Assistant Professor of Practice in Dance (Professional Track)

The University of Texas at Austin • Austin, TX

18h • Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Theatre and Dance at The University of Texas at Austin seeks an Assistant Professor of Practice in Dance for a non-tenure-track, nine-month appointment beginning in August 2027. The position is part of the Dance Area and requires relocation to Austin, Texas.

The successful candidate will bring demonstrated expertise in ballet and the ability to build and teach curriculum in ballet and in two or more additional specialties. Areas may include contemporary or traditional dance forms, somatic practices, conditioning, experiential anatomy, performance and repertory, dance studies or history, choreography and movement composition, movement improvisation, commercial dance, and professional development. The candidate should be able to teach students at all skill levels, including classes with multiple levels of ability.

The position teaches non-majors, dance majors in the BFA and BA programs, and dance minors. It also contributes administration, expertise, leadership, and service to the university, college, department, and Dance Area. The department values professional rigor alongside student-centered pedagogy in keeping with the expectations of a public university.

The Dance Area offers an MFA in Dance, a BA in Theatre and Dance, BFAs emphasizing Performance and Choreography or Dance Education, and a Dance minor. Its educational priority is to cultivate well-rounded artist citizens with broad skills, agency, and innovation. Students develop practical dance skills rooted in live performance and explore how to apply those skills across contexts and disciplines. The Dance Area works alongside programs in Acting, Directing and Playwriting, Drama and Theatre for Youth and Communities/Theatre Education, Live Design and Production, and Performance as Public Practice.

The Department of Theatre and Dance has 35 full-time faculty members and 18 full-time staff members. Its facilities include black box, proscenium, and lab theatres, teaching and practice spaces, and design and computing labs. The department produces six large-scale productions and numerous smaller productions each year, including a student-driven biennial New Works Festival. The University of Texas at Austin is a flagship, tier-one research institution in Austin, Texas, and has been awarded the Seal of Excelencia as a Hispanic Serving Institution.

Requirements

• Terminal degree in dance or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to teach all levels of ballet technique.
• Coursework expertise in at least two of the listed specialties: somatic practices/conditioning, experiential anatomy, repertory, movement composition/choreography, movement improvisation, dance studies/dance history, commercial dance, or professional development.
• Ability to teach students across skill levels and address multiple ability levels within a single class.
• Willingness to relocate to Austin, Texas.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in the dance field as a performer or company member, choreographer, studio owner, or dance educator.
• Demonstrated success teaching in higher education as a guest artist, teaching artist, adjunct faculty member, teaching assistant, or faculty member.
• Ability to proactively engage students in emerging professional development and employment strategies in the dance profession.
• Administrative experience sufficient to maximize engagement with learning communities and fulfill service requirements to the Dance Area, department, and University.
• Ability to balance professional rigor with student-centered pedagogy consistent with public-university expectations.
• Experience working across artistic and academic disciplines and facilitating productive engagement with colleagues in departmental areas other than dance.

Responsibilities

• Build and teach ballet curriculum, with the ability to teach all levels of ballet technique.
• Develop and teach coursework in two or more additional specialties, such as somatic practices or conditioning, experiential anatomy, repertory, movement composition or choreography, movement improvisation, dance studies or history, commercial dance, and professional development.
• Teach courses for non-majors, dance majors in the BFA and BA programs, and dance minors.
• Address multiple levels of student ability within a single class as needed.
• Contribute administration, expertise, and leadership through university, college, department, and Dance Area service commitments.
• Engage students in professional development and employment strategies in the dance profession.
• Collaborate productively across artistic and academic disciplines and with colleagues in departmental areas beyond dance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree