Educator
Teaching philosophy
My teaching philosophy has been shaped by my personal experience as a dancer as well as my experiences as an undergraduate. As a student, I have experienced teachers who practiced negative reinforcement, comparisons, and classroom hierarchies based on skills. As an undergraduate student, when taking classes I noticed the different strategies and how much impact they can have on students in their dancing. All these experiences have shaped my teaching philosophy into having a positive outlook on dance, focusing on technique, and enjoying the art form.
Having a positive outlook on dance can benefit the students by having more productivity when it comes to success and encouraging them to give more effort. By reminding students how well they are doing in class, it can encourage them to do better and even feel better when dancing because they can end up having a better connection to dance.
As someone who was trained in a classical ballet studio, whenever it would come to a jazz class or contemporary they would always remind us about our technique. I learned it is important to strengthen in that aspect because it can help us be more successful when attacking a certain movement. I strongly believe in having proper technique.
Most people decide to join a dance because it seems fun and looks amazing. I want to remind students why they decided to dance in the first place. I would include having fun activities in class such as games, asking for song requests while warming up so students can enjoy their music, and asking students what they want to work on.
My teaching philosophy is deeply influenced by my journey as a dancer and my experiences as a student. I have seen firsthand how negative reinforcement and hierarchical structures can impact students, and I have chosen to adopt a positive approach that emphasizes encouragement, proper technique, and the joy of dance. By providing positive feedback, focusing on technical skills through engaging activities, and ensuring that students enjoy the art form, I aim to create a supportive and effective learning environment. This philosophy not only enhances students' skills but also fosters a deeper connection and love for dance.
Choreography
I view dance as a powerful form of communication that exceeds language, allowing for the expression of ideas and experience that words cannot capture. My creative process is both reflective and collaborative, providing dancers a space to engage emotionally an artist within the work. Choreography, for me, serves with both an artistic practice and a form of exploration one that fosters empathy, connection, and self discovery.
Workshops &
intensives
Dance training intensities I include are ballet, drill team prep, jazz, and contemporary phrase work between the ages of 12-18 years old. Dancers will also be learning different combinations throughout each class to help them pick up choreography to get them ready for football games and competition season.