Dance Alum Lisa Tachick Hooper ’95 to Be Honored for Years of Service to MMC
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As a high school senior in Colorado, Lisa Tachick Hooper ’95 had all but decided to bypass college. She’d been dancing since the age of three and lived for the stage; her plan—though not fully formed—was simply to become a professional ballerina as quickly as possible.
That changed after a guidance counselor urged her not only to take the SATs but also to apply to at least one school. Hooper selected a small college in New York City with a growing Dance program and a strong emphasis on the liberal arts.
It marked the beginning of her decades-long relationship with MMC, where she would become a top Dance student, a loyal alum, and eventually a committed trustee, serving eight years on the College’s board. In time, Hooper and her husband, David, would also establish a scholarship to help other dancers experience the opportunities she found on 71st Street.
“I didn’t realize it until after I graduated, but Marymount completely transformed the trajectory of my life,” she said. “It taught me how to work hard and how to pace myself. I credit it with so much of my success—having gone to college made me see the world differently and opened up opportunities I didn’t even know existed.”
On May 8, Hooper will be honored for her devotion to the College at MMC’s Alumni Awards ceremony. The celebration, which kicks off the 2026 Alumni Reunion, recognizes MMC alums making an impact in the creative arts, public service, education, business, community leadership, and through their lasting commitment to the College.
Hooper is set to receive the Père Jean Gailhac Award, named for the founder of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary (RSHM), the order that established MMC. An ordained priest, Gailhac devoted his life to serving the most vulnerable members of society, including poor, uneducated women. The award is given each year to members of the MMC community who demonstrate outstanding and continuous service to the College.
“By recognizing what was needed in his society and lifting women up and giving them shelter and support, Père Jean Gailhac laid the foundation from which the RSHM, and eventually MMC, grew,” Hooper said. “The desire to improve society lies at the very core of MMC’s educational mission, and I am humbled to be honored with an award in his name.”
Moreover, Hooper added, the recognition “feels like a hug.” “It’s a validation that Marymount loves me just as much as I love it.”
After graduating cum laude with a BFA in Dance, Hooper—one of just 11 dance majors in her class year—spent a decade dancing professionally. She freelanced with companies including Albany Berkshire Ballet, Ballet Metropolitano de Caracas, Connecticut Ballet, Dance Galaxy, and Chamber Dance Project, and performed in the opening ceremony of the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
Although she once assumed she would return to her Southwestern roots, with family in Colorado and New Mexico, Hooper ultimately built her life in the New York metropolitan area. Today, she and David live in Rye, New York, with their three children, where she is deeply involved in the local community. “My New Mexican family and friends all tell me, ‘Oh, you’re a New Yorker now,’” she said.
Along the way, she has remained close to her faculty mentors, including Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs/Dean of the Faculty Katie Langan, who chaired the Dance department for more than 20 years. Hooper has also watched the small Dance program she knew grow in national recognition, becoming one of the top programs in the country. “The caliber of the Dance department, from the students to the professors, blows me away,” she said.
Recalling how her own studies at MMC were made possible by scholarships, she resolved to help other students at the College pursue their dreams, and, after graduating, began giving whatever she could. “I have always wanted to pay forward the help I received,” she said. “So, it was important to me to give every year—even if it was just five dollars.”
In 2010, she and David established the Tachick Hooper Scholarship, which helps talented students who cannot afford membership costs to participate in the MMC Dance Company. The Dance Company is a prestigious, yearlong residency that allows students to work with leading choreographers and perform at major venues across New York City.
Soon after, Hooper was invited to serve on MMC’s board. “I was completely intimidated—and so flattered,” she said. “I just had to say yes. I’m so grateful for that opportunity because it allowed me to learn even more about the school and deepened my love for MMC.”
All told, Hooper said her many roles at MMC have only reinforced how special the community is. “As somebody who’s been out of school for many years, to go back and spend so much time and energy thinking about how to help the College thrive and live on has given me an appreciation I wouldn’t have had as an 18-year-old,” she said. “More than anything, I want our students to have the same opportunity that I did—to change their lives and become their very best.”
Published: March 19, 2026
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