SLBC was established in 2022, with the mission to create community projects guided by a collaborative artistic vision. SLBC offers affordable and accessible dance classes and performances, with an emphasis on collaborating with local artists. SLBC is a program of Deseret Experimental Opera (DEXO), which formed in 2013. DEXO’s mission is to create professional opportunities for local unestablished artists and to create original works for and about our Utah community.

Originally from Boise, Idaho, Michaela (she/they) moved to Salt Lake City to attend the University of Utah and graduated with a BFA in Ballet as well as a BS in Psychology. Michaela danced locally with Municipal Ballet Co, later becoming a founding member of Salt Lake Ballet Cooperative, and the Deseret Experimental Opera Board secretary. Michaela is a U of U Fine Arts Ambassadors and enjoys the opportunity to continue learning from and collaborating with so many talented U of U alumni, as well as dancing and collaborating with other local dancers, artists, and musicians.

Sierra (she/her), a Boulder, CO native, trained with Boulder Ballet before attending the University of Utah, where she earned dual degrees in Ballet and Environmental & Sustainability Studies in 2018. In addition to performing, she is passionate about choreography and has created numerous stage works, including pieces exploring themes of climate change and human connection. Since graduating, she has danced with Municipal Ballet and Salt Lake City Ballet Cooperative. Beyond the arts, Sierra is dedicated to community impact. She serves as the New Roots Program Manager at the International Rescue Committee, leading a team of 6 to implement initiatives that enhance food security and provide agricultural land access for refugees and new Americans.

Photo credit: Lauren Wattenburg

Molly (she/her) is from Fincastle, Va, where she trained with the Southwest Virginia Ballet. She graduated from the University of Utah with a BFA in Ballet and BS in Strategic Communications. Pursuing her performance career, she danced with the Kentucky Ballet Theatre, Municipal Ballet, and now with Salt Lake Ballet Cooperative. She works in the event industry as a producer with WEBB and spends any free time outdoors with her husband and pup!

Carly (she/her), a dance artist residing in Salt Lake City, teaches Ballet, Modern Dance/Contemporary, Early Court Ballet, and Screendance. She works as an adjunct faculty member at Westminster University and Salt Lake Community College, and she also teaches young students at Wasatch Arts Center as well as individuals living with Parkinson’s in the regular open classes hosted by Westminster University and Deseret Experimental Opera. Carly currently serves as Board President of Deseret Experimental Opera (DEXO) and has helped produce/choreograph/direct many shows with the performing arts non-profit. She is a regular teacher and dancer with Salt Lake Ballet Cooperative which is also under DEXO’s programming. Carly moved to Salt Lake City to attend graduate school at the University of Utah earning an MFA in Modern Dance with Screendance Certification. She earned a BFA in Theatre and Dance from the University of Wyoming. Prior to graduate school, Carly danced, choreographed and served as the Education Coordinator at Northern Plains Dance in Bismarck, ND which led her all over the state performing and guest teaching and choreographing numerous musicals for Sleepy Hollow Summer Theatre and Bismarck State College.

Photo Credit: Deanne Landreaux

Ashley (she/her) is a choreographer with Salt Lake Ballet Cooperative and a Communications Specialist with the University of Utah’s College of Fine Arts. Professional credits include 801 Salon with Deseret Experimental Opera, SB Dance’s Curbside Theatre, James Sewell Ballet, Akram Khan x MN Opera, Festival de Danse Cannes, RDT’s Emerge, and Lexus GS Japan’s Kaleidoscope Commercial. Connect with her on Instagram at @brainiacdancer.

Photo Credit: Bill Cameron

Michaela Gerard, Sierra Bates, Karina Biancone, Cassie Williams, Lauren Wightman
Choreographed by Carly Schaub
Music by Kelariz Keshavarz
Costumes by Olivia Mason

Megan Fotheringham, Sarenity Castaneda Nehring, Katelynn Killian, Sierra Bates
Choreographed by Carly Schaub
Music by Kelariz Keshavarz
Costumes by Olivia Mason

Karina Biancone, Michaela Gerard, Sarenity Castaneda Nehring, Stacie Riskin, Sarah Rinderknecht
Choreographed by Ellie Hanagarne
Music by Columbia Jones
Costumes by Olivia Mason
*Disclaimer: Brief Strong Language

Carly Schaub, Katelynn Killian, Megan Foetheringham
Choreographed by Sierra Bates
Music by Columbia Jones
Costumes by Olivia Mason

Sarah Rinderknecht
Choreographed by Ashley Jian Thomson
Music by Columbia Jones
Costumes by Olivia Mason

Daniel Rei Cohen, Cassie Williams, Lauren Wightman, Sarah Rinderknecht, Carly Schaub, Katelynn Killian
Choreographed by Michaela Gerard
Music by Nikei Kai Bowen

Karina Biancone, Megan Fotheringham, Michaela Gerard, Daniel Rei Cohen
Choreographed by Carly Herrmann & Dancers
Music by Nikei Kai Bowen

CHRISTINA JOHNSON’S career began at age seventeen with Boston Ballet. Two years later she joined Dance Theatre of Harlem where she reached the rank of principal dancer within four years and had a 13-year tenure there. Christina is a founding member of Complexions Contemporary Ballet and has been a featured guest artist with various companies worldwide, including the Royal Ballet of London, where she and her dance partner, Ronald Perry, were the first black couple to perform leading roles with the company. She danced in Switzerland for seven years, first with Le Ballet du Grand Theatre de Geneve and then Ballett Basel.

Christina held the position of Rehearsal Director for Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Washington Ballet, Armitage Gone! Dance, Trey McIntyre Project and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. She was on faculty at Marin Ballet in San Rafael, CA, and was Adjunct Faculty at Dominican University in the LINES/Dominican BFA in Dance Program.

Christina is sought after as a teacher and coach and currently works with dance schools, universities and professional dance companies across the USA and in Europe. She is also a master teacher and judge for dance competitions, such as Universal Ballet Competition, American Dance Competition/International Ballet Competition and Revel Dance Convention.

Christina is featured in two recently released books, the first by Misty Copeland, Black Ballerinas: My Journey to Our Legacy and also in Dance Theatre of Harlem: A History, A Movement, A Celebration. Christina plays a leading role in Misty Copeland’s film “Flower” which premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.

Christina holds a Master of Fine Arts in Dance from Hollins University in collaboration with the American Dance Festival, The Forsythe Company and Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts in Germany.

Since 2007, ADAM SKLUTE has expanded Ballet West’s outlook, repertoire, and visibility with exciting Company and world premieres, increased touring, heightened public exposure, and greater focus on the Ballet West Academy. He began his career with The Joffrey Ballet, rising through the ranks from dancer to Associate Director. His stewardship of Ballet West has been marked by both financial growth and elevated artistry, and was the subject of The CW Network’s docu-drama, Breaking Pointe, which aired for two seasons. From September 2016 to October 2017, Sklute took on the dual position of CEO and Artistic Director overseeing both administrative and artistic operations of Ballet West. An internationally sought after teacher and adjudicator, Sklute has received numerous awards, including Utah’s Enlightened 50 (2014), The Bronze Minuteman Award for Outstanding Service to Utah and The Nation (2015), and Utah Diversity Connection’s Business Award for outstanding commitment to diversity initiatives. Most recently, Sklute was included in Deseret Magazine’s 25 Changemakers of the West for his efforts to build greater equity and inclusion in classical ballet.

About Ballet West:
From Balanchine to Bournonville, and Petipa to Tharp, Ballet West boasts a rich and varied repertoire, elegant and versatile artists, and an American style and legacy that is as dynamic, expansive, and as unexpected as the Rocky Mountain region it represents. From its humble beginnings in 1963 as the only professional ballet company between Chicago and the West Coast, Ballet West has grown into one of America’s leading ballet companies. For 60 years, the Salt Lake City-based Company has entertained and excited audiences in Utah and worldwide by presenting the great classical story ballets, including America’s first version of The Nutcracker, revivals of rarely seen historical masterpieces, works by some of the world’s most renowned artists, and new cutting-edge creations by emerging choreographers. The Company also regularly tours both nationally and internationally.

Ballet West was established in Salt Lake City by co-founders Willam F. Christensen, often called the “God-father of American ballet,” and Utah’s “First Lady of the Arts,” Glenn Walker Wallace. In 1951, Christensen established the first ballet department in an American university at The University of Utah. Over time, this program grew into the Utah Civic Ballet, Ballet West’s first incarnation. Prior to that, along with his brothers, Lew and Harold, Christensen made history by establishing the oldest full-ballet company in the western United States, the San Francisco Ballet.

KEVIN THOMAS was born in Trinidad and Tobago and grew up in Montreal, Canada. He received his degree in dance from the CEGEP de Vieux Montréal.

Mr. Thomas began his career as a professional dancer in Montreal with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, one of Canada’s leading ballet companies. At the age of 19, he was the only Black dancer with the company. He later became a soloist with the company then moved on to Cleveland San Jose Ballet as a principal dancer and finally to the Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) in New York as a principal dancer, where he performed internationally for 10 years.

Mr. Thomas’ credits include leading roles in The Prodigal Son, Dialogues, The Four Temperaments, Othello, Adrian (Angel on Earth), A Song for Dead Warriors, Troy Games, Equuis and Dougla. He has performed leading roles in numerous ballets including The Nutcracker, Tarantella, Agon, Who Cares, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Don Quixote, Consort Lessons, and Aureole.

Mr. Thomas has made guest appearances with the Royal Ballet in London, Complexions Contemporary Ballet in New York and Fleming Flindt and Peter Schaufuss in Denmark. He has also appeared on Broadway in The Phantom of the Opera and on television in Law and Order.

In 2006, Mr. Thomas and Marcellus Harper founded Collage Dance to increase diversity in classical ballet and relocated the company to Memphis the following year. They established the Collage Dance Conservatory in 2009. The organization has quickly grown to boast an international touring professional company and nationally recognized conservatory, training more students of color in a classical art form than any other nonprofit in the region.

Mr. Thomas has served as Ballet Master for New Ballet Ensemble & School and has choreographed for Opera Memphis, Hattiloo Repertory Theatre, New Ballet Ensemble, Orpheum Theatre, Flint Institute of Music, University of Memphis, The University of Utah, Nashville Ballet and Collage Dance Collective. He is a National Visiting Fellow at the School of American Ballet in New York City and has taught at schools and programs around the country including the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Flint Institute of Music, The University of Utah, School of American Ballet, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, the Boston Ballet Summer Dance Program (SDP), the International Association of Blacks in Dance, Tennessee Association of Dance and The University of Memphis.

About Collage Dance:
Rooted in the heartland of Memphis, TN, Collage Dance embodies the greatness of American dance and is at the national forefront of inspiring the growth and diversity of ballet. Collage’s meteoric rise over the last decade is fueled by its dynamic programming, virtuosic company artists and its talent for presenting what the Albany Times Union called “ballet made utterly, gorgeously human.” Collage Dance was recently named a Southern Cultural Treasure by South Arts and the Ford Foundation, is one of the 50 largest ballet companies in the nation and one of the largest Black-led performing arts organizations in the South.

