Life as a Modern Dancer

Category: Dance Educators/Teaching Artists

  • Artist Profile #130: Gerri Houlihan (Durham, NC)

    Hometown: Born in Ft. Lauderdale, FL Current city: Soon to be – Durham, NC Age: 70 Attended an arts high school? No, but I got out of taking phys. ed by teaching a modern dance component in my high school and choreographing the junior musical so that I could leave school early every day and go to…

  • Artist Profile #129: Amy Chavasse (Ann Arbor, MI)

    Hometown: Raleigh, NC Current city: Ann Arbor, MI Age: 50s College and degree: University of North Carolina School of the Arts – BFA Graduate school and degree: University of Washington – MFA Website: http://www.chavassedanceandperformance.com/ and ChavasseDance Facebook page How you pay the bills: Associate Professor – University of Michigan; guest artist and choreographer at various institutions, workshops,…

  • Teaching Burnout

    The February/March time of year can frequently become a struggle – finding motivation, building new class content, and taking time for self care. Today we hear from three teaching artists about the topic. Brooklyn based artist Rebecca Lazier shares: I find the best remedy for teacher burnout is to take someone else’s class. Any class.…

  • Artist Profile #127: Rosana Barragan (San Francisco, CA)

    Hometown: Bucaramanga, Colombia Current city: San Francisco Age: 41 College and degree: Universidad Javeriana (Bogota, Colombia). Degree in Communications. Graduate school and degree: Laban Centre, now called Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. MFA in Dance Studies (no longer offered). Website: My dance studio: www.calliopedance.com; Saint Mary's College: http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/mfa-in-dance All of the dance hats you…

  • My Dance Week: Teaching Full-Time in a K-12 School

    For the past year, we have shared dancers' schedules and all that they entail – teaching, training, rehearsing, performing, commuting, and finding down time. In Fall 2015, I asked members of NDEO (the National Dance Education Organization) for dancers with full-time positions within a K-12 school to share their weekly schedules. This series will feature…

  • Artist Profile #125: Pamela Quinn (New York, NY)

    Hometown: Darien and Waterford, Connecticut Current city: New York City Age: 61 Attended an arts high school? No, but had a wonderful dance teacher named Pat Peterson at my school – Emma Willard 1972. College and degree: B.A. Inter-Arts Oberlin College 1976 Website: http://pamelaquinn.net/ How you pay the bills: Lecturer, teacher and private coach for people…

  • Teach dance in a high school? 14 reflection questions as you grow and develop your program

    I recently was reflecting with a colleague about her program at an independent high school and how she can further build the program. While reflecting, it is valuable to have a comprehensive view of your school, other classes on campus, and opportunities for outreach about your program. I hope that these questions will be useful…

  • Artist Profile #124: Jo Kreiter (San Francisco, CA)

    Hometown: Born in Washington, DC Current city: San Francisco Age: 50 College and degree: Duke University, BA Political Science Website: www.flyawayproductions.com How you pay the bills: Teaching/choreographing/administrating All of the dance hats you wear: Artistic Director, Executive Director, Choreographer, Teaching Artist, Community-based Artist, Grant Writer, Dancer —————————— Describe your dance life in your….  20s: I began training as…

  • My Dance Week: Teaching Full-Time in a K-12 School

    For the past year, we have shared dancers' schedules and all that they entail – teaching, training, rehearsing, performing, commuting, and finding down time. In Fall 2015, I asked members of NDEO (the National Dance Education Organization) for dancers with full-time positions within a K-12 school to share their weekly schedules. This series will feature…

  • Artist Profile #119: Liz Lerman (Baltimore, MD)

    Photo: JS Rosenthal Hometown: Born in Los Angeles Current city: Baltimore, MD Age: 67 College and degree: Eventually received my undergrad at University of Maryland in dance Graduate school and degree: In my late 20s, I went to George Washington University and got a degree in human kinetics and leisure studies (that’s where the dance department was housed).…