TEACHING STATEMENT

I have a passion for empowering young artists in dance. Dance is interdisciplinary as it possesses structure, technique, cultural connection, generational connection, and a sharing of conceptual energy. We communicate through the universal language of movement. The movement structure forms in the classroom, and the technique evolves through generations of movement. The cultural connection is multi-layered. The contributions from the past have informed the movement we learn today. As we move forward in various dance techniques, we honor the traditions that came before us and the cultures that created the vocabulary of movement. We share dance traditions with the artists who come after us. This sharing connects to generational communication. Each generation stands on the shoulders of the generation that came before them. Dancers can begin to embody the true essence of qualitative movement when they understand they are learning something built on generations before them. They evolve in the technique and transition into creating a new movement pathway in the future.  This awareness forms a deep-rooted understanding of the cultures that informed the movement from the beginning. Educators have experimented for generations on how best to communicate their information. Dance is a beautiful art form, and it is a powerful platform in creating a space where all are welcome can contribute. Liz Lerman once wrote, "Teach the class you wish you were given. Treat your students the way you wanted to be treated" (Lerman, Hiking the Horizontal, 2014, p. 258). I find it a beautiful and powerful thing to be another part of the collective story we contribute to through our own lives and varied perspectives. Whether as a career as a dancer or a life where art is central. I am proud to be a facilitator for individuals to traverse from where they are to where they will be.