Research Discipline/Bio
Lenard Foust is a performing artist and Dance Education doctoral student at Teachers College, Columbia University. His research examines how BFA programs can more effectively integrate Jazz and Hip Hop rooted in African diasporic traditions to strengthen cultural literacy, equity, and professional readiness in higher education. Lenard holds an MFA in Dance Performance and a Graduate Certificate in World Performance Studies from the University of Michigan, and a BS in Dance Education from CCSU. A Fulbright Scholar, he has taught at Capital Normal University, Shanghai Theatre Academy, and Beijing Dance Academy. He has served on faculty at Alabama State University and the University of Michigan and currently teaches at Columbia University, Broadway Dance Center, and Brickhouse NYC.
Educational Background
Doctor of Education (EdD), Dance Education, Teachers College Columbia University (in progress)
MFA, Dance Performance, University of Michigan
Graduate Certificate, World Performance Studies, University of Michigan
BS, Dance Education, Central Connecticut State University
Fulbright Scholar, China
Fulbright Critical Language Enhancement Award, Mandarin
Honors/Awards
Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Award
Fulbright Critical Language Enhancement Award
SMTD Dance Fellowship, University of Michigan
Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant
EXCEL Enterprise Award, University of Michigan
Diversity and Inclusion Grant, University of Michigan
Last Updated: Nov 6, 2025