Photo Courtesy of Collage Dance

artÉmotion’s mission is to develop artists, not just dancers. artÉmotion shapes students into multidimensional dancers by asking them to stretch beyond their physical abilities and help them find their inner voices as artists. Our mission is facilitated by our curriculum. Students of artÉmotion will explore their artistry and technique in tandem. No movement without a purpose, without a unique story.

artÉmotion is under the Artistic Direction of former Ballet West First Soloist Allison DeBona and Ballet West Principal, Rex Tilton. artÉmotion’s inaugural year was 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio where they established a summer intensive for ballet students. In 2016 it grew to offer programs in both Cleveland and Detroit, Michigan.   In 2017 the artÉmotion Summer Intensive partnered with the Frederick Quinney Lawson Ballet West Academy, official school of Ballet West. This strategic partnership between artÉmotion and Ballet West saw Allison DeBona and Rex Tilton leading a two-week Choreographic Workshop in Salt Lake City, Utah, and a two-week Summer Intensive for pre-professional students in St. George, Utah. DeBona and Tilton continue their well-established Summer Intensive for Adults in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Allison DeBona and Rex Tilton believe training is vital to honing their craft and want to share as many opportunities with fellow dance professionals and students, alike. artÉmotion is dedicated to fostering a dance environment dedicated to operating diversely, equitably, and inclusively. In 2019, they had made it artÉmotion’s goal to reach more dancers. In addition to their summer intensives for students and adults, they now offer virtual open classes, and virtual in person master classes and private lessons, with an emphasis of turning Salt Lake City, Utah into a premiere dance hub.

In August 2021, Allison DeBona was appointed Principal of the Ballet West Academy Peggy Bergmann Park City Campus. Rex Tilton is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of Utah.

ALLISON DEBONA is the Owner and Artistic Director of artÉmotion. She is a former First Soloist with Ballet West and danced with the company from 2007-2022. She was a featured cast member on seasons 1 & 2 of the CW docu-series, ‘Breaking Pointe.’ She has been featured in issues of Dance Magazine, Dance Spirit Magazine, Pointe Magazine, and Dance Track Magazine. She shared the cover of Dance Teacher Magazine, February 2018, with Rex Tilton. She was also the model for the Fall/Winter 2013 and August 2015 Grishko Pointe shoe ad featured in Pointe Magazine. In August 2016 was featured in an eight page editorial for Vogue Italia. Additional accolades include producing the ‘I Am Your Friend’ Benefit Dance Performance alongside Rex Tilton, June 2015, to benefit the non-profit organization Fahodie for Friends.  She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Ballet from Indiana University, Bloomington, where she trained under former New York City ballet acclaimed Principal Ballerina, Violette Verdy. In 2020 she was named a Nikolay Brand Ambassador and Zarely Role Model. Additional training includes American Ballet Theatre’s New York Summer Intensive and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s Graduate program. She grew up under the artistic direction of Jean Gedeon at Pittsburgh Youth Ballet and Debbie Parou at the former Parou Ballet Company.

In August 2021, Allison DeBona was appointed Principal of the Frederick Quinney Lawson Ballet West Academy Peggy Bergman Park City Campus. She is also an Associate Instructor for the University of Utah’s School of Dance. DeBona is a co-founder of “Dancers and Motherhood,” an initiative to support mothers within the dance community.

Photo Credit: Beau Pearson

REX TILTON is the Artistic Director of artÉmotion. He is a former Principal dancer with Ballet West and danced with the company from 2008-2022. Rex was also a featured cast member on seasons 1 & 2 of the CW docu-series Breaking Pointe. He has been featured in issues of Dance Magazine, Dance Spirit Magazine, and Pointe Magazine. In February 2018, Rex shared the cover of Dance Teacher Magazine, with Allison DeBona. He was also the model for the August 2015 Grishko Pointe shoe ad featured in Pointe Magazine. Additional accolades include producing the ‘I Am Your Friend’ Benefit Dance Performance alongside Allison DeBona, June 2015, to benefit the non-profit organization Fahodie for Friends.  He attended the Pacific Northwest Ballet Professional Division program on scholarship before joining Ballet West. Additional training includes School of American Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. Rex grew up under the artistic direction of former Pacific Northwest Ballet Principal, Ben Houk, and Pacific Northwest Ballet Soloist, Lauri-Michelle Houk, at San Elijo Dance and Music Academy. In 2020, he was named a Nikolay Brand Ambassador.

Rex Tilton is currently an Associate Instructor for the University of Utah’s School of Dance.

Photo Credit: Beau Pearson

ELIZABETH YNTEMA is the President & Founder of the Dance Data Project® and a member of the Board of Trustees for WTTW/WFMT. A graduate of the University of Virginia and the University of Michigan Law School, where she received the Jane L. Mixer Memorial Award for Social Justice, she has been deeply involved in philanthropy and advocacy, particularly in the arts and social justice. She has served on numerous Chicagoland boards, including the Joffrey Ballet and the Junior League of Chicago, where she was named Volunteer of the Year. Named to The Philanthropy Workshop’s 2018 cohort, she has been recognized with the Top Tier Feminist Giver Award by Philanthropy Women and as a lifetime Honorary Member of Corps De Ballet. She is also part of Chief, a national network of women executives. Yntema and DDP’s work have been featured in Women and Leadership: Journey Toward Equity and Turning Pointe: How A New Generation of Dancers is Saving Ballet From Itself.

About Dance Data Project®:
Dance Data Project® was created to examine gender imbalance in artistic and administrative leadership in dance companies, venues, and organizations. By issuing data reports, advocacy, and programming, DDP raises awareness related to gender equality, primarily in areas of leadership and choreographic opportunities. DDP is the only organization doing this vital work to produce metrics-based research clearly outlining issues of equity and transparency in the dance industry.

Dance Data Project® promotes equity in all aspects of classical ballet by providing a metrics-based analysis through the DDP database while showcasing women-led companies, festivals, competitions, venues, special programs and initiatives. DDP focuses on artists of merit: choreographers, photographers, lighting, costume, set designers, and commissioned composers. DDP has published, as of next January 2025, 40 full reports and 16 Data Bytes since the project began in 2019.

Abstract
This presentation explores the reciprocal relationships between small Midwestern ballet companies and the communities they inhabit. Countering the popular narrative that the plains states are “flyover” regions in the arts, we will contextualize our careers as professional ballet dancers in multiple Midwestern cities, articulating how regional ballet companies enrich local cultural landscapes by offering accessible performances and educational outreach, and foster a unique sense of identity and pride within their communities. Engaging research methodologies that include archival excavation of local news and social media output, interviews with company directors and board members, and our personal histories, we highlight how local traditions, demographics, and socio-economic factors shape the artistic direction and repertory choices of regional companies, and identify practical strategies which have allowed small ballet companies to survive and thrive through multiple recessions and the Covid pandemic.The presenters celebrate the decades-long presence of these regional companies as indicative of ballet’s pervasiveness within Midwestern American culture, and underscore the importance of dismantling the prevailing geographical hierarchies in ballet. By unpacking the strategies small ballet companies use to foster cultural appreciation, economic development, and social cohesion, our research illustrates a dynamic interdependence between the arts and community life. We emphasize the importance of Midwestern ballet companies as both cultural catalysts and reflections of the communities they serve.

Bibliography
“10 Reasons to Support the Arts in 2023 with Local Arts Organization Spotlights.” Arts Action Fund, 30 Aug. 2023, www.artsactionfund.org/10-reasons-support-arts-2023-local-arts-organization-spotlights. 

“AEP5: National Findings.” Americans for the Arts, 15 May 2019, www.americansforthearts.org/by-program/reports-and data/research-studies-publications/arts-economic-prosperity-5/learn/national-findings. 

Amans, Diane. An Introduction to Community Dance Practice. 2nd ed. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2017. “Ballet Quad Cities.” Ballet Quad Cities, https://www.balletquadcities.com/. Accessed 22 Oct. 2024. 

“Creating the Performing Arts Center of the 21st Century with Rachel S. Moore.” YouTube, uploaded by Dance Data Project, 4 Oct. 2024, https://youtu.be/W0JMN-j9HB4?si=fzSHNKMhLb-zV_3v. 

Fisher, Jennifer. Nutcracker Nation: How an Old World Ballet Became a Christmas Tradition in the New World. Yale University Press, 2004. 

Killacky, John R. “Survival Strategies for the Arts.” Blue Avocado, Nonprofits Insurance Alliance, 19 Dec. 2023, blueavocado.org/community-and-culture/survival-strategies-for-the-arts/. 

Midwestmusemsorgadmin. “Thriving, Not Surviving: Art Communities in the Midwest.” Association of Midwest Museums, 8 Aug. 2022, www.midwestmuseums.org/thriving-not-surviving-art-communities-in-the-midwest/. 

Rushton, Michael. Creative Communities: Art Works in Economic Development. Washington: Brookings Institution Press, 2013.

Abstract
The layers of global dance are complex: these can include folk, ethnic, national, spiritual, and vernacular dance forms. With broad dissemination and blurred lines of these forms developing in the 21st century, it is essential to approach the representation of cultures with authenticity and respect. Character dance has the unique position of presenting global dance perspectives in a ballet lens, while also utilizing balletic elements within the study of global dance perspectives. Just as ballet has clear technical constructs for the patterning of movement, character dance offers clarity in the codification of global dance forms.

From the establishment of classical ballet repertoire in the 19th century to the development of character dance pedagogy in the 20th century, transformations in technology, transportation, politics, culture, and society have impacted the accessibility, communication, and veracity of global dance forms in the 21st century. This paper seeks to analyze three primary pathways on this bridge: How does character dance support classical ballet training in the 21st century? How could character dance serve as a foundation for cross-cultural communication and community engagement with ballet? How can character dance be utilized more effectively and authentically by choreographers, re-stagers, and repetiteurs? These pedagogical, cultural, social, and artistic considerations may offer the opportunity to redefine ballet’s broad community connections. My research explores practical solutions and possible applications, along with pitfalls and challenges, to develop a framework for reconnection, restoration, and collaboration between classical ballet repertoire and global dance forms.

Bibliography
Buckland, T. (1999). All Dances Are Ethnic, but Some Are More Ethnic Than Others: Some Observations on Dance Studies and Anthropology. Dance Research: The Journal of the Society for Dance Research, 17(1), 3-21. https://doi.org/10.2307/1290875

Chan, P. (2020). Final Bow for Yellowface: Dancing between intention and impact. (M. Chase, Ed.). Yellow Peril Press.

Cohen, S. J. (1990). 4th World Conference on Folk Dance: Dance-Music in Folk Culture. Dance Research Journal, 22(2), 47-48. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1477793

Lansky, C.  (2024, June 12). Pas de Deux With Cancel Culture. JSTOR Daily. https://daily.jstor.org/pas-de-deux-with-cancel-culture/

Nahachewsky, A. (2002). New Ethnicity and Ukrainian Canadian Social Dances. The Journal of American Folklore, 115(456), 175-190. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4129218

Overholser, L. (2014). Establishing Gendered Norms in Hungarian Staged Folk Dance through Ethnology and Heteronormativity. The World of Music, 3(2), 105-122. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24318178

Shay, A. (1999). Parallel Traditions: State Folk Dance Ensembles and Folk Dance in “The Field.” Dance Research Journal, 31(1), 29-56. https://doi.org/10.2307/1478309

Sklar, D. (1991). On Dance Ethnography. Dance Research Journal, 23(1), 6-10. https://doi.org/10.2307/1478692

Sorrells, K. (2010). Re-imagining intercultural communication in the context of globalization. The Handbook of Critical Intercultural Communication, 171-189. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444390681.ch11 

Sporton, G. (2004). Dance as Cultural Understanding: Ideas, Policy, and Practice. Dance Research Journal, 36(2), 80-90. https://doi.org/10.2307/20444593

Abstract
In this era of care-based/community-centered education, ballet has embraced the word community to imply inclusion. This creates a precarious binary construction as community is defined as much by who is excluded as who is included.

Binaries are easy – it’s either this or that. Life and education are rarely so simple.

