Contemporary Dance Program - Faculty
Jennifer Adam
Ballet, modern dance technique for non-majors, history, repertory
Jennifer Adam began her dance training at the Rochester School
of Ballet in Rochester, Michigan . She subsequently studied with
the Royal Danish Ballet Company in Midland Michigan, and attended
the School of American Ballet 's summer program, where she was
offered a full scholarship and attended the school for three years.
During that time she performed in various Balanchine ballets and
apprenticed with American Ballet Theater. From 1989 until 1995
Jennifer performed with the Pennsylvania Ballet and Atlanta Ballet.
Upon retiring from professional dance at age 25, Jennifer taught
at the School for Atlanta Ballet. She also earned a B.S. in ballet
at IU where she danced many lead roles in ballets such as Serenade , Les
Sylphides , and the Nutcracker . Upon graduating
from Indiana University Jennifer was accepted to University of
Michigan on full scholarship and teaching fellowship and earned
an MFA in Modern Dance and Modern Choreography. Ms. Adam is an
adjunct faculty member in both the ballet department and contemporary
dance program at IU.
Emily Bogard
Pilates certification
Emily Bogard, the founder and director of the Pilates Annex, is
a postural alignment specialist trained in Stott's Conditioning
Pilates with certifications from the PhysicalMind Institute and
Kane School of Core Integration. She is also a certified Yamuna
Body Rolling instructor and holds a BS and MS in Physical Education/Dance
from Indiana University. She has been involved in the field of
integrated movement for the past 25 years. Drawing from her studies
of Pilates, the Alexander Technique and the Body-Mind Centering
principles of Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, Emily teaches an approach
to Pilates and postural alignment that enables people to enjoy
a physical freedom based on spinal stability and mobility.
Rachel Britton
Modern dance technique for non-majors, personal training for majors
Rachel Britton is a doctoral student at Indiana University where
she is pursuing her Ph.D. in Human Performance with a Specialization
in Motor Learning and Control in the department of Kinesiology. She
has a Master of Science degree in Kinesiology from Indiana University. Rachel
has taught modern dance, conditioning for dancers and provided
individual training programs for the dance majors and Indiana University. She
has worked as an Exercise Specialist in Health and Wellness Education
at the Indiana University Health Center. Rachel is an American
Council on Exercise certified personal trainer and is a member
of the American College of Sports Medicine, and the International
Association of Dance Medicine and Science.
Selene Carter
History, modern dance technique for non-majors
Selene Carter recently received her MFA in dance from the University
of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. As a Chicago dance artist she received
the city’s highest honor in dance, the Ruth Page Award for
her improvisational work, as well as funding from city agencies
and private foundations. For five years she was co-director of
Links Hall where she produced workshops in alternative dance and
improvisation in order to create a forum for post-modern and experimental
dance in Chicago. She has taught improvisation and dance studies
at the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, the University
of Chicago and the Chicago Academy of the Arts. In 2003 she was
identified as ‘An Emerging Leader in the Arts’ by the
Association of Performing Arts Presenters.
Sherilyn Nott Foley
Jazz, tap, Irish step dance, repertory
Sherilyn Foley tours and teaches master classes at universities,
schools, studios, and professional organizations across the country.
Recently, Ms. Foley was awarded an Indiana Arts Commission Grant
to present a youth dance outreach program. She has also been nominated
for a Student Choice Award at IU and is a former member
of IUPUI’s Dance Faculty, where she was named Instructor
of the Year. Sherilyn continues to dance and choreograph professionally
working in theatre, dance companies, television, industrial shows,
commercials, and video work. She has also choreographed for PBS’s
award-winning children’s programming. Sherilyn is the former
Artistic Director and choreographer of Footworks Dance, and
tours with Sophisticated Productions as an Adjudicator and Master
Teacher, and serves as the resident choreographer for their National
Performance Dance Teams.
Gwendolyn Hamm, Undergraduate Coordinator, Department of Kinesiology
Modern dance technique, movement analysis, musical resources, pedagogy
Gwendolyn Hamm is an Associate Professor at IU where she has taught
all levels of modern and jazz dance, as well as dance methods.
