Teaching Philosophy

With the renewed expansion of artistic practice into the performative, the boundaries between visual art, performance, theater and dance are once again becoming blurred.  As interest in cross over continues to grow, I find it imperative that students have an understanding of the territories, both historical and contemporary, they navigate through as they create works of all types, from pure performance to objects. The opportunity for students to gain both an understanding of historical precedent as well as practical skill in performance leads to a deeper understanding of their own personal work.  To facilitate this, the experience needs to be guided with the students’ interests in mind, and from these investigations, they accrue knowledge that often leads to surprising connections and discoveries.

I am a rare resource because I am embedded in both the art and dance worlds (in both New York and Los Angeles).  My own academic research and performance work are aimed at this cross-over and I take great interest in the complex systems that are being built today between these often isolated categories.  In teaching, I employ a combination of theoretical and experiential (bodily) understanding which lays out a platform on which to experiment. Although a specialized placement in an art or dance department would certainly allow for precise focus, certain courses would present a unique opportunity to bring students from various departments together into one room.

The following are sample course titles:

The Practice of Time

Tactics for Performance

The Art of Performance: Presence, Power, Knowledge and Action

The History of performance (Art) 1960 to the Present

History of Performance: 60’s and 70’s

History of Performance: 1980’s to the Present

The Theater of Ritual and Myth

T.V. to You Tube: Media and Performance

Beginning, Immediate and Advanced Modern/PostModern Dance Technique

Dance Improvisation

Dance Composition

Sites for Dance: the stage, the land and cyberspace (Advanced Dance Composition)

D.I.Y.: Performance production in the real world

Mentoring/Studio Visits/Group Critiques

Please see Lectures page on this website for additonal, short-term teaching projects.

Academic Positions

2011

Guest Lecturer, Art Department, University of California, Los Angeles

2010

Guest Lecturer, Art Department, California Institute for the Arts, Valencia CA

Guest Lecturer, Art Department, Idyllwild School for the Arts, Idyllwild, CA

2008

Guest Lecturer, Art Department, New York University, New York

Guest Lecturer, Art Department, Art Center, Pasadena, CA

2007

Adjunct Faculty, Graduate Seminar , University of Southern California, Roski School of Fine Art, Los Angeles

2006-2007

Instructor, Sundown Schoolhouse, Los Angeles

2004-2007

T.A. and Instructor, University of California, Los Angeles

2007

Performance Workshop, University of Southern California, New Genres, Los Angeles

2006

Guest Lecturer, Art Department, Concordia University, Seward, NE

1998

Choreographer in Residence, Dance Department, Knox College, Galesburg, IL

Panels

Standing Anywhere in the Space in a Relaxed Position, Banff Centre for Creativity, Banff, Canada.  July 26, 2009

State of the Independents: Roving Spaces, Beyond Baroque, Los Angeles, March 4, 2006

Sunshine Quoi? Temporary Contemporaries, Art2102, Los Angeles, Dec. 18, 2005