Michelle Ellsworth is a dancer, choreographer, video maker, sculptor, writer, and cartoonist. Dance is her native language as an artist; however, she regularly produces work that combines these and other genres and media. Her work is consistently shaped by: 1) her fluency not only in movement, but also in text, computers, improvisation, drawing, and video, and 2) her curiosity about gender, objects, identity, ritual, and the embodied and problematic human condition.
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Interdisciplinary artist, web artist, and performance dance artist
DNCE 1000 - Beginning Contemporary Technique
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2024
Introduces the dynamic capacity of dancing as a portal into sensing, feeling, expression, transformation, meaning-making, and community. Offers basic skills from contemporary dance forms drawing on diverse dance lineages. Develops connectivity, experimentation, strength, flexibility, coordination, rhythm, and spatial awareness. Material is offered through an anti-oppressive approach. We refuse to separate: 1) mind and body; 2) dance and other disciplines; 3) us from one another. No experience necessary. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours.
DNCE 4053 - Dance & Making Dances
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Fall 2019 / Fall 2022 / Fall 2023 / Fall 2024 / Fall 2025
Explores dance as a medium of art making. Challenging assumptions about what choreography is and does, we unpack and burn that which limits our imaginations and keeps us regurgitating other people�s ideas and moves. Then, we attempt to make dances that interest us, that solve/make problems, that tell a truth, or start a revolution. We refuse to separate: 1) mind and body; 2) dance and other disciplines; 3) us from one another. May be repeated up to 12 total credit hours. Recommended prerequisites: DNCE 3043 or DNCE 1013. Same as DNCE 5053.
DNCE 4939 - Dance & Community Practice
Primary Instructor
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Summer 2022 / Spring 2023 / Fall 2025
Offers an opportunity to go do something real in the community with dance. This student driven internship is supported by faculty mentorship in collaboration with an established arts or teaching organization. We refuse to separate: 1) mind and body; 2) dance and other disciplines; 3) us from one another. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours.
DNCE 5053 - Dance & Making Dances
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Fall 2019 / Fall 2022 / Fall 2023 / Fall 2024 / Fall 2025
Explores dance as a medium of art making. Challenging assumptions about what choreography is and does, we unpack and burn that which limits our imaginations and keeps us regurgitating other people�s ideas and moves. Then, we attempt to make dances that interest us, that solve/make problems, that tell a truth, or start a revolution. We refuse to separate: 1) mind and body; 2) dance and other disciplines; 3) us from one another. May be repeated up to 12 total credit hours. Same as DNCE 4053.
DNCE 5056 - Graduate Teaching Seminar
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2023
Examines practical, pedagogical, philosophical, and legal issues in current dance education. The goals and content of professional and recreational dance training are considered and strategies for effective teaching practice are discussed. Provides practice in practical application of theoretical material. All genres of dance may be utilized.
DNCE 5909 - Dance and Special Topics
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2022
Explores topics and research in and through dance such as technology, environment, performance, politics, martial arts, somatics, social and racial justice, criticism, and more that the normal sequence of course offerings may not allow. We refuse to separate: 1) mind and body; 2) dance and other disciplines; 3) us from one another. May be repeated up to 12 total credit hours. Same as DNCE 2909 and and DNCE 3909 and DNCE 4909.
DNCE 6047 - Dance Studies
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Spring 2023 / Spring 2025
Studies current dance trends, mostly in the United States, with particular attention paid to dance's intersection with philosophy, theory, technology, politics, current events and the other arts.
DNCE 6073 - Choreography
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2018 / Spring 2022 / Spring 2024
Covers in-depth practical and theoretical approaches to dance composition for graduate students; solo and group forms; and analysis of historical and contemporary dance works. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours with different instructors.
DNCE 6969 - The Graduate Project
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2019 / Spring 2020 / Fall 2022 / Fall 2023 / Spring 2024 / Fall 2024 / Fall 2025 / Spring 2026
Provides the opportunity for synthesizing the graduate experience through the execution of a project related to the student's major area of interest. Project must be approved by the graduate faculty advisor.
IAWP 6200 - Intermedia Collaboratory
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2018
Collaborative studio course in which students focus on emerging practices in intermediate art, writing and performance while collaboratively building art, writing and/or performance projects that are presented to the community as public events and programs including exhibitions, publications and performances.
THTR 4081 - Dance & Next Moves
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2018 / Spring 2019 / Spring 2020 / Spring 2022 / Spring 2023 / Spring 2024 / Spring 2025 / Spring 2026
Explores dance�s intersection with post-graduation realities and possibilities. Colliding dance with culture, health, professional practices, entrepreneurship, identity, politics, economics, technology, systemic racism, embodied cognition, and (insert your ideas here), we build portfolios, protocols, and sustainable networks for moving. We refuse to separate: 1) mind and body; 2) dance and other disciplines; 3) us from one another. Formerly THTR 4081.