One big dangerous binary in ballet education is the insidious notion of “Traditional” vs. “Non-Traditional” students. Setting up a binary between student groups is the antithesis of inclusion and is at the root of colonizing dance practices. The subtext of this is “allowing” entrance into ballet which sets up a gate-keeping dynamic and impacts/increases a negative stereotypical relationship with contemporary/modern/cultural dance forms. This gate-keeping cuts both ways.

Social media is a reductive platform that magnifies binary constructions. Ballet pedagogy is already filled with binary language that restricts its evolution: Safe vs. unsafe, ballet for modern majors, choreographers vs woman choreographers . . . just to name a few. Ballet on social media becomes a series of right and wrong moments, without context, bringing a colonization of correctness and creates a pseudo-liminoidal dynamic.

In this presentation we will define the pseudo-liminal/oidal from the works of Victor Turner and Richard Schechner as it relates to ballet pedagogy and social media engagement. We will discuss the value of developing broader philosophies for ballet as an art form and debunk the notion of “traditional”.

Bibliography
Akinleye, A. (2021), Ballet, from property to art in (re:)claiming ballet. Intellect Books. Bristol, UK. Douglas, M. (2002), Purity and Danger: An Analysis of Concept of Pollution and Taboo. Routledge: London. 

Farrugia-Kriel, K. and Nunes-Jensen, J. (eds). (2021), The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Ballet. Oxford University Press. Gleich, Julia K. (2015), “Illuminations.” Conversations Across the Field of Dance Studies: Network of Pointes. Society of Dance History Scholars Vol. XXXV. 

Schechner, R. (1982), The End of Humanism: Writings on Performance. Performing Arts Journal Publications: NY. Turner, V. (1974), “Liminal to Liminoid, in Play, Flow, and Ritual: An Essay in Comparative Symbology.” Rice Institute Pamphlet-Rice University Studies. 

Van Gennep, A. (1960), The Rites of Passage: A Classical Study of Cultural Celebrations. University of Chicago Press: Chicago. 

Wooten, C. (2009), “Navigating the Liminal Space in the Feminist Ballet Class.” CORPS de Ballet Panel: A Dance of Empowerment: Teaching Dance at the Post-Secondary Level. 

Zeller, J. (2019), “In the Liminal Space: Pedagogy at the Intersection of our Ideals and our Humanity.” Public Lecture, Temple University Scholar-in-Residence Program. 

Zucker, A. (August 10, 2018), “Learning Through Play, Playing Through Art.” (https://theartsandeducation.com/2018/08/10/learning-through-play-playing-through-art/)

Abstract
This panel discussion explores the complex interplay between socio-cultural factors and ballet practices in higher education. Bringing together influential ballet educators from a range of higher education dance programs, the panel examines how ballet is situated within their respective communities, focusing on the intersection of local demographics, cultural expectations, and institutional structures. The conversation highlights how societal shifts are currently shaping ballet training and practice in academic settings. Panelists delve into regional and cultural differences that influence both pedagogy and performance, offering insights into how these factors either challenge or reinforce traditional norms within ballet. The discussion analyzes how existing structures within academic spaces can be adapted and reimagined to develop ballet communities. By exploring the cross-commonalities and divergent experiences arising from these socio-cultural influences, the panel investigates how local, regional, and national factors converge to shape the lived experiences of ballet practitioners. Through this dialogue, the panel seeks to explore best practices amongst university professors to support community-building and foster excellence in ballet education. 

Bibliography
Akinleye, Adesola, ed. 2021. [Re:]Claiming Ballet. Bristol: Intellect Books. 

Bell, Ella LJ Edmondson, Debra Meyerson, Stella Nkomo, and Maureen Scully. 2003. “Interpreting Silence and Voice in the Workplace: A Conversation about Tempered Radicalism among Black and White Women Researchers.” The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science 39 (4): 381–414. 

Brown, Brené. 2018. Dare to Lead: Brave Work, Tough Conversations, Whole Hearts. London: Vermillion. 

Goulet‐Pelletier, Jean‐Christophe, Patrick Gaudreau, and Denis Cousineau. 2022. “Is Perfectionism a Killer of Creative Thinking? A Test of the Model of Excellencism and Perfectionism.” The British Journal of Psychology 113 (1): 176–207. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12530. 

McCarthy-Brown, N. 2014. “Decolonizing Dance Curriculum in Higher Education: One Credit at a Time.” Journal of Dance Education 14 (4): 125. 

Meyerson, Debra, and Maureen Scully. 1993. “Tempered Radicalism and the Politics of Ambivalence: Personal Alignment and Radical Change within Traditional Organizations.” University of Michigan School of Business Administration. 

Nordin-Bates, Sanna M., Jennifer Cumming, Danielle Aways, and Lucinda Sharp. 2011. “Imagining Yourself Dancing to Perfection? Correlates of Perfectionism among Ballet and Contemporary Dancers.” Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology 5 (1): 58–76. https://doi.org/10.1123/jcsp.5.1.58. 

Nugent, Ann. 2015. “Spirit of the New: William Forsythe and the Disruption of Ballet’s Structural Organization.” Conversations Across The Field Of Dance Studies 35: 5–9. 

Nunes Jensen, Jill, and Kathrina Farrugia-Kriel, eds. 2021. The Oxford Handbook of ContemporaryBallet. First edition. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 

Richter, Jennifer, Flóra Faragó, Beth Blue Swadener, Denisse Roca‐Servat, and Kimberly A. Eversman. 2020. “Tempered Radicalism and Intersectionality: Scholar‐Activism in the Neoliberal University.” Journal of Social Issues 76 (4): 1014–35. 

Ritchie, Ashleigh, and Fiona Brooker. 2019. “Democratic and Feminist Pedagogy in the Ballet Technique Class.” Journal of Dance Education 20 (4): 197–204. https://doi.org/10.1080/15290824.2019.1588463. 

Zeller, Jessica. 2022. “The One I Didn’t Want to Write: On Ballet Pedagogy and Bodily Autonomy.” Accessed July 4, 2022. https://www.jessicazeller.net/blog/ballet-pedagogy-and-bodily-autonomy.

Abstract
This presentation and movement workshop explores the emerging field of fascia research and its implications for fostering care, connection, and community within diverse ballet settings. We will delve into fascia as a holistic system influencing movement, proprioception, the stress response, and potentially, the embodiment of experiences. 

By introducing dancers and educators to the latest findings, we aim to cultivate a shared understanding of the body’s interconnectedness, sparking discussions and exploration of new training approaches that prioritize well-being.

Key themes: 

• How fascia’s sensory network influences “muscle memory” and potentially reflects individual experiences and cultural legacies. 
• How fascial awareness can enhance communication and collaboration between dancers and teachers. 
• How understanding fascia can inform injury prevention, rehabilitation, and culturally sensitive teaching practices. 
• The ethical implications of potential trauma storage in fascia and how to create a more inclusive environment for all dancers.

Learning Outcomes: 

• Understand the fascial system and its impact on dance training.
• Develop greater body awareness through practical exercises targeting the fascial system, interoception, and proprioception.
• Gain insights into fascia and injury from a manual therapist’s perspective.
• Develop an awareness of fascia’s potential role in imprinting experiences and implications for trauma-informed pedagogy.
• Explore how fascial awareness can foster deeper connection within ballet communities.

This presentation will involve lecture and movement experiences while inviting participants to engage with cutting-edge research and contribute to a dialogue on cultivating care, inclusivity, and a deeper understanding of the body within diverse ballet communities. 

Bibliography
Moving Consciously, edited by Sondra Fraleigh University of Illinois Press, Urbana, Illinois; Chicago, Illinois; Springfield, Illinois, 2015, https://search.lib.byu.edu/byu/record/cram.110.EBC3440683. 

Akinleye, Adesola. (Re:)Claiming Ballet. New edition ed. Bristol: Intellect, 2021. 

Brown, A. G. Nerve Cells and Nervous Systems: An Introduction to Neuroscience / A.G. Brown Springer, 2001, https://www.proquest.com/books/nerve-cells-nervous-systems-introduction/docview/46571021/se-2?accountid=4488 http://www.lib.byu.edu/jfinder.pl??url_ver=Z39.88- 2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:book&genre=book&sid=ProQ:ProQ%253Aagricolamodule&atitle=&title=Nerve+cells+and+nervous+systems+%253A+an+introduction+to+neuroscience+%252F+A.G.+Brown&issn=&date=2001-01-01&volume=&issue=&spage=&au=Brown%252C+A+G&isbn=3540760903&jtitle=&btitle=Nerve+cells+and+nervous+systems+%2 53A+an+introduction+to+neuroscience+%252F+A.G.+Brown&rft_id=info:eric/CAT11109243&rft_id=info:doi/. 

Brown, Brené. Daring Greatly Gotham Books, New York, NY, 2012. 

———. The Gifts of Imperfection Hazelden, Center City, Minnesota, 2010. 

Clippinger, Karen. Dance Anatomy and Kinesiology. 3rd ed. Human Kinetics, 2024. 

Fraleigh, Sondra Horton. Dancing Identity University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, Pa., 2004. 

Kassing, Gayle and Danielle Jay-Kirschenbaum. Dance Teaching Methods and Curriculum Design: Comprehensive K-12 Dance Education. Second edition. ed. Human Kinetics, 2020, https://www.vlebooks.com/vleweb/product/openreader? id=none&isbn=9781492591641. 

Lesondak, David. Fascia: What it is and Why it Matters. 1st ed. United Kingdom: Handspring Publishing, 2017. 

Maté, Gabor. The Myth of Normal, edited by Daniel Maté, ProQuest (Firm) Avery, New York, 2022, https://search.lib.byu.edu/byu/record/cat.7484281. 

———. When the Body Says No Scribe, Brunswick, Victoria, Australia, 2019. 

Ren, Zhixian, Ya Tan, and Lili Zhao. “Cell Heterogeneity and Variability in Peripheral Nerve After Injury.” International Journal of Molecular Sciences 25, no. 6 (2024): 3511, https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/cell-heterogeneity-variabilityperipheral-nerve/docview/3003032003/se-2?accountid=4488 http://www.lib.byu.edu/jfinder.pl??url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&genre=article&sid=ProQ:ProQ%253Apqrl&atitle=Cell+Heterogeneity+and+Variability+in+Peripheral+Nerve+after+Injury&title=International+Journal+of+Molecular+Sciences&issn=16616596&date=2024-03-15&volume=25&issue=6&spage=3511&au=Ren%252C+Zhixian%253BTan%252C+Ya%253BZhao%252C+Lili&isbn=&jtitle=International+Journal+of+Molecular+Sciences&btitle=&rft_id=info:eric/&rft_id=info:doi/10.3390%252Fijms25063511 https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25063511. 

Schleip, Robert, Johanna Bayer, Bill Parisi, Johnathon Allen, and Klaus Eder. Fascial Fitness, Second Edition. 1st ed. New York: Lotus Publishing, 2021, https://www.perlego.com/book/2817897/fascial-fitness-second-edition-practical-exercises-to-stay-flexible-active-and-pain-free-in-just-20-minutes-a-week-pdf. 

