Rooted in feminist and critical pedagogies, my approach to teaching is to prepare students to be independent thinkers and life-long learners. By the end of a course, I aim for students to have strong critical thinking, reading, and writing skills in addition to subject-specific knowledge that will help them both in and out of scholarly contexts. These are deeply valuable skills for personal growth as well as professional marketability. I firmly believe that learning about – or how to – dance is a valuable site of inquiry for both dancers and non-dancers, because it encourages an understanding of the world through a corporeal lens that recognizes the fleshy realities of theories, policies, histories, and ideas. This approach encourages empathy, questioning of previously held assumptions, and appreciation of the importance of each subject from both student and teacher, which ultimately leads students towards becoming active, responsible, and thoughtful citizens in local, departmental, national, and international contexts.
I have developed a diverse repertoire of courses, including topics such as professionalization (Senior Seminar, Contemporary Dance Survey), writing (Analysis and Criticism of Dance, Beginning and Intermediate Composition), and history (Western and “World” Dance Histories). In many of the canonical courses, such as Western dance history, I maintain my commitment to diversifying the syllabus and challenging the hegemonic norms that celebrate the normalization of Europeanist stage practices by integrating social dance, highlighting instances of cultural appropriation, and including background on forms from various cultural contexts that inform the development of these largely white, European aesthetics. In addition to diverse syllabi, I also employ a variety of teaching methodologies, ranging from face-to-face lectures and fully online courses, also including hybridized courses with both online and studio components.
I am constantly working on developing my pedagogy and subject materials to bring into the classroom. For instance, this past summer I attended the Mellon School for Theater and Performance at Harvard University, the theme of which was Research, Pedagogy, and Activism. Forums such as this, as well as international conferences I regularly attend such as CORD/SDHS (now DSA) allow me to exchange ideas about innovative pedagogical strategies and activities as well as familiarize myself with new research material that can be brought into the classroom.
Courses Taught
University of Wisconsin, Madison, Lecturer
Writing the Moving Body
Sol C. Johnson High School, Certified Teacher
International Baccalaureate Dance, Years 1 and 2 (Diploma Programme - Higher Level)
International Baccalaureate Language and Literature, Years 1 and 2 (Diploma Programme - Higher Level)
Kennesaw State University, Limited-Term Assistant Professor
Dance History I
Dance History II
Dance in Society (Online)
Contemporary Concert Dance Survey
Analysis and Criticism of Dance
Senior Seminar
Santa Ana College, Adjunct Instructor
Dance History and Appreciation
University of California, Riverside: Writing Across the Curriculum Writing Workshop Instructor
Dance Cultures and Contexts
The Historian's Workshop
University of California, Riverside: University Writing Program Graduate Student Instructor
Beginning Composition
Intermediate Composition
University of California, Riverside: Department of Dance Teaching Assistant
Dance Cultures and Contexts (Online)
Dance Cultures and Contexts (Writing Intensive)
Introduction to Dance (Studio)
University of California, Riverside: Department of Ethnic Studies Teaching Assistant
Introduction to Race and Ethnicity