Teaching Philosophy
I believe dance education is about more than developing technically proficient performers—it is about cultivating thoughtful, adaptable, and artistically empowered individuals. My role as an educator is to provide rigorous training while helping students discover their unique artistic voices and develop the confidence, adaptability, and creative agency necessary to thrive in an evolving professional landscape.
Throughout my career, I have taught ballet, contemporary and modern dance, choreography, dance on film, dance pedagogy, graduate seminars, and interdisciplinary creative research. Across these diverse courses, I strive to create learning environments that challenge students artistically while supporting their individual growth as dancers, creators, collaborators, and scholars.
My approach to technical training is grounded in four interconnected pillars: technique, musicality, quality, and artistry. Technical development provides the foundation through strength, endurance, flexibility, alignment, and cognitive understanding of movement. Musicality encourages students to develop an awareness of rhythm, phrasing, timing, and their personal relationship to music and movement. Quality focuses on dynamic range and expressive nuance, helping students investigate concepts such as weight, flow, suspension, attack, and intention. Artistry integrates these elements, empowering students to make meaningful interpretive choices and cultivate an authentic performance presence.
As both a choreographer and screendance filmmaker, I view creativity as an essential component of dance education. My teaching is informed by the intersection of concert dance and dance for the camera, encouraging students to think critically about movement, performance, storytelling, collaboration, and the evolving ways dance can engage contemporary audiences. Through choreography courses, creative research projects, performance opportunities, and interdisciplinary collaborations, students learn to generate ideas, take risks, refine their work, and communicate effectively through movement.
Innovation and adaptability are also central to my teaching practice. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I created ShutterSpeed, an interdisciplinary screendance initiative that allowed students to continue creating and performing through digital media while exploring new modes of artistic expression. This work contributed to the development of Dance on Film coursework at the University at Buffalo and continues to inform how I integrate technology, creativity, and contemporary artistic practice into the curriculum.
Mentorship is at the heart of my work as an educator. I believe meaningful learning occurs when students feel both challenged and supported. Former students have gone on to perform with the Radio City Rockettes, Hamilton, MJ the Musical, On Your Feet!, Giordano Dance Chicago, and touring productions for artists such as Olivia Rodrigo. I am equally proud of students who have pursued careers in teaching, arts administration, choreography, filmmaking, and community engagement. Success looks different for every student, and I strive to help each individual identify and pursue their own path.
My professional work continues to inform my teaching. As Artistic Director of ChoreoLab and former Managing Director of Zodiaque Dance Company, I have created opportunities for students to engage in performance, production, creative research, and collaboration with guest artists, designers, filmmakers, and scholars. These experiences bridge academic study and professional practice while helping students develop the adaptability, leadership, and collaborative skills required of contemporary artists.
In addition to my creative and teaching work, I contribute to broader conversations about dance education through writing and scholarship. My articles for Dance Teacher Magazine, including reflections on teaching and motherhood, reflect my ongoing commitment to examining the evolving realities of teaching, mentorship, and artistic practice.
Ultimately, my goal is to prepare students not only for careers in dance, but to become curious, creative, and engaged individuals. I aim to cultivate an environment where discipline, collaboration, and artistic inquiry intersect—where students are challenged to discover not only what they can do, but who they can become.