Urbina, Carlos Eduardo Morado. “Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Inflammatory Arthritis and Fibromyalgia.” Ph.D., Karolinska Institutet (Sweden), 2024, https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/cellular-molecular-mechanisms-inflammatory/docview/3059442876/se-2?accountid=4488 http://www.lib.byu.edu/jfinder.pl??url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&genre=dissertations&sid=ProQ:ProQuest+Dissertations+%2526+Theses+Global&atitle=&title=Cellular+and+Molecular+Mechanisms+of+Inflammatory+Arthritis+and+Fibromyalgia&issn=&date=2024-01-01&volume=&issue=&spage=&au=Urbina%252C+Carlos+Eduardo+Morado&isbn=9798382647784&jtitle=&btitle=&rft_id=info :eric/&rft_id=info:doi/ https://openarchive.ki.se/xmlui/handle/10616/48937. 

van der Kolk, Bessel. The Body Keeps the Score. Anonymous 2014. Your Coach Digital, Rego Park. , https://search.lib.byu.edu/byu/record/cat.7050512. 

Zügel, Martina, Constantinos N. Maganaris, Jan Wilke, Karin Jurkat-Rott, Werner Klingler, Scott C. Wearing, Thomas Findley, et al. “Fascial Tissue Research in Sports Medicine: From Molecules to Tissue Adaptation, Injury and Diagnostics: Consensus Statement.” British Journal of Sports Medicine 52, no. 23 (2018), https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/fascial tissue-research-sports-medicine-molecules/docview/2136367405/se-2?accountid=4488 http://www.lib.byu.edu/jfinder.pl??url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&genre=article&sid=ProQ:ProQ%253Apqrl&atitle=Fascial+tissue+research+in+ sports+medicine%253A+from+molecules+to+tissue+adaptation%252C+injury+and+diagnostics%253A+consensus+statement&title=British+Journal+of+Sports+Medicine&issn=03063674&date=2018-12-01&volume=52&issue=23&spage=1497&au=Z%25C3%25BCgel%252C+Martina%253BMaganaris%252C+Constantinos+N%253BWilke%252C+Jan%253BJurkatRott%252C+Karin%253BKlingler%252C+Werner%253BWearing%252C+Scott+C%253BFindley%252C+Thomas%253BBarbe%252C+Mary+F%253BSteinacker%252C+J%25C3%25BCrgen+Michael%253BVleeming%252C+Andry%253BBloch%252C+Wilhelm%253BSchleip%252C+Robert%253BHodges%252C+Paul+William&isbn=&jtitle=British+Journal+of+Sports+Medicine&btitle=&rft_id=info:eric/&rft_id=info:doi/10.1136%252Fbjsports-2018-099308 https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2018-099308.

Abstract
Since the rise of the “me too” movement, consent and consent practices have been growing traction in the dance community. While research supports touch as holding many positive properties, these positive attributes can only apply when the touch is healthy, safe and consensual. With harmful touch coming under scrutiny and the concepts surrounding consent entering into ballet studios, the use of touch in our teaching practices is coming under review. In the ballet studio classroom, touch most often occurs between the teacher and the students, typically through the form of tactile corrections.

I am a huge proponent of touch, however, I am an even bigger advocate for the empowerment of dancers. Therefore, in this workshop, answers to the questions of how consent can enter into the ballet studio and what we, as educators, can do to foster the empowerment of dancers through consent based practices will be explored. We will primarily focus on how we, as educators, ask for and receive consent from our students. Are we modeling our beliefs surrounding touch? Do we actually mean the question we are asking, such as “may I touch you?” And are we truly prepared to receive a “no”?

Throughout the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to practice giving and receiving different consent responses. They will take time to explore their own reactions to “no” and to explore the opportunities that the word  “no” can afford us as educators.

Bibliography
Bannon, Fiona. 2012. Relational Ethics: Dance, Touch, and Learning. The Higher Education Academy.

Cappelle, Laura. “Bringing Consent to Ballet, One Intimacy Workshop at a Time.” New York Times, April 13, 2022.https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/13/arts/dance/intimacy-directors-ballet.htm

Field, T. M. (1998). Touch Therapy Effects on Development. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 22(4), 779-797. https://doi.org/10.1080/016502598384162

Hertenstein, M. J., Holmes, R., McCullough, M., & Keltner, D. (2009). The Communication of Emotion via Touch. Emotion (Washington, D.C.), 9(4), 566-573. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0016108

Loving, Will.  2016. “Proactive Management of ‚ÄòProblem Dancers:’ Creating a Dance Environment Safe for All.” Country Dance & Song Society News (Winter 2015¬≠-2016) 11-13. https://www.cdss.org/programs/cdss-news-publications/news-article-archives?task=document.viewdoc&id=427

McMains, Juliet. 2021. “Fostering a Community of Consent in Social Dance Communities.” Journal of Dance Education. DOI: 10.1080/15290824.2020.1851693.

Mitra, R. (2021). Unmaking Contact: Choreographic Touch at the Intersections of Race, Caste, and Gender. Dance Research Journal, 53(3), 6-24. doi:10.1017/S0149767721000358

Vidrin, I. (2022). Conceptualizing Care in Partnering. Performance Research, 27(6-7), 26-31. https://doi.org/10.1080/13528165.2022.2197480

Vidrin, I. (2024). Responsible Knowing in Partnering. Performance Philosophy, 8(2), 147-161. https://doi.org/10.21476/PP.2023.82487

Westbrook, Cari. 2015. “Unapologetic Consent: Your Obligation to Offer it and Your Right to Revoke it.” The Lindy Affair. December 12, 2015. Accessed May 15, 2020. https://lindyaffair.wordpress.com/2015/12/15/unapologetic-consent-your-obligation-to-offer-it-and-your-right-to-revoke-it/

Abstract

This proposal emphasizes a feminist perspective and critical pedagogy in integrating Afrocentric principles and Gaga methodologies into contemporary ballet education. The central thesis posits that reimagining ballet pedagogy through these frameworks can liberate technical constraints and address systemic inequities within the art form. This approach advocates for a more holistic understanding of ballet, prioritizing community, individual agency, and diverse narratives. 

Key research questions include: 

1. How can removing mirrors from the classroom facilitate self-acceptance and body awareness among dancers? This question explores the psychological impacts of mirrorless environments, which may enhance internal awareness and authentic movement expression.
2. What role do pleasure and play have in reclaiming the female ballet body? This inquiry examines how integrating pleasure can empower female dancers, challenging historical narratives of objectification.
3. How can ballet be reframed to embrace diverse identities, particularly in confronting historical anti-Black narratives? This question seeks to uncover ways to integrate Afrocentric and multicultural perspectives into ballet education.

Methodologically, this study involves a comprehensive literature review to identify gaps and inform research questions, as well as my daily movement practice called unfiltering, which utilizes Gaga principles and Gloria Anzaldúa’s literary rituals. Additionally, implementing mirrorless classes and gathering empirical data through observations and feedback will facilitate an iterative process, contributing to a more inclusive ballet curriculum. 

Bibliography

Dixon, Brenda. 1991. “The Afrocentric Paradigm.” Design for Arts in Education 92, no. 3: 15-22. 

Galili, Deborah Friedes. 2015. “Gaga: Moving Beyond Technique with Ohad Naharin in the Twenty-First Century.” Dance Chronicle 38, no. 3: 360-392. 

Freire, Paulo. 1996. Pedagogy of the Oppressed (Revised). New York: Continuum. 

Hooks, Bell. 1996. “Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom.” Journal of Leisure Research 28, no. 4: 316. 

Katan-Schmid, Einav. 2016. Embodied Philosophy in Dance: Gaga and Ohad Naharin’s Movement Research. Springer. Millar, Carolyn. 2018. “Moving for Pleasure.” In The Evolving Feminine Ballet Body, 101. 

Radell, Sally A., Daniel D. Adame, and Stephen P. Cole. 2003. “Effect of Teaching with Mirrors on Ballet Dance Performance.” Perceptual and Motor Skills 97, no. 3: 960-964. 

Radell, Sally A., Daniel D. Adame, and Steven P. Cole. 2004. “The Impact of Mirrors on Body Image and Classroom Performance in Female College Ballet Dancers.” Journal of Dance Medicine & Science 8, no. 2: 47-52. 

Robinson, Sekani L. 2024. “Ballet is [White] Woman: Anti-Black Standards of Beauty within Ballet.” In Embodiment and Representations of Beauty, vol. 35, 159-176. Emerald Publishing Limited. 

Shilcutt, Jackie Beth. 2021. “An Activist Approach to Teaching Ballet in a University Setting: Moving Beyond an Authoritarian Pedagogy.” PhD diss., New Mexico State University.

Abstract

This presentation, derived from an MA Dance Politics and Sociology Thesis, explores the impact of 2020 cultural disorientation on the ballet sphere and the subsequent relevé of the ballet-activist, marking an observable shift in the structure of the ballet community, towards one of autonomy, advocacy, and transparency. Drawing upon my embodied experience, socio-political theories, and activist-texts, I explore the traumatic impact of dual-disorientation, referencing the emergence of an “unprecedented” global pandemic, and simultaneous enchaînement of social injustices plaguing 2020, the ramifications of which can still be felt. In conceptualising ballet as an institutional sphere, I uncover the impact of ballet’s powerful institutional core, determining the varying ways in which ballet has held itself in a persistent and perpetual state of cultural lag; to do this, I employ Bourdieu’s notion of habitus, commenting on the indoctrination of ballet inhabitants via the authority systems and values ballet’s impenetrable core encases. I ultimately suggest that the aforementioned dual disorientation has resulted in a distancing of ballet inhabitants from the institutional core, calling upon the rule of proximity to articulate this postulation. Consequently, I propose the relevé of the ballet-activist, able to connect the issues of wider society to those prevalent within the ballet sphere; as a result, ballet is pulled from its state of cultural lag, with the ballet activist poised and already pushing ballet towards its breaking pointe. 

Bibliography

Abrutyn, S. (2016) Institutional Spheres: The Macro-Structure and Culture of Social Life, in Abrutyn, S. (2016) Handbook of Contemporary Sociological Theory, Springer, pp. 207-229. 

Angyal, C. (2021a) Turning Pointe: How a New Generation of Dancers is Saving Ballet from Itself. Bold Type Books, New York. 

Choukas, M. (1936) The Concept of Cultural Lag Re-Examined. American Sociological Review, 1(5), pp. 752-760. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/2084134.pdf?casa_token=iNxp18qR2uwAAAAA:fW9DH8P_XaMozLyUXXfBlLmg99w2SWu6cR7nMk1PhEDcGest0920WM2IJ2kYl2JmHyFb6CbjoBx5Yz-ZSb4i5Olyu76IXQEIyoHCQemojWr6-dz5rHE. 

Dance For All Bodies (2021) Creating space for intersectionality in Ballet. Dance For All Bodies, 2 April 2021. Available at: https://www.danceforallbodies.org/post/creating-a-space-for-intersectionality-in-ballet. [Accessed 1 May 2021] 

King, G. (2020) Exclusion Is Oppression: From Pedagogy to Performance. Dance Magazine, 11 Nov 2020. Available at: https://www.dancemagazine.com/gregory-king-exclusion-black-dancers-2648848438.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1. [Accessed 11 Feb 2021] 

Midgelow, V. L. (2007) Reworking the ballet: counter-narratives and alternative bodies. Routledge. 

Mills, D. (2021) Dance and Activism: A Century of Radical Dance Across the World. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. 

Novak, C. (1993) Ballet, Gender and Cultural Power, in Thomas, H. (1993) Dance, Gender and Culture. Palgrave Macmillan, London. 

Sztompka, P. (2000) Cultural Trauma: The Other Face of Social Change, European Journal of Social Theory, 3(4), pp. 449- 466. 

Wainwright et al. (2006) Varieties of habitus and the embodiment of ballet. Qualitative Research, 6(4), pp. 535-558. Doi: 10.1177/1468794106068023.

