SCHOLARLY RESEARCH
KINESIOLOGY, ANATOMY, & DANCE SCIENCE
I have a huge passion for kinesiology, anatomy, and dance science for dancers. I find it critical for a dancer’s education, understanding, and physical practice to be informed through the lens of kinesiology. I do research that encourages dancers to make more conscientious decisions regarding their training and performance careers. My interest resides in filling gaps in dance academia that can be supported through the research of anatomy and kinesiology. Dance science has the potential to be utilized as a support and anchor for many approaches in dance and it is a goal of mine to continue to research how dance science can assist in the understanding of movement, safe practice, and the integrating science and creativity.
Photo by Brooklyn Draper
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
-Sally Fitt Award, Spring 2018, University of Utah.
-Leg Length Discrepancies in Modern Dance Majors: Institutional Review Board approved study, 2018, University of Utah. (This study is currently being applied to be presented at the Northwest ACDA 2019 Conference)
This study was done to determine the percentage of modern dance majors who have a detectable Leg Length Discrepancy and correlate self-reported orthopedic complications to the discrepancies. The study was done at the Marriott Center for Dance at the University of Utah campus and there were twenty-eight modern dance majors who volunteered to participate. The measurement protocol that was used was the Iliac Crest Palpation with Book Correction method. The results state that 96% percent of the dancers have a detectable Leg Length Discrepancy with fourteen of the dancers reporting low back pain, four reported being diagnosed with Scoliosis, and seventeen reported ankle and foot pain/injuries that prevented them from dancing for more than one day. While a large majority of modern dance majors have a detectable Leg Length Discrepancy and there may be a correlation to low back pain and ankle and foot injuries, the subjects that were measured in this study seemed to have clinically insignificant discrepancies in order for correlations to be made. (Full study available upon request)
-Independent study under the mentorship of Pamela Geber Handman, Spring 2018. Research involved clinic observation of Physical Therapists at the University of Utah to gain from their knowledge and approach towards injuries with dancers. I worked as a motivator for students to continue their injury prevention practice as well as communicating with their faculty regarding appropriate ways to approach technique class concerning specific injuries. Along with my research, I devised an injury training and injury prevention manual for students and faculty to reference in the future. (Manual available upon request)
COLLABORATION
As a dancer, choreographer, and teacher working professionally I cannot think of a single situation where I didn't collaborate with one or multiple individuals. In the contemporary world of art making collaboration is becoming less of an option as it is often required to make and present work. Since pursuing my MFA at the University of Utah, I have been researching the concepts that revolve around finding a more democratic approach within the rehearsal process and collaborating with my dancers. Researching concepts of empathy, accountability, power, control, individuality within a group, and effective communication.
Photo by ChingI-Chang Bigelow
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
-Selected by the University of Utah to receive the University Teaching Assistantship to curate, design, and teach my own course “Collision Theory: The Essence of Collaboration.” The course will be taught in the Spring 2019 Semester at the University of Utah (Salt Lake City, UT)
Collision Theory: The Essence of Collaboration is a course is designed to give students within the College of Fine Arts the opportunity to delve into the theory, science, and behaviors of successful collaborative approaches. We will investigate critical and theoretical writings regarding the psychological theories of consensus-making, empathy, accountability, power, control, teamwork, individual creativity vs. collaborative creativity, leadership, morale and effective communication. Collision Theory: The Essence of Collaboration, recognized a hole in the Modern Dance Program’s curriculum. While students are expected to work collaboratively. there is no single class committed to introducing theories of working this way. As a result, many artists rely solely on instinct without any intellectual grounding to help them facilitate a successful collaboration or challenge the impulses that may be counterproductive to the collaborative endeavor. This course will support the student’s readiness to meet a growing professional expectation to work collaboratively and lead collaborative processes.
-Co-director of Triptych Figures, a Salt Lake City based Dance and Performing Arts Company that was dedicated to Collaboration and Activism, 2014-2016 (Salt Lake City, UT)
-Co-director of Speakers’ Corner SLC, a think tank art series dedicated to free speech and solution-oriented discussion, 2015-2017 (Salt Lake City, UT)