Ms. Hamm has been active professionally as the Vice President/Chair
of the Dance Division at the state (Indiana Association for Health,
Physical Education, Recreation & Dance – IAHPERD) and
regional (Midwest District AHPERD) levels. She has also been a
faculty presenter at the American College Dance Festival (ACDF-Mid-Atlantic
Region), at the Bill Evans Summer Dance Institute, and at the state
and regional AAHPERD conventions. Ms. Hamm has served as an Indiana
Arts Commission (IAC) on-site evaluator, as well as an IAC (dance)
grants adjudicator. She has also choreographed and worked collaboratively
with faculty in the Departments of Theater and Drama and African
American Diaspora Studies.
George Pinney, Head of Acting and Directing
Musical theatre, stage movement
George Pinney, a Professor of Theatre and Drama, has directed
and or choreographed over 100 productions including Broadway, West
End of London, regional and university theatres as well national
and international tours. Nominated for 2001 Tony Award and National
Broadway Theatre Award in choreography for BLAST! George
received a 2001 Emmy Award for outstanding choreography for the
PBS Broadcast of BLAST! Recognized as a master teacher
George was awarded the prestigious Friederich Herman Lieber Award
for Distinguished Teaching and was selected for membership in the
honorary Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching. George was
also awarded four IU Board of Trustees Awards for Teaching Excellence.
At IU George mentors numerous IMP Musical Theatre Majors of whom
many have gone on to perform on Broadway and in national and international
tours.
Laura McKirahan Poole
Modern dance technique, improvisation, choreography, repertory, production
Laura
McKirahan Poole has performed and taught with the internationally
acclaimed Bella Lewitzky Dance Company and has also danced and
given workshops in the companies of Rudy Perez and Jeff Duncan.
Her choreography has been presented the American Theatre Lab and
the Cunningham Studio in New York . Laura has received Bloomington
community and IU grants for her choreography, the most recent being
from IU's New Frontiers program for a collaborative work of music,
dance and video artists. She has taught at Denison University ,
San Diego State College and New York University.
Beth Rodriguez
Conditioning for Dancers
Beth Rodriguez began her study at the U of L Dance Academy. She
later received her B.S. in Dance from Ball State University and
her M.A. in Dance Education from NYU. She has studied with established
artists such as Katiti King, Jana Hicks, and Sarah Skaggs as well
as experimental young choreographers including Sheri Celentano,
Beth Portnoy, M. Lindsey Smith, Elizabeth Eastman, and Courtney
Drasner. She is also a performer and choreographer with Orquidea
Dance. Her work has been shown at WAX, BRIC, Chashama, Dixon Place,
BAX, and the Merce Cunningham Studio. This work has been supported,
in part, by DanceNYC and The Field. She has taught within
Outreach Arts Education programs, professional development settings,
at the Elisabeth Morrow School with the support of a grant by Kappa
Delta Pi, and as a part of the American Dance Guild's 2001 European
Cultural Exchange.
Iris Rosa, Director, African American Dance
African American Dance Company, dance in the African Diaspora, jazz dance, black dance styles
Iris Rosa is an Associate Professor
at Indiana University , Bloomington in the Department of African
American and African Diaspora Studies, and the Director of the
Indiana University African American Dance Company. Her specializations
are modern, jazz and ethnic dance teaching and choreography. Ms.
Rosa has worked, studied and taught with the Ghana Dance Ensemble
of Ghana, West Africa and has studied dance in Puerto Rico and
in Hava, Matanzas and Guantanamo, Cuba. She has been a choreographer
for musicals at the Phoenix Theatre, Civic Theatre, American Cabaret
Theatre and Theatre on the Square. She has also worked on international
and community projects at the historical Madame Walker Theatre
Center in Indianapolis , Indiana . Ms. Rosa is also the director
of Sancocho: Music and Dance College , a performing ensemble which
focuses research on African derived music and dance from the Caribbean
and Latin America and Seda Negra/Black Silk Dance Company.
Elizabeth Limons Shea, Coordinator, IU Contemporary Dance Program
Modern dance technique, composition, choreography, repertory, history
Liz Shea has worked extensively in the field of dance education
and as a modern dance choreographer. Her choreography has been
adjudicated and accepted for performance by nationally known groups
such as the National Dance Association, and the American College
Dance Festival Association. Liz recently received commissions from
the Indiana Arts Council and IU’s New Frontiers Grant Program
to create works exploring dance and technology. She has served
on the dance faculty at Penn State University, Florida A&M
University, Tallahassee Community College and was an Artist-in-Residence
for the State of Florida. Ms. Shea has also taught at Apalachee
Tapestry Magnet School for the Arts. Last May, Liz traveled to
China, teaching master classes and presenting choreography in Hong
Kong, Chengdu, Shanghai, and Beijing.
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