Teaching
Teaching Philosophy:
As a dance studies scholar and dance teacher it is my responsibility to introduce students to the various ways that embodied practices intersect with scholarly theories, and to teach them the cultural, social and political value of dance. Having taught in a variety of settings, such as elementary and middle schools, lower division lecture classes, studio courses, as well as online courses, the majority of my students have been from a variety of disciplines with various backgrounds. The major challenge that I have encountered with such a diverse student populations has been to unsettle misconceptions that the students have about dance classes being 'easy', or viewing dance as entertainment, rather than a theoretical tool. My primary focus is thus on cultivating students' appreciation of the art form and providing them with the methodological and theoretical tools to foster their ability to appreciate, critically analyze, and develop an informed understanding of dance and its many facets.
As a dance studies scholar and dance teacher it is my responsibility to introduce students to the various ways that embodied practices intersect with scholarly theories, and to teach them the cultural, social and political value of dance. Having taught in a variety of settings, such as elementary and middle schools, lower division lecture classes, studio courses, as well as online courses, the majority of my students have been from a variety of disciplines with various backgrounds. The major challenge that I have encountered with such a diverse student populations has been to unsettle misconceptions that the students have about dance classes being 'easy', or viewing dance as entertainment, rather than a theoretical tool. My primary focus is thus on cultivating students' appreciation of the art form and providing them with the methodological and theoretical tools to foster their ability to appreciate, critically analyze, and develop an informed understanding of dance and its many facets.
Distinctions / Awards:
EI (Education Innovation) Small Grant for implementing online courses. (2017)
Grant in support of developing the second online course (Dance 168: Dancing Gender: Embodiment, Poltics, and Feminist Theory)
Dance Department at the University of Wisconsin Madison, USA
Outstanding Teaching Award (2014-2015)
This distinction has been awarded by the Graduate Division of the University of California, Riverside based on consistently superior teaching performance as recommended by the chair and nominating committee of the Department of Critical Dance Studies.
EI (Education Innovation) Small Grant for implementing online courses. (2017)
Grant in support of developing the second online course (Dance 168: Dancing Gender: Embodiment, Poltics, and Feminist Theory)
Dance Department at the University of Wisconsin Madison, USA
Outstanding Teaching Award (2014-2015)
This distinction has been awarded by the Graduate Division of the University of California, Riverside based on consistently superior teaching performance as recommended by the chair and nominating committee of the Department of Critical Dance Studies.
Greek Dances Workshop, Spring 2013 UC Riverside
Photography: Katie Nicole Stahl-Kovell
Photography: Katie Nicole Stahl-Kovell
Teaching Experience (selected):
Dance 268: Political & Cultural Perspectives in Dance Studies (Intermediate Lecture Class / Online) Pilot run
(September 2016 - December 2016)
Dance Department - University of Wisconsin Madison
Dance 165: World Dance Cultures (Introductory Lecture & Studio Class)
Dance Department - University of Wisconsin Madison (January 2016 - December 2016)
Dance Cultures, and Contexts / Online Course (Lower Division Lecture Class)
Graduate Student Instructor (January 2015 – March 2015)
Department of Dance – University of California, Riverside, USA.
Introduction to Dance (Lower Division Studio Course)
Dance Cultures, and Contexts & Dance Cultures, and Contexts / Online Course (Lower Division Lecture Classes)
Graduate Student Instructor (September 2011 – March 2014)
Department of Dance – University of California, Riverside, USA.
Greek Folk Dance (Workshop Series)
Gluck Fellow of the Arts Dance Instructor
K-12 schools in the Riverside area, USA.
Dance on Screen (Upper Division Lecture Class)
Limon-Humphrey Technique (Studio Workshop)
Teaching Assistant / Reader (January - April 2009)
Department of Dance, Film and Theatre – University of Surrey, UK