Abstract

This presentation shares the initial findings of my dissertation research study, The Construction of Credibility and Expertise: Black Teachers of Classical Ballet. The qualitative, case study conducted at five professional ballet schools in America investigates the lived experiences of well-established Black ballet teachers and the viewpoints of their students and parents who are an essential part of the constituency determining the instructor’s credibility in instructing the art form.

My central research question is: What impact, if any, does the racial background of teachers have on their perceived credibility in teaching classical ballet? I am interested in uncovering the challenges and successes in building credibility in teaching the art form as well as specific strategies employed: examples from one’s teaching practice that reflect efforts to prove credibility and/or expertise with their constituency. The findings are from both observing and interviewing Black ballet instructors and from focus group interviews with parents and students to uncover their viewpoints on the qualities they consider when associating credibility to their ballet instructor.

Bibliography

Akua, Chike. 2020. “Standards of Afrocentric Education for School Leaders and Teachers.” Journal of Black Studies 51 (2) (Mar): 107-127. doi:10.1177/0021934719893572. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0021934719893572.

Agnew, Neil M., Kenneth M. Ford, and Patrick J. Hayes. 1994. “Expertise in Context: Personally Constructed, Socially Selected, and Reality-Relevant?” International Journal of Expert Systems 7 (1): 65-88. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258857150.

Crenshaw, Kimberlé, Neil Gotanda, Gary Peller, and Kendall Thomas, eds. 1995. Critical Race Theory: The Key Writings that Formed the Movement. New York: The New Press.

Delgado, R. 1989. “Storytelling for Oppositionists and Others: A Plea for Narrative.” Michigan 

        Law Review 87(8), 2411-2441. https://doi.org/10.2307/1289308

—–2013. Critical Race Theory: The Cutting Edge. Philadelphia: Temple Univ. Press. 

Donnetrice C., Allison. 2008. “Free to be Me?: Black Professors, White Institutions.” Journal of Black Studies 38 (4): 641-662. doi:10.1177/0021934706289175.

Farinde, Abiola A., Ayana Allen, and Chance W. Lewis. 2016. “Retaining Black Teachers: An Examination of Black Female Teachers’ Intentions to Remain in K-12 Classrooms.” Equity & Excellence in Education 49 (1): 115-127. doi:10.1080/10665684.2015.1120367. 

Gist, Conra D. 2018. “Human Resource Development for Racial/Ethnic Diversity: Do School Systems Value Teachers of Color?” Advances in Developing Human Resources 20 (3): 345-358. 

Hendrix, Katherine Grace. 1998. “Student Perceptions of the Influence of Race on Professor Credibility.” Journal of Black Studies 28 (6) (Jul): 738-763. doi:10.1177/002193479802800604.

Irvine, Jacqueline Jordan. 1989. “Beyond Role Models: An Examination of Cultural Influences on the Pedagogical Perspectives of Black Teachers.” Peabody Journal of Education 66 (4): 51-63. doi:10.1080/01619568909538662. 

Ladson-Billings, Gloria. 1998. “Just What is Critical Race Theory and What’s It Doing in a Nice Field Like Education?” International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education 11 (1): 7-24. doi:10.1080/095183998236863.

Marshall, Andrea P., Sandra H. West, and Leanne M. Aitken. 2013. “Clinical Credibility and Trustworthiness are Key Characteristics used to Identify Colleagues from Whom to Seek Information.” Journal of Clinical Nursing 22 (9-10) (May): 1424-1433. doi:10.1111/jocn.12070.

Mathews Jr., John R. 2019. “Student Perceptions of Teacher Credibility: A Predictor of Academic Success.” PhD diss., University of North Texas.

McCroskey, James C. and Jason J. Teven. 1999. “Goodwill: A Reexamination of the Construct and its Measurement.” Communication Monographs 66(1): 90-103. doi:10.1080/03637759909376464. 

McCroskey, James C., William Holdridge, and J. Kevin Toomb. 1974. “An Instrument for Measuring the Source Credibility of Basic Speech Communication Instructors.” The Speech Teacher 23 (1) (Jan 1): 2

Milner, H. Richard. 2012. “Challenging Negative Perceptions of Black Teachers.” Educational Foundations 26 (1-2): 27. 

Stanley, Darrius A. 2020. “I Want to Leave ASAP”: Black Women Teachers Discuss the Role of Administrative Support and Teacher Turnover.” Journal of School Leadership. doi:10.1177/1052684620904021.

Teven, Jason J. 2007. “Teacher Caring and Classroom Behavior: Relationships with Student Affect and Perceptions of Teacher Competence and Trustworthiness.” Communication Quarterly 55(4): 433-450. doi:10.1080/01463370701658077. 

Wei, Fang-Yi Flora, and Katherine Grace Hendrix. 2016. “Minority and Majority Faculty Members in a Historically Black College/University: Redefining Professors’ Teacher Credibility and Classroom Management.” Qualitative Research Reports in Communication 17 (1): 102-11. doi:10.1080/17459435.2016.1220419.

Williams, Ereka and Melanie Johnson. 2011. “Politics and Principals: Beginning Black Teachers’ Perceptions of Relationships with Administrators in 21st-Century Schools.” Improving Schools 14 (2): 187-199. doi:10.1177/1365480211409899.

Zhang, Qin. 2009. “Perceived Teacher Credibility and Student Learning: Development of a Multicultural Model.” Western Journal of Communication 73 (3): 326-347. doi:10.1080/10570310903082073.

Abstract
Many students arrive to university dance programs with disorganized attachments and traumatic relationships with ballet. Their internalized negative experiences, often stemming from fear-based learning models, are made visible through movement hesitancy, overreliance on external gaze, and disassociation or refusal to engage with the form. For the wellbeing of dancers and sustainability of classical ballet training, it is imperative that educators find ways to restore and rehabilitate students through their daily technique practice. We propose a reset of historically used imagery as a care-based teaching approach to spark creativity, rewire thought patterns, and ignite artistic agency. Specifically, we suggest the replacement of sylphs, fairies, and swans with dragons and superheroes to contradict implied lightness and vulnerability. Our workshop invites attendees to move through an abridged ballet barre with intermittent discussion. We will explore non-traditional imagery and its impact on embodied mechanics, dynamics, physicality, and artistry. Some observations from our students (shared with permission) include changes in carriage of arms, back, and pelvis while envisioning powerful wings and tails of varied colors and textures; deeper and more consistent core engagement resourcing an imagined fire within the lower abdominals; elongated lines embodying Elastigirl, and Kryptonian laser focus through the eyes. When students visualize themselves as unique creatures and characters of their own design, they reclaim ballet and their bodies as sites of protest, agency, activism, and strength. Openly sharing their creations and discoveries through daily check-ins, they can assert how they wish to be seen by others and celebrate differences while building community.

Bibliography

Angyal, Chloe. Turning Pointe: How a New Generation of Dancers is Saving Ballet From Itself. New York, Bold Type Books, 2021.

Brooker, Fiona and Ashleigh Ritchie, “Democratic and Feminist Pedagogy in the Ballet Technique Class.” Journal of Dance Education, vol. 20, 2020, pp. 197-204.

Burnidge, Anne. “Somatics in the Dance Studio: Embodying Feminist/Democratic Pedagogy.” Journal of Dance Education, vol. 12, no. 2, 2012, pp. 37-47.

Danylchuk, Lynette and Kevin Conners. Treating Complex Trauma and Dissociation: A practical guide to navigating therapeutic challenges. New York: Routledge, 2017. 

Fuller, Laurie and Ann Russo. “Feminist Pedagogy: Building Community Accountability.” Feminist Teacher, vol. 26, no 2-3, 2018, 179-197. 

Gilbert, Anne Green. “Toward Best Practices in Dance Education Through the Theory of Multiple Intelligences.” Journal of Dance Education, vol. 3, no. 1, 2003, pp. 28-33. 

Hamilton, Linda. “Battling Body Dysmorphia.” Dance Spirit, vol. 17, no. 3, 2013, p. 32. 

Kourlas, Gia. “Finding Freedom and Feminism in Ballet. (It’s Possible.): Critic’s Notebook.” New York Times (online), 2023. 

Stinson, Susan. “Journey Toward a Feminist Pedagogy for Dance.” A Journal of Feminist Theory, vol. 6, no. 1, 1993, pp. 131- 146. 

Van Der Kolk, Bessel. The Body Keeps The Score. Penguin Books, 2015.

Abstract

While many Dance programs traditionally focus on providing specialized training to those seeking a career in performance, there is a case to be made for the non-Major.  Although non-Majors may not pursue dance professionally, why is their education less valued? The history of Dance and Physical Education programs points to the philosophical framing of dance “only as art” as one such reason, despite current academic studies and personal testimonials which demonstrate the physical and mental health benefits of studying dance in adult populations. Teaching Ballet to predominantly first-time dance students in academia, I witness these impacts daily, physically and through verbal and anonymously written feedback. When given the opportunity to study Ballet, students embrace the technique with enthusiasm, expressing gratitude for a space to learn something previously perceived as inaccessible to them.

Moreover, prioritizing the non-Major benefits the programs and communities they wish to learn from. The adult Ballet student becomes the physical and financial audience and has the potential to contribute meaningful ideas and solutions to the Ballet community at large. Take for instance Tan Li Min, a beginning adult Ballet student turned Ballet-brand business owner. Her internationally recognized dancewear company, Cloud&Victory, stemmed from her desire for more size-inclusive dance clothing for dancers. Min is an example of an adult ballet student’s potential: their education and interest in Ballet can broaden its borders. In developing a place for the non-Major within academic curriculums, we can build a more inclusive and innovative Ballet community as we dance into the future.

Bibliography

artÉmotion. “artÉmotion Adult Ballet Summer Intensive – 2022 Testimonials” YouTube Video, 3:27, December 29, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfPGqowuK5o 

artÉmotion. “artÉmotion Adult Ballet Summer Intensive Testimonials” YouTube Video, 8:13, September 30, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_52j6_sBOU 

Brassel, Robert. Ballet for Adults: The Physical and Psychological Benefits. 1st ed. Eugene: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2023. 

Jeffrey, Allison, Pirkko Markula, and Corinne Story. “Women’s Articulations of Aging: ‘Learning to Be Affected’ Through Experiences in Recreational Ballet.” Frontiers in sports and active living 4 (2022): 795956–795956. 

Kim, Jungsuk, and Sookwang Choo. “Mind-Body: Positive Psychological Effects of Adult Ballet Education.” Research in dance education ahead-of-print, no. ahead-of-print (2022): 1–12 

Klapper, Melissa R., ‘Diplomates of Dance: Ballet and Higher Education’, Ballet Class: An American History (New York, 2020; online edn, Oxford Academic, 23 July 2020), https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190908683.003.0008, accessed 30 Oct. 2024. 

Min, Tan Li. “About Us ” Cloud&Victory: An Ethical Dancewear Brand, October 25th 2024. https://www.cloudandvictory.com/pages/about-us 

Millar, Carolyn. “Moving for Pleasure: The Positive Experiences of Ballet Dancers Moving into Recreational Contemporary Dance.” In The Evolving Feminine Ballet Body, 101–126. Edmonton, Alberta: University of Alberta Press, 2018. 

Murray, Melonie B, and Steven Ross Murray. “Reconnecting Dance and Physical Education through Dance Science.” The Physical educator 79, no. 1 (2022): 37–59. 

Murray, Melonie B, Megan Glynn Zollinger, and Steven Ross Murray. “Framing Dance Only as Art: The Philosophical Conundrum of Dance in Education.” Dance education in practice 8, no. 1 (2022): 22–29. 

Oliver, Wendy. Dance in Higher Education / Wendy Oliver, Editor. Reston, Va: American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, 1992. 

