Last month, Malashock Dance CEO Molly Puryear was having a lovely morning, one different than most.
She had just visited Reneu Health, a new location for SD NeuroDance, a program launched last year with project creator Lexii Regina Alcaraz.
It’s a drop-in class manned by physical therapists and professional dancers, designed for people with neurologic movement impairments and their loved ones.
Malashock Dance received a grant of $77,000 from the Prebys Foundation for the program, as part of its Healing Through Arts and Nature initiative.
“We are continuing!’ Puryear said excitedly. “We were looking for spaces and Reneu Health is a rehabilitation facility that has such an inspiring team. It was really cool.”
Typically, Puryear begins her mornings at home, where the quiet helps her to focus on grant writing, answering emails and financial business. There are many Excel spreadsheets to track.
“There are more than you can imagine,” said Puryear, 45, who shares her East Village home with her dog, Latte.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if I have 10 open on different tabs. Every grant, every program and every section of the organization has its own budget. The biggest surprise for people is how much time is spent on the operations of the organization, including insurance and all of those things that run in the background to make sure we are compliant.”
Choreographer and former Twyla Tharp dancer John Malashock founded the company that bears his name in 1988. He built a legacy that includes nearly 100 original contemporary works and six Emmy Awards for dance films.
Known for its professional performances, training, and its educational outreach programming, the nonprofit Malashock Dance is currently under the artistic direction of Christopher Kaui Morgan.
In 2006, when Malashock Dance first opened a studio in the Dorothea Laub Dance Place at Arts District Liberty Station, Puryear was hired as a teacher for the outreach programs, then served as education director before becoming its executive director in 2015.
In 2024, Puryear was named chief executive officer, but her teaching career continues to inform her managing style.
“There are so many skills that I have learned from teaching,” she explained.
“I’ve always been inspired by my mentor, Arleen Sugano, who was the first person who really taught me how to create connections that instill confidence and leave students with a sense that they can go on and do bigger and better things. I also learned to have patience and to find joy in discovering how your coworkers learn and how they’re motivated.”
Even though she describes herself as “a pretty private person,” Puryear delights in sharing how much the arts have affected her.
“I think dance kept me so focused and inspired that I didn’t get into trouble,” she said.
“It was a huge part of how I learned to prioritize things in my life. I come from a loving supportive family, but without the arts I definitely would’ve turned out to be a different human being.”
Malashock Dance CEO Molly Puryear encourages women in the dance world to think big. “I would say ignore your imposter syndrome and find ways to build your confidence.” (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
As Puryear’s role at Malashock Dance and her connections grew, she began to exercise her creative muscle by “dreaming up different outreach programs.”
There is one project that she is most proud of, the Math in Motion curriculum, which helps students understand mathematical concepts in the creation and performance of dance movement.
“It was a life-changing experience to develop that, and an honor to see that it has continued for more than a decade,” Puryear said.
In addition to working for Malashock Dance, Puryear conducts pre-show interviews before many of the La Jolla Music Society’s dance concerts.
“I was absolutely thrilled when they chose me,” she said. “At first, I thought, I can’t believe they’re asking me. But I soon realized that if you give me a microphone and ask me to talk about dance, it’s going to be just fine.”
Puryear also is enthusiastic about the staying power of Malashock Dance, which she attributes to a “laser focus on our mission.”
“Everything we do has to be strategically aligned with our purpose, which is to make dance accessible and to illuminate that it’s part of being a human being. The work we are doing now to support artists is bringing in a whole new community to our shows.”
In May, Malashock Dance will present “ReGenerate,” with a reimagining of Malashock’s works from the 1990s, including the duet “Silver and Gold,” “Where the Arrow Landed” and “The Near Reaches.”
A pre-show event and an interactive preview night is part of the production, with dates and details to be announced soon.
“It will be our first show in The Joan theater in Liberty Station,” Puryear says. “We are doing interviews with past alumni from the company and past artistic collaborators.”
Her advice for ladies seeking a leadership role in dance?
“I would say ignore your imposter syndrome and find ways to build your confidence,” she stressed.
“Every day, I see capable women working from behind the scenes and almost across the board, they mention that they secretly do not feel like they are good enough. It’s a big assumption. I don’t think that male executives spend that much time worrying about those things. So, don’t get in your own way.”
Puryear said working for Malashock Dance is a privilege, a part of her identity with a purpose she feels passionate about.
“It’s in the fabric of who I am at this point in my life — to dedicate myself to dance in the arts. It’s been like that since I took my first dance class at the age of three.”
Malashock Dance presents ‘ReGenerate’
When: 7:30 p.m. May 2; 2:30 p.m. May 3
Where: The Joan and Irwin Jacobs Performing Arts Center, 2880 Roosevelt Road, Arts District, Liberty Station.
Online: malashockdance.org