After Julianne Pankau suffered a foot injury in high school, she thought she would never dance again.
But when she started as a dance student at Grand Canyon University in 2022, returning to the dance floor for the first time in three years, she was determined to make up for lost time.
Now, she is finishing her first year at the Ailey School of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York, one of the most prestigious, renowned dance schools in the country.
“It is an incredible testament to the hard work that she’s put in,” Chair of Dance Bekki Price said. “If you want to be a professional dancer, or if you want to be at the top in any field, you have to live and breathe that passion, and Jules definitely does that. We are incredibly proud of her.”
Pankau started dancing when she was 3 years old.
She grew up with big dreams of wanting to become a professional ballerina, and that is what she spent most of her time doing.
But her dreams came to an abrupt stop in high school, when she developed Achilles tendonitis and suffered metatarsal injuries that kept her from dance for the next three years.
When she started her first year at GCU, it was her first time back on the dance floor after the injury.
“GCU was like my rehab,” Pankau said. “It is totally unheard of to take three years off and still become a professional dancer. But at GCU, I fell in love with dance again, going back to my muscles that I used to have and increasing my level of technique and artistry.”
Pankau hit the dance floor running with no time to waste.
She regularly appeared in all faculty and student spotlight dance concerts as a performer and choreographer and recorded two solo studio albums at the GCU Recording Studio. She co-led an evening of worship, music and dance on campus and was selected by the College of Arts and Media and the Ingram Honors College to present "Out of Egypt: Evening of Worship Music and Dance 2024." The research project was presented in front of university President Brian Mueller at the 2024 Canyon Undergraduate Research Symposium.
Most recently, she participated in the American College Dance Association Northwest Conference in Las Vegas, where her original work, “The Knocking Beneath Us,” was selected to be featured in the conference gala. She also was featured in the association's conference gala in 2024 and 2025.
It was no surprise when Pankau received her acceptance letter to Ailey.
“Jules was the first person I met within the department when we came in as freshmen,” recent graduate Paige Heilig said. “Knowing how much she has changed over the course of time is crazy.
“She was always rising above the occasion within our little four walls here. She is 100% deserving of this opportunity, and it completely makes sense for her.”
Pankau first got involved with Ailey in 2024 when she attended a summer intensive program after her sophomore year.
When she sat in an interest meeting after the summer program to find out about future possibilities, Pankau was hooked after discovering Ailey’s additional options for college students.
She sent in her audition materials, and in spring 2025, she was accepted into the independent study program and certificate program for the 2025-26 academic year.
Working alongside Price and College of Arts and Media Dean Dr. Craig Detweiler, Pankau arranged online classes to finish her GCU education while dancing at Ailey.
“I thought that was the favor of the Lord, because it’s rare that happens,” Pankau said. “When I looked at my email, I screamed and was jumping up and down, super excited.
“When Bekki told everybody in the department, all of us were sobbing, crying, because it’s a hard thing to miss out on your senior year of college to pursue a dream that you have. But my thought was, it’s now or never.
Pankau’s typical day at the Ailey School consists of three to four classes and intense, long training hours practicing ballet, versatile modern dance techniques, such as the widely recognized Horton Technique and Graham Technique, and electives that include jazz, contemporary and tap.
All the hard work culminates in two yearly shows, January Explosion and a spring dance concert.
Pankau had her first big break at Ailey early on in her first semester, when she received a featured role in a Brice Mousset piece, “3 Variations.” Mousset is a founder, artistic director and choreographer of OUI DANSE in New York City. His work has appeared in many prestigious European and American dance institutions. To dance for Mousset is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“I’ve gotten a lot of great opportunities to perform here,” Pankau said. “This was the most perfect way to set myself up for my career after graduating from GCU.
“GCU really developed my stage presence and confidence on stage, which makes me a more valuable artist in a choreographer’s creative process. I found clarity at GCU about my artistic identity and voice and was fostered in a Christian dance environment."
After being awarded a scholarship, Pankau will continue at Ailey for the 2026-27 academic year.
GCU staff writer Izabela Fogarasi can be reached at [email protected]
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