been a boon.”

Duveneck on stage with a fellow performer in Taylor's "Piazzolla Caldera." Photo courtesy of Paul Taylor Dance Company..

In 2025, Duveneck also stepped into a new leadership position as Assistant Rehearsal Director, helping shape studio time and passing on the knowledge he has absorbed from his own mentors. It’s a role that allows him to influence the company beyond the stage, ensuring that Taylor’s legacy and the artistry of contemporary dance continue to thrive.

He remains deeply grateful for his Meadows education and encourages current students to invest in the relationships that will carry them forward. “Seek out teachers who you can build trust with and who can help push you to another level of artistry.”

Duveneck continues to share his artistry on stage and behind the scenes, and he invites dance lovers to experience the Paul Taylor Dance Company live during its Lincoln ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ season in New York City, November 4–23.