The Challenge Of A Lifetime: The Impact of Professor Emerita Janis Dengler

Written by Amanda Mathis

Professor Emerita Janis Dengler, affectionately referred to as Profesor D, made a plan to support students she would never teach in the classroom, exhibiting the lesson of giving of her time, talent, and treasure to a program she believes in – Converse University’s Dance Program.

However, Dengler had never planned to work at Converse, but her life was altered one day in 1960 when she received a phone call from Teresa Shelton, the chair of Physical Education. Ironically, Dengler worked at another university and had not applied for the position.

“All I wanted to do was teach, so I sent my resume to many schools nationwide, including UNC-Chapel Hill,” reflected Professor Dengler. “One day Converse called the Physical Education Chair at UNC, and they passed on my resume. I had never been to the South until I stepped on campus. They were in the process of constructing the Montgomery Building, and I fell in love with the dance studio.”

Dengler was looking for a place that would share her values, and she felt at home when she arrived on campus to teach Physical Education.

Growing up in the Midwest, Dengler was looking for a place that would share her values, and she felt at home when she arrived on campus to teach Physical Education, a role that quickly grew to include other initiatives like the dance ensemble. What started as an evening student club in 1960 became a formal performance where students met after class, choreographed, and performed their spring performance at Twichell. 

“Dance has to say something; it can not just be there,” said Dengler. “The students pitch their ideas, then select a piece of music and choreograph it. Each show can have up to eight or nine pieces.”

From there, the dance ensemble grew and continued for more than 41 years, expanding from a one-day performance to a weekend event. 

One day, something happened in Professor D’s life that changed her trajectory.

“Joe Ann Lever, Dean of Liberal Arts at that time, suggested I start a scholarship at Converse,” said Professor Dengler. “She recommended that I start a $25,000 scholarship.”

Up for the challenge, Professor D started her work on creating an endowed scholarship to benefit a junior or senior Dance major who excelled in the program. Interestingly, Converse did not offer a Dance major program – at least not yet – in 2002. However, that did not deter Professor D from her goal, and she began reaching out to past students and friends, asking them to donate to her scholarship.

“Janis has made a difference in the lives of the people she teaches. There is a sense of camaraderie,” said Allison Roux, Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre and Dance. “You can see the impact on her dance program with Converse alumni and students and how she intentionally stays in touch with her former students.”

Instead of receiving payment for her class, she made one simple request – donate to her scholarship.

Converse alumni Celeste Graves ’67 seconds this sentiment in her recent nomination of Professor Dengler for an award at this year’s Reunion Weekend. “She has maintained warm relationships with many of her former students for over fifty years,” Graves wrote. 

Sometimes, opportunities to make positive change do not always present themselves immediately.

At 72, Professor D, who had retired from Converse, was not ready to stop teaching altogether. She began offering dance classes for senior citizens at the Shepherd’s Center, a nonprofit organization at First Presbyterian Church in Spartanburg.

“I had time, wanted to be active, and needed an outlet, so a friend suggested the Shepherd’s Center,” reflected Dengler. “At the time, I never considered being paid for my classes.”

Instead of receiving payment for her class, she made one simple request – donate to her scholarship. For more than 15 years, Professor Dengler taught twice weekly as donations came in small increments of $5 to $10, opening up the door to create her dream – a dance scholarship.

Over time, Converse’s dance program involved a holistic approach to technique, composition, performance, and artistic research. In 2023, the University launched its Dance major, and the program bloomed.

Now, six decades from when Professor D started at Converse, two scholarships were awarded in the fall of 2024.

“I am turning my passion for dance into a career,” remarked Eliza McManus, ’25, a Dance and Child and Family Studies major with a Psychology minor and recent Janis Dengler Endowed Dance Scholarship winner. She chose Converse to pursue her dream of becoming a dance teacher. 

“Dance is a passion and does require talent – two things can be cultivated into a job,” she said. After graduation, McManus will begin her career as a full-time dance teacher at East Aiken School of the Arts.

The Janis Dengler Endowed Dance Scholarship is awarded to a rising junior and senior who excel in the classroom, exhibit leadership, and give unselfishly to the dance program. The first scholarship awardees proved themselves to the program through their dedication to dance and academics.

“It is such an honor to be first, and I love the dance and theater department,” McManus said. “I love how you’re not held back by experience but learn the roots of dance and how to take care of your body properly. Converse has an incredible dance community, and I am grateful to be a part of it.”

“I found a community in the Dance department here.”

Rylie Budnick ’26

Her fellow scholarship awardee, Rylie Budnick ’26 (Nisbet Honors), a Dance and Business Administration major with a concentration in Human Resources, agrees.”I found a community in the Dance department here, and it is an honor that I received the award, as I plan to attend graduate school for Dance Choreography and become a college dance professor one day.” Budnick, vice president of the Commuter Club, felt she found a “community in dance” when coming to Converse. 

The two students met with Dengler during a luncheon over the January Term, where she shared stories about her life and Converse, and asked them about their career aspirations.

“Having a chance to meet Professor D in person was a special moment for them,” said Roux. “The meeting gave them something to aspire to, and the experience went beyond academics and fueled their passion for a career in dance.”

There is power of a kind deed, as any teacher can enter a classroom and teach a class, but only a few make a tangible difference that will impact students beyond graduation. 

During the Converse University’s 2025 Reunion Alumni Achievement Awards ceremony on April 26, Dengler will be recognized as the recipient of the Honorary Alumna/Alumnus Award and acknowledged by the Alumni Board as a person who has given time, effort, and love to Converse University and is considered an honorary graduate.

“Nothing we have today would be possible without the foundation she laid out,” said Professor Roux. “What Professor Dengler did for our program was the impetus, the groundwork for what we do today – it was all started by her.”