Maliwan Diemer

Guest Faculty, Summer Intensive

Maliwan (Molly) Diemer began her dance training in Columbus, Ohio at the age of three. She continued her studies with RAD certified teacher, Ng Siew Fong while her family lived abroad. Ballet became her passion and by the age of thirteen, Maliwan had been invited to study and perform with Indiana University's Ballet Theater, where she trained with Violette Verdy, Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, Patricia McBride, Jacques and Virginia Cesbron, Leslie Peck and Doricha Sales, along with notable guest choreographers, teachers and artistic directors.

A long time instructor for Indiana University's Pre-College Ballet Program, she also spent a year as Associate Instructor for the African American Dance Company under the direction of Iris Rosa. Maliwan served on faculty at Chicago's first public arts high school, The Chicago High School for the Arts for nine years. She was formerly on faculty at the Lou Conte Dance Studio from 2005 until its closure in 2020 and at the Joffrey Academy of Dance. Maliwan is currently on faculty at Visceral Dance Center and is a guest instructor for Empower Dance Company. She has taught company class for DanceWorks Chicago, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater and Visceral Dance Chicago, and has been a guest coach and teacher for the University of Chicago's UBallet.  

With her husband, Matt, Maliwan competed professionally as a ballroom dancer. She is a 2-time U.S. National Rising Star Smooth finalist and a U.S. National 10-Dance finalist and has won Professional Rising Star and Open events across the country in Smooth, Latin and Standard. 

She holds a M.A. in Arts Administration and a B.S.O.F. in Ballet and Political Science, magna cum laude, both from Indiana University.

Maliwan joined Chicago Ballet Arts in 2007 as Performance Project Director. She began her new role as Artistic and Executive Director in August of 2020 and feels honored to continue the school's legacy of access and inclusion.