Assistant Professor of Studio Practice: Hip Hop

To begin Fall 2022-2023 academic year

Summary:

The School of Dance at the University of the Arts, under the leadership of Donna Faye Burchfield, encourages undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty, to boldly take risks in the process of discovering and transforming ourselves, each other, and by extension, the world. A large school situated within a forward-thinking university for the visual and performing arts in Philadelphia, the School of Dance reimagines the depth and rigor of a discipline-based dance conservatory by pursuing a pedagogy that interweaves practice, theory and the development of critical thinking to actively motivate students and the development of their research. The School of Dance relies heavily on a collaborative interdisciplinary network of artists, mentors and scholars to foster critical conversations about the meanings, purposes, and potentialities of dance and performance in contemporary society. The undergraduate program (BFA) asks students to develop the ability to think critically and build their identity as artists. This program is divided into two parts: the Foundation Series (for 1st and 2nd year students) and Portfolio & Research Series (for 3rd and 4th year students). The study of Hip Hop is integral to both the Foundation and Research & Portfolio Series in the BFA curriculum, forming a site of expansive critical practice for every student in our school. Theories, pedagogies and practices of Hip Hop inform students' creative work, studio practice and their research within improvisation, critical studies and civic/communal assembly. The graduate (MFA) program aims to rethink inherited practices and consider an inclusive global future for the field by departing from a traditional educational format proposing instead the manifestation of temporary schools that create and enliven experimental and emergent pedagogies. The School of Dance seeks to open up student-driven pathways and expand the ways students can access, think about, and reimagine the practices and techniques of making and performing dance - valuing their skill, commitment and the urgency of their ambitions as capable of developing new and critical perspectives in dance.

Position Description:

The University of the Arts School of Dance seeks a full time Assistant Professor of Studio Practice: Hip Hop beginning in the 2022-23 academic year. The position is a 3-year appointment with potential for renewal. Candidates should bring to the curriculum inclusive, equitable and diverse pedagogical approaches.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

 - Teaching Hip Hop, black vernacular and/or street dance forms in the Studio Practice curriculum offered at the undergraduate level

 - Ability to teach one or more courses each academic year within the Critical Studies curriculum situated at the intersection of creative practice and critical reflection

 - Staging and coaching repertory and/or creating new work for and with students

 - Mentoring senior projects and/or MFA thesis work, and/or leading capstone courses at all levels

 - Contributing to the development of a new curricular area that gathers student interests around diasporic formations and creative practices

Education and Experience:

 - Demonstrated university teaching skills and professional experience within the US and/or abroad

 - Terminal degree required

To Apply, interested qualified applicants should submit:

-       Letter of application detailing qualifications

-       Up-to-date CV

-       Statement of teaching philosophy

-       Video of recent professional and/or personal work

-       Contact information for three professional references

 

Please see the full job posting and application instructions at https://www.uarts.edu/assistant-professor-studio-practice-hip-hop

 

About the university:

The University of the Arts—a leader in developing visual and performing artists and designers since 1876—is the only university in the United States that allows its students to collaborate across traditional lines. With more than 30 majors, 30 minors and 13 graduate programs in visual arts, performing arts, design and liberal studies, UArts develops alumni who are not only leaders in their disciplines, but also creative thinkers able to succeed in any path they choose. Our nearly 1,900 students study and create on our campus in the heart of Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts, the city’s cultural center, within walking distance of hundreds of galleries, museums, theaters and other performing arts venues.