Five College Dance Department : Faculty

Faculty

The dance faculty at the five colleges work together as members of a single department, coordinating the courses offered to ensure broad coverage of study and striving for a critical balance among technical training, performance, historical, theoretical, and scientific studies.

The distinguished faculty, enhanced by the presence of the University's Fine Arts Center, attracts some of the world's leading guest artists, who come to perform and offer master classes, lectures, workshops, or semester-long courses.

Instructors

Chris Aiken
Smith
Assistant Professor of Dance
Dance improvisation and contact improvisation
bio

Rodger Blum
Smith - Department Chair
Professor
Ballet technique and repertory, composition, floor-barre, dance pedagogy, video and performance.
bio

Billbob Brown
UMass - Director of the Dance Program
Associate Professor
Jazz and modern technique, composition, contemporary and Renaissance/Baroque dance history
bio

Jim Coleman - Chair of the FCDD
Mount Holyoke
Professor
Choreography, modern technique, dance aesthetics, video and dance and performance/repertory
bio

Paul Dennis
UMass
Lecturer
Modern technique, composition, New York Professional Outreach Program
bio

Charles Flachs
Mount Holyoke
Professor of Dance
Dance history, ballet technique, partnering, and repertory
bio

Rose Marie Flachs
Mount Holyoke
Professor of Dance
Ballet technique, variations, repertory, tap
bio

Terese Freedman
Mount Holyoke - Chair of the Dance Department
Professor of Dance
Modern technique, kinesiology for dancers, repertory, and composition
bio

Angie Hauser
Smith
Assistant Professor of Dance
Improvisation, Composition, Contemporary Dance Technique, Contact Improvisation
bio

Adrienne Hawkins
UMass
Lecturer
Jazz dance
bio

Constance Valis Hill
Hampshire
Five College Professor of Dance
Dance history theory
bio

Daphne Lowell
Hampshire - Coordinator of Dance
Professor of Dance and Movement Studies
Modern dance technique, composition, Dance and Culture, Authentic Movement, Embodied Imagination.
bio

Marilyn Middleton Sylla
Smith
Five College Lecturer in Dance
West African dance technique
bio

Rebecca Nordstrom
Hampshire
Professor of Dance
Modern technique, composition, improvisation and Laban Movement Analysis
bio

Lester Tome
Smith College
Assistant Professor of the Theory and Practice in Dance
bio

Thomas Vacanti
UMass
Assistant Professor
Ballet technique and repertory
bio

Wendy Woodson
Coordinator of Dance
Amherst
Roger C. Holden 1919 Professor of Theater and Dance
Modern technique, improvisation, interdisciplinary performance, composition, choreography studio, issues in contemporary dance, video and performance
bio

Musical Directors
Paul Arslanian
UMass
Music Director & Accompanist for Dance
bio

Peter Jones
Mount Holyoke
Lecturer and Accompanist in Dance
bio

Mike Vargas
Smith
Musician and Lecturer
bio

FCDD Staff
Betty Thurston
Administrative Assistant
bio

Jean Baxter
Production Manager
bio

Gwen Niven
Assistant Production Manager
bio

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	Faculty The dance faculty at the five colleges work together as members of a single department, coordinating the courses offered to ensure broad coverage of study and striving for a critical balance among technical training, performance, historical, theoretical, and scientific studies. The distinguished faculty, enhanced by the presence of the University's Fine Arts Center, attracts some of the world's leading guest artists, who come to perform and offer master classes, lectures, workshops, or semester-long courses. *Instructors* Chris Aiken Smith Assistant Professor of Dance Dance improvisation and contact improvisation bio Rodger Blum Smith - Department Chair Professor Ballet technique and repertory, composition, floor-barre, dance pedagogy, video and performance. bio Billbob Brown UMass - Director of the Dance Program Associate Professor Jazz and modern technique, composition, contemporary and Renaissance/Baroque dance history bio Jim Coleman - Chair of the FCDD Mount Holyoke Professor Choreography, modern technique, dance aesthetics, video and dance and performance/repertory bio Paul Dennis UMass Lecturer Modern technique, composition, New York Professional Outreach Program bio Charles Flachs Mount Holyoke Professor of Dance Dance history, ballet technique, partnering, and repertory bio Rose Marie Flachs Mount Holyoke Professor of Dance Ballet technique, variations, repertory, tap bio Terese Freedman Mount Holyoke - Chair of the Dance Department Professor of Dance Modern technique, kinesiology for dancers, repertory, and composition bio Angie Hauser Smith Assistant Professor of Dance Improvisation, Composition, Contemporary Dance Technique, Contact Improvisation bio Adrienne Hawkins UMass Lecturer Jazz dance bio Constance Valis Hill Hampshire Five College Professor of Dance Dance history theory bio Daphne Lowell Hampshire - Coordinator of Dance Professor of Dance and Movement Studies Modern dance technique, composition, Dance and Culture, Authentic Movement, Embodied Imagination. bio Marilyn Middleton Sylla Smith Five College Lecturer in Dance West African dance technique bio Rebecca Nordstrom Hampshire Professor of Dance Modern technique, composition, improvisation and Laban Movement Analysis bio Lester Tome Smith College Assistant Professor of the Theory and Practice in Dance bio Thomas Vacanti UMass Assistant Professor Ballet technique and repertory bio Wendy Woodson Coordinator of Dance Amherst Roger C. Holden 1919 Professor of Theater and Dance Modern technique, improvisation, interdisciplinary performance, composition, choreography studio, issues in contemporary dance, video and performance bio *Musical Directors* Paul Arslanian UMass Music Director & Accompanist for Dance bio Peter Jones Mount Holyoke Lecturer and Accompanist in Dance bio Mike Vargas Smith Musician and Lecturer bio *FCDD Staff* Betty Thurston Administrative Assistant bio Jean Baxter Production Manager bio Gwen Niven Assistant Production Manager bio