Pines, Rachyl, and Howard Giles. “Dancing While Aging A Study on Benefits of Ballet for Older Women.” Anthropology & aging 41, no. 1 (2020): 83–94. 

The Whole Dancer (Jess Spinner) “INTERVIEW WITH CLOUD & VICTORY CREATOR MIN!!” YouTube Video, 36:55, Aug 30, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLLus83cQn0 

Zeller, Jessica. “‘Can You Feel It?’: Pioneering Pedagogies That Challenge Ballet’s Authoritarian Traditions.” In (Re:) Claiming Ballet, edited by Adesola Akinleye, 172–88. Intellect, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv36xw7kj.16.

Abstract

This presentation seeks to acknowledge the stigma around motherhood in ballet and to explore ways to create space for motherhood in balletic practices, on personal and institutional levels. I will discuss ways in which to navigate the Creative Mother Paradox: that when people become mothers, their brains and bodies adapt to become more resourceful, adaptable, and generally more creative, but their time, space, and energy to exercise that creativity in the dance world becomes more limited. When institutions and individuals dismiss or stigmatize mothering dance artists, it leads to the disappearance of more women in leadership roles in our artform.

As a dancing mother of three young children, I have personal experience, both positive and negative, of dancing as a professional and working in academia before, during, and after bearing children. This presentation is an outgrowth of my own experiences de-stigmatizing dance and motherhood with my undergraduate students, engaging in daily balletic practices and frequent performances during and after pregnancy, and choreographing works that center on motherhood/mothering relationships. 

Couched in research, I aim to share strategies for dancing mothers that involve building communities of care (both professionally and personally), nervous system regulation, and increasing visibility of mothering artists. My presentation could also include excerpts of a dance film I created as a duet with myself at 6 months pregnant and 8 months postpartum. My hope is to give individuals and institutions more insight on how they can support and empower dancing mothers by giving space for them in this artform.

Bibliography

Akinleye, Adesola. (Re:) Claiming Ballet. Bristol: Intellect, 2021. 

Angyal, Chloe. Turning Pointe. New York: Bold Type Books, 2021. 

Buller, Rachel E., editor. Reconciling Art and Mothering. Ashgate Publishing, 2012. 

Estrada, Tara Carpenter, et al. An Artist and a Mother. Demeter Press, 2023. 

Garbes, Angela. Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change. Harper Wave, 2022. 

Grose, Jessica. Screaming on the Inside: The Unsustainability of American Motherhood. Mariner Books, 2022. 

Judah, Hettie. How Not to Exclude Artist Mothers (and Other Parents). Lund Humphries, 2023. 

Mehta, Takshi. “The Inability Of Ballet To Redefine Gender Roles.” Feminism in India, Mar. 1, 2021, https://feminisminindia.com/2021/03/01/ballet-gender-stereotypes/. 

O’Reilly, Andrea. Matricentric Feminism: Theory, Activism, Practice. 2nd ed. Demeter Press, 2021. 

Peters, Jen. “Female Choreographers Are Reimagining What Story Ballets Can Be.” Dance Magazine, March 8, 2021, https://www.dancemagazine.com/women-choreographers/#gsc.tab=0. 

Rich, Adrienne. Of Woman Born: Motherhood as Experience and Institution. W. W. Norton & Company, 1976.

Abstract

“Re-imagining ballet vocabulary to tell stories is not a new concept, however, in 2019, “The Sisters of Elva Hill” which premiered at Cambridge Folk Festival was termed a ‘folk ballet’. The choreography explored the phrasing, footwork and floor patterns of some English Morris and Rapper Dance forms and adapted elements to inform the balletic language. Emerging from that initial performance project the company Ballet Folk has since established a theatrical form positioning multi-faceted folk artists, dancers and musicians in outdoor performance spaces to create contemporary adaptations of folk tales from across the British Isles.

Centering the works “The Tears of Jenny Greenteeth” (2022) and “The Swan of Salen” (2023) as case studies, this paper offers an opportunity to demonstrate the similarities found in traditional ballet and English folk dance vocabulary. Within each work the usual barriers for ballet’s accessibility as an art form have been dismantled, thus the analysis provides a rationale as to why new audiences/communities, having experienced each work, have subsequently engaged with the repertoire and the balletic form, in non-traditional settings.”

Bibliography

Flatt, K. (2022) Movement Direction: Developing Physical Narrative for Performance Marlborough: The Crowood Press Ltd.

Jackson, J. (2021) Ballet: The Essential Guide to Technique and Creative Practice. Marlborough: The Crowood Press Ltd.

Adair, C. (1992) Women and Dance. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Farrugia-Kriel, K, and Nunes Jensen, J. (eds) (2021) The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Ballet Oxford University Press

Foster, S. L. (1998) Choreography and Narrative. Ballet’s staging of Story and Desire. Bloomington: Indiana University Press

Shay, A. (2023) Folk Dance and the Creation of National Identities: Staging the Folk. Palgrave MacMillan, London.

Abstract

This presentation shares insights regarding the various dimensions of online dance communities created by platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Fresh perspectives are offered regarding the potential that virtual spaces and online platforms hold for dancers to subvert traditional ballet hierarchies. Current uses of technology subject dancers to constant digital surveillance, and contrastingly offer opportunities for them to resist the status quo. Virtual spaces have democratizing effects. The use of social networking sites offers exposure to mass audiences, which potentially serves to flatten the ballet hierarchy as social networking increases the dancers’ resistance to traditional oppressive expectations through like-minded community support. When speaking out on online platforms it seems there is increased agency and diminished fear of repercussions due to the visibility afforded by mass audiences as well as the diverse populations that may be reached. Virtual spaces are communities that have the potential to amplify dancers’ voices; share their lived experiences; expand dance education; and allow for self-promotion. When professional dancers offer classes online, this shifts power dynamics by challenging the traditional ballet hierarchy in which institutions are the gatekeepers limiting access. As dancers participate in online classes, they experience their colleagues taking ownership of their own embodied knowledge. With participants at all skill levels able to share their knowledge online, the politics and economics of ballet have been disrupted. The question remains as to whether in-person ballet environment will keep up.

Bibliography

Berg, T. (2015). “Pedagogy of the observed: How does surveillance technology influence dance studio education?” Research in Dance Education Journal 16(3), 230-244. 

—–. (2020). Manifestations of surveillance in private sector dance education: The implicit challenges of integrating technology.” Research in Dance Education 21(2), 135-151.

Cisneros, R. (Rosa) E., Crawley, M.-L., & Wood, K. (2024). Digital tools in formal and informal dance education environments. In Ethical Agility in Dance (1st ed., pp. 158-170). Routledge.

Harkin, L. J., & Kuss, D. (2021). “My smartphone is an extension of myself”: A holistic qualitative exploration of the impact of using a smartphone. Psychology of Popular Media 10(1), 28-38

Jackson, N. M. (2022). Dance and ethics: Moving toward a more humane dance culture. Intellect, University of Chicago Press. 

Milovanovic, D. (2021) Virtual democracy: Online ballet and contemporary dance classes during the Covid-19 crisis. The International Journal of Screendance 12, 128-149.

Murray, M. B. (2021). Ballet’s binary genders in a rainbow-spectrum world: A call for progressive pedagogies. In (Re:) Claiming Ballet. A. Akinleye (Ed.). (pp. 240-254), Intellect.

Trajkova, M., & Cafaro, F. (2021). Current use, non-use, and future use of ballet learning technologies. In Designing interactive systems conference 2021 (pp. 2052-2067).

Wang, J. (2024). The impact of digitization in dance teaching on students’ learning motivation and performance. Educational Review, 8(7), 950-954.

Warburton, E. C. (2022). TikTok challenge: dance education futures in the creator economy. Arts Education Policy Review, (ahead-of-print), 1-11.

Abstract

The adoption of ballet into mid-twentieth century American culture stems from trans-oceanic traditions of imported performance to the United States. The wildly successful Ballets Russes brought a high-class, imperial brand of dance to all corners of a budding empire. Such dissemination cultivated the rise of a handful of women choreographers and producers, who established a distinctly feminist dialect of ballet in America. Yet, the history of ballet Americana is told largely through male figures who maintain relevance into the twenty-first century, but whose female counterparts remain peripheral at best, and lost within archives at worst.

For the purpose of this conference, I’d like to forefront Catherine Littlefield’s Philadelphia Ballet’s 1937 tour of Europe – the first all-American troupe to do so – as essential to the trajectory of ballet Americana. Littlefield’s trans-oceanic reciprocation of Euro-American cultural exchange offers a counterpoint to what companies like the Ballets Russes did with their North American tours earlier that century.

I use Steve Tillis’ concept of formal continuity and investments to challenge dance history scholars to think in “la longue durée,” wherein temporal, historiographical, and interdisciplinary reconsideration lends much-needed perspective to an art which threatens to self-extinguish. Further, Dipesh Chakrabarty’s notion of “provincializing Europe” illuminates the need for, and resistance to, repositioning “othered” gazes, specifically the patriarchal gaze which dominates modern ballet culture. Finally, Sharon Skeel’s monumental work on Catherine Littlefield situates this key player as not only integral to ballet history, but also essential to understanding how feminist excavation transforms current pedagogical and creative narratives. 

Bibliography

Adair, Christy. Women and Dance : Sylphs and Sirens. Washington Square, N.Y: New York University Press, 1992. 

Chakrabarty, Dipesh. Provincializing Europe : Postcolonial Thought and Historical Difference. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press, 2000. 

Daly, Ann. Critical Gestures : Writings on Dance and Culture. Middletown, Conn: Wesleyan University Press, 2002. 

Garafola, Lynn. Legacies of Twentieth-Century Dance. Middletown, Conn: Wesleyan University Press, 2005. 

Harris, Andrea. Making Ballet American : Modernism before and beyond Balanchine. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2018. 

Skeel, Sharon. Catherine Littlefield: A Life in Dance. 1st ed. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190654542.001.0001. 

Tillis, Steve. The Challenge of World Theatre History. 1st Edition 2021. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48343-2. 

Zeller, Jessica Rachel. “Shapes of American Ballet: Classical Traditions, Teachers, and Training in New York City, 1909–1934.” ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2012.

Abstract

This presentation introduces a research project that critically investigates the phenomenon of “mail-order” ballet choreography, a curious approach to dance instruction that gained modest traction in the early twentieth-century United States. The project centers on a sample of written choreography attributed to Madame Elizabetta Menzeli—an influential yet historically overlooked ballet dancer, choreographer, and pedagogue who, as a single woman, built her own dance studio just down the street from today’s ABT and Ballet Tech home in Union Square. Utilizing archival texts and images, dancer researchers from multiple university settings engage with Menzeli’s choreography in the studio, first published in Two Step Magazine in 1908, by embodying roles of both compliant and non-compliant interpreters of her instructions. This method involves adhering meticulously to Menzeli’s written guidance while also experimenting with intentional deviations, allowing for a nuanced exploration of the boundaries and creative opportunities within choreographic texts. This inquiry contributes to a deeper understanding of ballet as a theoretical framework, offering new perspectives on the interplay between obedience and innovation in ballet pedagogy. Through engaging with Menzeli’s life and work, the presentation underscores the potential for archival ballet sources to foster inclusivity in dance education by challenging conventional interpretations of “correct” practice. The project also underscores how dancing with the archives can create connections between today’s dancers and their “Dancestors,” deepening dancers’ understandings of women entrepreneurship in ballet, the precarity of historical narrativization, and affirming the aliveness of the archives themselves. By interrogating the disciplinary boundaries of ballet and physically engaging with archival materials, this research advocates for broader interpretative flexibility in dance education and seeks to enrich discourse on ballet pedagogy, history, and practice.

