I am committed to pedagogy as creative research, facilitating a class space in which each student can develop their unique voice and capacity through studio practice, dialogue and mentorship. Whether focusing on contemporary dance technique, creative process, choreography, or dance and technology, I approach learning as a process of problem solving, posing questions to foster critical and lateral thought in mind and body. I value experiential and embodied education, which dissolves boundaries between life and art. In teaching, I balance specific tasks with more self-directed projects and collaborations that allow class content and methodology to emerge and adapt based on students’ needs.
In my contemporary dance technique class, I emphasize efficient movement in and out of the floor, range in weight qualities, oppositional forces, and diverse points of initiation. I aspire to help students bridge the gap between technique training and dance performance, through simultaneous attention to movement skills and intention. Within creative process, I challenge students to invent and re-invent scores for improvisation, accessing a plethora of sources for inspiration, as well as mediums of expression. My composition class promotes a symbiotic relationship of formal craft and creative vision, encouraging students to shape their personal and artistic identity as it relates to a larger context. I am inspired by writers/practitioners of critical and feminist pedagogy such as Paulo Freire, Bell Hooks, Augusto Boal, Alito Alessi and Ann Cooper Albright.
A focal point of my research is the symbiosis of practice and theory in dance. I encourage students to articulate the distinct nature and significance of knowledge that emerges from their embodied practice in relation to other forms of expression such as language and new media. My creative work and teaching embrace a multi/interdisciplinary approach, integrating video, sound design, lighting, and more. I value collaboration as a tool to challenge, extend, and deepen individual approaches to pedagogy and creation, fostering community and support.
*Course outlines, student evaluations of instruction, and video demonstrations of my teaching are available upon request.
