Creatures of Nature: Empowering Dance Teachers to Lean into Seasons and Cycles with Marissa Molinar
Creatures of Nature: Empowering Dance Teachers to Lean into Seasons and Cycles with Marissa Molinar
Our needs as dance artists shift throughout the year depending on the season, weather, personal constitution, and other outside factors.
What if we taught dance, and set up our teaching practices, based on these cycles?
The field of ecology (i.e. the study of the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical environment) teaches us that the survival of a species is based on interdependence, or dependence on other living organisms and nonliving components in the environment.
This workshop draws on Marissa Molinar’s unique positioning as a former environmental scientist and current dance professional and arts administrative activist. Marissa will guide us through the ways we can lean into our own human ecology and creativity to grow a new cultural foundation for dance that supports sustainability, interconnection, resiliency, and longevity.
Whether you’re a dance teacher, studio owner, studio manager, or arts administrator, you’ll develop an awareness of cycles and seasons in dance education, and gain insight and practical strategies to use them to your advantage.
Instead of pushing for constant hustle, perfection, and productivity, this workshop will show us the steps we can take to eliminate burnout in the dance industry.
Purchase the recording of this session and watch on-demand. Perfect for studio owners who want to get their team together for a training session, or for freelance dance educators, who want quick and easily accessible professional development.
Access is FREE for all licensed Leap ‘N Learn members.
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Marissa Molinar is a contemporary dancer, arts administrative activist, and Founder/Director of Midday Movement Series, a grassroots initiative cultivating a new generation of dance leaders through professional development, mentorship, and advocacy. She holds a Bachelors in Environmental Science from Brown University with a focus in Urban Conservation and Environmental Justice, and a certificate in Contemporary Dance from the Professional Training Program at Gibney Dance, NYC.
A late-comer to contemporary dance, Marissa performs with Nathan Trice/RITUALS Dance Theater in Brooklyn NY and Ruckus Dance directed by Michael Figueroa, in addition to working as a freelance performer. Most recently, she performed in Boston Lyric Opera’s Cavalleria Rusticana, and in Dara Capley’s “f..-.r.-.o—n-.t-i..e.r.-.” at the Dance Canvas Performance Series in Atlanta, Georgia.
Administratively, Marissa creates artistic sustainability by empowering artists in their individuality while building strong community. Marissa is passionate about centering people of color at all levels of the arts ecosystem, and bringing diverse wisdom into the dance sector. She was the coordinator for the Network for Arts Administrators of Color at ArtsBoston, has consulted for Urbanity Dance, Next Steps for Boston Dance, and others, and is currently a Create The Vote Fellow with the Boston-based arts advocacy organization MassCreative. -
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Disrupt Dance is a series of professional development workshops for dance educators who want to make a difference in the lives of their students and the industry.
Disrupt Dance is powered by Leap ‘N Learn, a leading early childhood dance curriculum that knows the power of research-based approaches and tried-and-tested methods in the dance class. The workshops will amplify the voices of researchers, practitioners, studio owners and teachers that are doing things differently in dance with great results.
With a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, we’re interested in opening up access, participation and success in dance. That means seeing, thinking about, and doing dance a little differently. The Disrupt Dance series is a chance to listen, learn, and explore new possibilities in dance. Through a range of presentations, practical workshops and panels, you’ll discover ways to make your dance teaching practice more enjoyable for all.
Sound good? We’d love to learn alongside you!
Accessing the workshops:
All sessions were recorded live on Zoom and are ready to watch on-demand. Perfect for studio owners who want to get their team together for a training session, or for freelance dance educators.
Each workshop will vary in time, but they’re created with the busy dance educator in mind, so expect between 30-60mins.
You’ll receive a PDF download with a link and password to access the workshop video after purchase.