Bibliography

Barker, Barbara M. 1984. Ballet or Ballyhoo: The American Careers of Maria Bonfanti, Rita Sangalli, and Giuseppina Morlacchi. New York: Dance Horizons. 

Barzel, Ann. 1996. “Elizabetta Menzeli.” Dance Chronicle 19, no. 3: 277-288. 

Croft, Clare. 2021. “Not yet and Elsewhere: Locating Lesbian Identity in Performance Archives, As Performance Archives.” Contemporary Theatre Review 31 (1/2): 34–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/10486801.2021.1878504. 

De Jaegher, Hanne, Barbara Pieper, Daniel Clénin, and Thomas Fuchs. 2017. “Grasping Intersubjectivity: An Invitation to Embody Social Interaction Research.” Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences 16, no. 3: 491-523. 

Foster, Susan. 2017. “Dance and/as competition in the privately-owned US studio.” In The Oxford Handbook of Dance and Politics. Kowal, Sigmund and Martin, eds. New York: Oxford University Press. 

Morris, Merry Lynn. 2015. “Re-Thinking Ballet Pedagogy: Approaching a Historiography of Fifth Position.” Research in dance education 16, no. 3: 245–58. https://doi.org/10.1080/14647893.2015.1036019 

“The Art of Mme. Elizabetta Menzeli,” n.d, MGZMD 417, box 4, folder 1, Jerome Robbins Special Collections, New York Public Library, New York. 

Wilbur, Sarah. 2021. “Funding Bodies: Five Decades of Dance Making at the National Endowment for the Arts.” 

Vincs, Kim. 2010. “Rhizome/Myzone: A Case Study in Studio-Based Dance Research.” In Practice as Research: Approaches to Creative Arts Enquiry, eds. Estelle Barrett and 

Barbara Bolt, 99-112. London: I.B. Tauris. DOI:10.5040/9780755604104.ch-007 

Zeller, Jessica. 2016. Shapes of American ballet: teachers and training before Balanchine. Oxford: Oxford University.

Abstract

This proposed session seeks to explore the connection between breath utilization and upper body support within ballet technique, framed through the lens of the Gyrokinesis® methodology. I aim to demonstrate how incorporating Gyrokinesis® into ballet classes can enhance students’ breath awareness, expand their upper body range of motion, and ultimately foster a more fluid and expressive style of movement.

The Gyrokinesis® methodology, developed by former dancer Juliu Horvath, is a holistic movement approach that emphasizes spiral movements and breath work. This method is designed to enhance flexibility, coordination, strength, and spinal articulation, thus addressing common limitations in dancers’ physical expression.

In my classroom observations, I have identified that many students experience tension in the chest, neck, shoulders, and jaw, which can inhibit their movement quality and artistic expression. This insight has motivated my research into effective strategies for releasing tension and facilitating greater freedom in movement. As a certified Gyrokinesis® instructor, I integrate key principles of this methodology into my teaching. For example, with the Bachelor of Fine Arts Dance Majors at Towson University, I thoughtfully combine targeted Gyrokinesis® exercises with ballet combinations during the barre phase of class. This blend encourages students to discover and cultivate their individual breathing patterns while allowing for greater freedom and fluidity in their movements.

While this approach is an ongoing practice, I have observed significant positive shifts in my students. They become more relaxed and agile, leading to a classroom environment that fosters community and creativity, where stress and tension are set aside.

Bibliography

Adams, Marianne.** “Exploring Stability and Freedom with the Gyrokinesis Method.” *Ler Magazine*, November 2018. https://lermagazine.com/article/exploring-stability-and-freedom-with-the-gyrokinesis-method

Adams, Marianne.** “Reflections on the GYROKINESIS® Method: Interview with Juliu Horvath.” *Journal of Dance & Somatic Practices*, vol. 10, no. 2, Dec. 2018, pp. 289–301. 

Adams, Marianne.** “My Spirit Asks to Live in Sensation.” *Dance, Movement & Spiritualities*, vol. 3, no. 1-2, July 1, 2016, pp. 107–126. Publisher: Intellect. 

Adams, Marianne. ( 2022;), ‘ Reflections and interview with ClydeRae Jolie-Ashe: Moving and ageing, untamed and joyful. ’, Journal of Dance & Somatic Practices, 14:2, pp. 183–95. 

Brodie, J., and Lobel, E.** *Dance and Somatics: Mind-Body Principles of Teaching and Performance.* Jefferson, NC and London: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2012. 

Davis, Rosalind Gray.** “The Gyrotonic® and Gyrokinesis® System: A Primer: Catch the Wave as Interest in This Creative Exercise Method Gathers Momentum.” October 2005. 

Davis, Rosalind Gray.** “Gyrokinesis® Exercise: Movement for a New Millennium.” *IDEA Fitness Journal*, vol. 4, no. 8, Sept. 2007, pp. 105+ 

Gavioli. “Arts in Medical Education: Report of a Dance Class for Students of Clinical Semiology.” 

9-Geber, P., and Wilson, M.** “Teaching at the Interface of Dance Science and Somatics.” *Journal of Dance Medicine & Science*, vol. 14, no. 2, 2010, pp. 52. 

Van Vugt, M. K.** “Ballet as a Movement-Based Contemplative Practice? Implications for Neuroscientific Studies.” *Frontiers in Human Neuroscience*, vol. 8, Article 513, July 17, 2014.

Abstract

Low bone mineral density (or BMD) can have adverse effects on a dancer’s ability to perform. Dancers with low BMD are vulnerable to fracture and injury because of the strain on their bodies from wearing pointe shoes. Participating in bone loading activities in childhood tends to correlate to healthier bones later in life.

A DXA scan machine was used to take bone mass density measurements. Each participant’s height and weight were measured on site in the lab, and they were assigned an individual study identifier code in order to maintain privacy and a blinded assessment of each image or scan conducted. Total BMD of the participants were determined using Encore software version 17. The data regarding the age the participants began dancing and starting pointe was collected through a survey.

There was not a significant effect of the age participants started dancing(p=-0.2958) or pointe(p=-0.3033) on BMD. Average weight was a significant effect or independent variable in the analysis p=(0.0269). This lends confidence to the data because weight should have an effect on BMD. As mass increases, BMD should also.

Although there was not a significant effect of age beginning dancing or pointe on BMD, it was weakly negatively correlated. The vast majority of the dancers were in a normal zone for BMD for their weight. More research should be done to conclude if this is a significant trend over a larger population. Further investigation of variables throughout the lifespan could have additional effects, as women pass their peak BMD.

Bibliography

Goolsby MA, Boniquit N. Bone Health in Athletes. Sports Health. 2017;9(2):108-117. doi:10.1177/1941738116677732

Teegarden D, Proulx WR, Martin BR, et al. Peak bone mass in young women. J Bone Miner Res. 1995;10(5):711-715. doi:10.1002/jbmr.5650100507

Abstract

Higher education and arts institutions are increasingly targeted for budget cuts nationwide. Collaboration and the sharing of resources have become absolutely necessary not only for the survival, but the overall continued vitality of the arts. This poster illuminates how a globally famous ballet school found an academic home within an unlikely university to further the respective missions of both institutions, perhaps even saving the program in higher education altogether. The presentation will include how this partnership came to fruition; how it benefits both entities; and how the partnership further bridges the gap between higher education and the professional school. Further, this research strategizes a practical approach in forming symbiotic, collaborative relationships between and among entities which might not otherwise overlap.

Bibliography

Caldwell, Rachel. “What the Closing of Mills College Means for Dance in Higher Ed.” Dance Teacher Magazine, April 28, 2021.

Clawson, Kerry. “Laid-off Theater, Dance Professors Question the Future of UA Programs.” Akron Beacon Journal, July 24, 2020.

Guido, Laura. “Legislature Passes Higher Ed Budgets Including $4 Million Cuts to BSU and UI.” Idaho Press, April 1, 2025.

Jowett, Patrick. “Educators Warn of Decline in Dance Education,” Arts Professional, May 15, 2023.

Kass, Arielle, and Andrew Keiper. “Dozens of Faculty Positions Could be Cut at University of Akron; Merger of Some Science Programs Also Possible.” Signal Akron. November 20, 2024.

Kerr, Nathan. “Bennington College to Host Shuttered University of the Arts Dance Program.” The Bennington Lens. September 7, 2024.

McGee, Kate. “Texas Legislature Proposes $400 Million Cut to Higher Ed as Dan Patrick Threatens University Budgets Over DEI.” The Texas Tribune. February 27, 2025. 

Moody, Josh. “Another Round of Cuts Hits Colleges in March.” Inside Higher Ed. April 2, 2025.

Murrell, David. “The Inside Story of the University of the Arts’ Stunning Collapse.” Philadelphia Magazine. August 8, 2024.

Small, Zachary. “Bennington to Revive Dance Program of Philadelphia Arts School.” The New York Times. August 1, 2024.

Saul, Stephanie. “As Trump Goes After Universities, Students are Now on the Chopping         Block.” The New York Times. March 6, 2025.

Tanner, Courtney. “The Timeline is Frantic: Utah University Presidents Only Have 2 Months to Make Major Budget Cuts.” The Salt Lake Tribune. April 2, 2025.

Whitford, Emma. “Arkansas Will Soon be Without a Dance Program.” Inside Higher Ed. September 20, 2021.

Abstract
This poster offers an overview/case study of the Active Learning Pedagogy in a newly redesigned and restructured course, Classical Ballet Forms. Restructuring the course included research into AL as well as researching new course materials and redesigning the content to contemporize the course. Research findings have shown that active learning practices stimulate the classroom by engaging students as participants and leaders with agency in their education and development of life-long learning skills. The poster depicts the course goals, the topical outline from the syllabus, the AL tools/practices that were employed, and descriptions of how students engaged with the course materials, their classmates and the instructor in a supportive environment. More specifically, participants contributed to conversations, led discussions, worked in groups, and engaged in thoughtful and meaningful reflections in analysis of the history, theory and practice of ballet training and performance. Working together, the classroom community achieved a course goal by creating a learning environment where everyone was heard, respected and all opinions and experiences were valued. While furthering and fine-tuning their ballet knowledge, participants developed essential skills for life-long learning that will be of benefit beyond the classroom and dance studio as students become active learners in life’s journey. Information was gathered by instructor research and course delivery; data on the impact of AL was collected through feedback from AL mentors, UGA Center for Teaching and Learning evaluators, student discussions with evaluators, student surveys and evaluations. Sample bibliographies from research and course content will be included.

Bibliography
Sample Research Bibliography

Angelo, Thomas A., and K. Patricia Cross. (1993). Classroom Assessment Techniques. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Bonwell, Charles C., and James A. Eison. (1991). Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom. 1991 ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Reports. ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher Education, The George Washington University, One Dupont Circle, Suite 630, Washington, DC 20036-1183, 1991. 

Brame, Cynthia. (2019). Active Learning: What is it?  What’s the theoretical basis? in Science Teaching Essentials (pp. 61-72). Academic Press. DOI:10.1016/B978-0-12-814702-3.00004-4  also Open Access https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/59/Active-Learning.pdf

Bruff, Derek. 2009. Teaching with classroom response systems: creating active learning environments. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Kerrigan, J., & Kwaik, J. (2024). Investigating the Effects of an Active Learning Pedagogies Implemented in the Active Learning Classroom. College Teaching, (1–10). https://doi.org/10.1080/87567555.2024.2399624

Liu J, Tahri D, Qiang F. How Does Active Learning Pedagogy Shape Learner Curiosity? J Intell. 2024 Jun 5;12(6):59. doi: 10.3390/jintelligence12060059. PMID: 38921694; PMCID: PMC11204781.

