Assistant Professor - School of Theatre and Dance - Tenure Track

Western Michigan University • Kalamazoo, MI

62d

About The Position

Western Michigan University School of Theatre and Dance seeks a tenure track Assistant Professor of Dance. The Dance Program in the School of Theatre and Dance at WMU provides high quality, undergraduate education that prepares students for professional careers in dance and other related fields. It is committed to experiential learning through which students integrate theory and practice to discover, explore, and articulate a sense of themselves as dance artists and leaders; offering comprehensive, tri-focal training in ballet, jazz, and modern dance techniques; and engagement with national and international dance communities through artist residencies and immersive experiences. This commitment requires faculty with extensive professional experience as dance artists and scholars who are actively engaged with the dance profession.

Requirements

• MFA in Dance from an accredited institution or terminal degree in related field from an accredited institution by contract start date; or bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in Dance or related field with enrollment in MFA program from an accredited institution within 1 year of contract start date.
• Five years of professional performance and/or choreography experience.
• Three years of teaching experience.
• Demonstrated extensive knowledge of jazz dance pedagogy, with experience teaching hip hop and other street dance styles.

Nice To Haves

• Three years of university teaching experience.
• Demonstrated understanding of hip hop as a global cultural movement, with roots in Black and Latinx communities and grounded in resistance, resilience, and community-building.
• Well-versed in a range of hip hop and street dance styles - including, but not limited to, breaking, popping, locking, waving, vogue, street jazz, and house - and able to contextualize these forms within the broader continuum of African diasporic movement practices and transnational urban dance cultures.
• Utilizes an interdisciplinary approach.
• Demonstrated fluency in one or more movement vocabularies - modern, tap, ballet, jazz, African or improvisation.
• Experience in dance for camera, film or other digital platforms.
• Demonstrated ability to foster a critically engaged and supportive learning environment for students from varied backgrounds.
• Prioritizes holistic and inclusive, student-centered pedagogy that affirms diverse ways of knowing, moving and making.

Responsibilities

• Teach all levels of jazz dance technique with an emphasis on hip hop, street, commercial, and other contemporary jazz dance forms.
• Teach one or more of the following courses: Race, Gender, and Dance; Roots of Jazz; Music for Dancers; Career Preparation for Dancers; Composition and Technology.
• Participate in on-going scholarly/creative research, mentor student projects and performance and actively contribute to the life of the school, college, and university.
• Maintain an active career in the profession.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Industry: Educational Services
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees