Overview
I am a choreographer, interdisciplinary collaborator, dancer and sociologist. I explore what it means to be human, often from visceral experiences that reside in the memory of my cells and spirit. My personal history, which includes being adopted and losing someone to suicide, fuels the essence of my raw and often intimate dance works. These deeply personal experiences only serve as inspiration for exploring broader community and social issues. I use movement as a tool to excavate emotions and thoughts to transcend boundaries. These lines can become blurred through immersive movement experiences. Social and cultural explorations ask the audience to be present and active contributors to the art work. These performance collaborations, between community and artist, are often followed by facilitated dialogue that sparks important conversation about topics such as vulnerability, gender, race, technology and communication and how we see our bodies in everyday spaces.
Information
Horton Technique, Curriculum Development, Arts-based Research, Community Integration Practices, Assessment – Quantitative and Qualitative, Arts in Society
MFA, Modern Dance – The University of Oklahoma;
MA, Sociology – Wichita State University
Modern Dance, Public Scholarship in Dance, Professional Practices for the Performing Artist, Dance Leadership and Production, Auditioning for Dance, Choreography for the Stage and in Community
“Community Integration Practices fused into Existing Arts Curriculum.”
Educator at Butler County College, Barton County College, the University of Oklahoma and Wichita State University. 5 Degrees of Rotation – Dance Collective; Alithea Mime Theatre
Dance Leadership Award, National Dance Alliance, 2005-2009; Dance Instructor of the Year, National Dance Alliance, 2000, 2005, 2009; Dorothy Hauck Faculty Fellow, Mickey and Pete Armstrong Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award, Kennedy Center National Choreographer (2014 & 2016), Harvester Arts Community Fellow 2017-2019
Associate Artistic Director – Wichita Contemporary Dance Theatre; Curriculum Development and Assessment; Artist Inc. Community Peer Facilitator; College of Fine Arts Senator; University Committee for Academic Affairs, University Assessment Committee, University Faculty Workload Committee, National Dance Education Organization Thomas K. Hagood Research Award Committee, National Dance Education Organization Dance 2050
Arts and Agriculture; Integrating Arts into Rural Areas
Conferences/Presentations
American College Dance Association National Conference Kennedy Center Choreographer 2014, 2016; National Dance Education Organization Leadership Panel 2018; Kansas Leadership Center Lead for Change 2018-2019; Dance Vision 2050 Panel 2017-2019; Just Add Arts Symposium “Space and Communication” 2019; The International Conference for Arts in Society, Ireland “Preparing the Sustainable Dance Artist”, upcoming June 2020.