Lord, Susan M., Prince, Michael J., Stefanou, Candice R., Stolk, Jonathan D., & Chen, John C. (2012). “The Effect of Different Active Learning Environments on Student Outcomes Related to Lifelong Learning.” International Journal of Engineering Education, 28(3), 606-620.

Raghallaigh, Muireann Ni, & Cunniffe, Rosemary. (2013). “Creating a safe climate for active learning and student engagement: an example from an introductory social work module.” Teaching in Higher Education, 18(1), 93-105. College of DuPage Library.

Sample Course Bibliography

Acocella, J. (2019, Feb. 11).  “What Went Wrong at New York City Ballet”. The New Yorker Magazine. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/02/18/what-went-wrong-at-new-york-city-ballet

Bales, M. (2013). “7 Touchstones of Tradition: Pas de Deux by Petipa, Balanchine and Forsythe”. Melonie Bales, ed., Karen Elliot, ed., Dance on its own terms: histories and methodologies. (pp. 175-206). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199939985.003.0010

Chan, J.  (2018, Oct. 26). Rethinking the Canon/Dismantling the Colonial Mindset. Varsity, Cambridge UK. https://www.varsity.co.uk/features/16357

Chan, P., author; Michele Chase, ed. (2020, June 20).  Final Bow for Yellowface: Dancing Between Intention and Impact. Yellow Peril Press.

Deans, J. (2021, May) Arabesque et noire: The persistent presence of Black dancers in the ballet world. Adesola Akinleye, ed., (Re) Claiming Ballet. (pp. 48-67). University of Chicago Press.

Ebershoff, D. (2018, Nov. 5) “How a Group of Gay Male Dancers is Rethinking Masculinity”. The New York Times Style Magazine.https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/05/t-magazine/gay-male-ballet-dancers.html#:~:text=For%20the%20first%20time%2C%20he,culture’s%2C%20preconceived%20ideas%20of%20masculinity.

Genné, Beth. (2000) “Creating a Canon, Creating the ‘Classics’. Twentieth-Century British Ballet.” Dance Research: The Journal of the Society for Dance Research 18, no. 2: 132–62. https://doi.org/10.2307/1290849https://www.jstor.org/stable/1290849.

Kealiinohomoku, J.  (1970) “An Anthropologist Looks at Ballet as a Form of Ethnic Dance”. Oberlin College Library. https://www.oberlinlibstaff.com/acceleratedmotion/primary_sources/texts/ecologiesofbeauty/anthro_ballet.pdf

Komatsu, S. (2021,Feb. 9)  “Pas de Deux: Sexism and the Gender Binary in Ballet”. The Harvard Crimson.  https://www.thecrimson.com/column/backstage-at-the-ballet/article/2021/2/9/sara-column-pas-de-deux-sexism-and-the-gender-binary-in-ballet/

Marsland, S. (2018, Nov. 28)  “#MeToo Movement: Breaking the Silence of the Ballet”. Yale University: The Politic.  https://thepolitic.org/metoo-in-movement-breaking-the-silence-of-the-ballet/

Murray, M. (2021, May) “Ballet’s Binary Genders in a Rainbow-Spectrum World: a call for progressive pedagogies”. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/367823841_Ballet’s_Binary_Genders_in_a_Rainbow-Spectrum_World_A_call_for_progressive_pedagogies

Winship, L. (2020, Jan. 9) “Dance is not a museum: How Ballet is Reimagining Problematic Classics”. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2020/jan/09/ballet-reimagining-classics-colonial-politics-dance-race-identity#:~:text=Historical%20ballets%20are%20rife%20with%20national%20and%20racial%20stereotypes%2C%20 including,Petrushka%2C%20originally%20played%20in%20blackface.

Abstract
Why would dancers want to rise onto the tips of their toes? Pointe shoes represent an iconic symbol of ballet, aiding dancers in performing physical feats impossible without them. With these unique, customizable shoes, dancers continually develop their abilities in performing pointe choreography. In examining the historical evolution of pointe shoe technologies over nearly two centuries, the evident relationship between progressing pointe shoe technologies and pointe choreography reveals the significance of the shoe to dancer performance. My research delves into the intimate, symbiotic relationship between pointe shoes and pointe dancers, investigating how pointe shoes impact a dancer’s execution of pointe choreography from different historical eras. This study considers the role of pointe shoes through ethnographic and grounded theoretical frameworks by interacting with pointe shoes from artistic and technological standpoints. My choreographic work, Vantage Pointe, establishes a practical medium for examining the Romantic, Neoclassical, Contemporary, and present-day eras of pointe movements through the lens of twenty-first-century pointe shoe technologies. Dancers’ intimate knowledge of their technological needs to perform pointe movements can support their artistic performance and growth. Vantage Pointe contributes to the broader impact of ever-evolving pointe choreography by examining pointe shoes as an adaptive, artistic technology capable of enhancing the artistic expression of pointe dancers.

Bibliography
Barringer, Janice, and Sarah Schlesinger. The Pointe Book. Hightstown: Princeton Book Company, 2004.

Bigelow, Jacob, and Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection. Elements of Technology. Boston, Hilliard, Gray, Little and Wilkins, 1831. https://www.loc.gov/item/17009893/. 

Bukhari, Kyle. “Twyla Tharp’s Classical Impulse.” In The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Ballet, edited by Kathrina Farrugia-Kriel and Jill Nunes Jensen, 45–61. New York: Oxford University Press, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190871499.013.47. 

“Creation of ‘Les Noces’: Bronislava Nijinska.” Dance Magazine. Edited by William Como. December 1974. https://search.alexanderstreet.com/view/work/bibliographic_entity%7Cdocument%7C4027004. 

Cunningham, Bryan W., Andrea F. DiStefano, Natasha A. Kirjanov, Stuart E. Levine, and Lew C. Schon. “A Comparative Mechanical Analysis of the Pointe Shoe Toe Box: An In Vitro Study.” The American Journal of Sports Medicine 26, no. 4 (1998): 555–561. https://doi.org/10.1177/03635465980260041501. 

Glaser, Barney G., and Anselm L. Strauss. The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research. New York: Routledge, 2017. 

Hammond, Sandra Noll. “Searching for the Sylph: Documentation of Early Developments in Pointe Technique.” Dance Research Journal 19, no. 2(1987):27–31. https://doi.org/10.2307/1478168.  

Hoogsteyns, Maartje. “Giving More Weight to the Ballerina: Material Agency in the World of Pointe Shoes.” International Journal of Culture Studies 16, no. 2 (2012): 119–133. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367877912452482. 

Lamar, Traci A. M., and Anne Porterfield. “Performance and Aesthetics in the Professional Ballet: The Role of the Pointe Shoe.” The International Journal of Sport and Society 1, no. 4 (2010): 17–34. https://doi.org/10.18848/21527857/CGP/v01i04/54048.  

Wideman-Davis, Tanya. “Dance Theatre of Harlem: Radical Black Female Bodies in Ballet.” In The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Ballet, edited by Kathrina Farrugia-Kriel and Jill Nunes Jensen, 248–262. New York: Oxford University Press, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190871499.001.0001.

MEMBERSHIP MEETING I

Agenda
Drafted May 26, 2025

Wednesday June 18, 2025

2:00-3:15pm (Mountain Time)
Marriott Library, Room 1130
Members and non-members are encouraged to attend.

I. Procedural Items

a. Call to Order
b. Approval of the Agenda
c. Approval of the 2024 Membership Meeting Minutes I & II 

II. Introductions & Brief Announcements 

a. President’s Welcome
b. CORPS Board of Directors Introductions
c. Welcome to New Member/Non-Member Participants
d. Membership Announcements

III. Old Business

a. Treasurer’s Report (Kristin Marrs)
b. Committee Chairs Introductions & Reports
Note: Chairs briefly introduce their committee, members, committee charge, and briefly summarize the committee’s report from the year. 

i. Bylaws & Constitution (Jennifer Weber)
ii. Membership & Outreach (Tom Vacanti & Mary Ann Mayer)
iii. Planning & Development (Anjali Austin)
iv. Support & Mentoring (Karen Dearborn & Ilana Goldman)
v. Conference Planning Committee (Melonie Murray)

IV. New Business

a. Elections & Voting Discussion

i. Policies, Procedures, Process, for Voting
ii. Ballot Items

1. Bylaws & Constitution Revisions (Jennifer Weber)
2. Elections for Secretary & Board Members

iii. Timeline 

b. Scholarships & Planning Forward

V. Other Business 

VI. Adjourn

MEMBERSHIP MEETING II

Agenda
Drafted May 26, 2025

Friday June 20, 2025

12:00-2:00pm (Mountain Time)
Marriott Library, Gould Auditorium
Members and non-members are encouraged to attend. Catered lunch will be provided.

I. Procedural Items

a. Call to Order
b. Approval of the Agenda 

II. Results of the Elections

III. 2026 Conference Announcement

IV. Committees

Each committee will convene for approximately 30 minutes before reporting back to the full group. All conference attendees are encouraged to engage with one of the committees.
a. Bylaws & Constitution (Jennifer Weber)
b. Membership & Outreach (Tom Vacanti)
c. Planning & Development (Anjali Austin)
d. Support and Mentoring (Karen Dearborn and Ilana Goldman)
e. Conference Planning Committee (Melonie Murray)

V. Other Business 

VI. Adjourn

University of Utah Main Campus Map

See important conference locations, the Marriott Center for Dance (MCD) and the J. Willard Marriott Library (MLIB), highlighted below:

WIFI
The University of Utah offers free WIFI for campus visitors.

Network: UGuest
No Password

UTA: Utah Transit Authority

NOTE: The TRAX Red Line that runs from Little America to campus is NOT RUNNING this summer. 

TRAX: The green line goes directly between the SLC airport and the Courthouse Station stop, which is one block away from Little America Hotel.

Fair options for UTA: $2.50 for 1 trip; $5.00 a day.

BUS: If you are up for a nice walk, you can walk up Main St. to 200 and ride the #2  bus to President’s Circle on campus. It is about a 10-12 minute walk from there to the Library or School of Dance. This is about a 25-35 minute trip. More information is available on the website. Exact fare required. Cash only.

#4 Bus Route:

#2 Bus Route:

LIFT: $20-25 Airport to Little America Hotel

$15-20 Little America to University of Campus
Marriott Center for Dance (330 S. 1500 E.)
OR
Willard Marriott Library* (295 S. 1500 E.)
*Marriott Circle Roundabout may be listed but do not select “roundabout” as that will not put you a library entrance.

Parking on University of Utah Campus

As with many college campuses, parking at the University of Utah is at a premium. CORPS has paid for conference attendees to park FREE in Lot 5, near the Marriott Center for Dance and the Marriott Library.

Parking availability is on a “first come” basis. Folks arriving early should have no trouble parking. Anyone arriving later in the day may have more difficulty. Carpooling is highly recommended.

Parking Map

RED circle: NO COST parking for conference attendees.

GREEN circle: pay lot, $3/hr

PINK circles: pay lots, $11/day (U stalls only)

There are many restaurants near Main Street between 400 S and 200 S, including:

Eva’s (Small plates)

317 S. Main St., SLC

From Scratch

62 E. Gallivan Ave., SLC

White Horse Spirits & Kitchen

325 S. Main St., SLC

Sol Agave SLC

660 S. Main St., SLC

Vertical Diner (Vegan food)

234 W. 900 S., SLC Not quite within walking distance; take TRAX Green line near Little America to the 900 South & 200 West stop.