Guest Artists

Since 1982 the dance faculty have organized, hosted, and/or received grant funding to bring over 85 Visiting Artists to Appalachian State University. If funding sources are not listed, all artists were funded by Fine and Applied Arts, Arts Council grants, the Appalachian Dance Ensemble, the Sharpe Chair, the Dance Visiting Artist Fund, Cultural/Performing Arts, the School of Music, the North Carolina Dance Alliance and/or the Theatre and Dance Department. Because the artists have enjoyed working with our students, many have been to Appalachian on numerous visits.

Company Master Classes

  • Aspen/Santa Fe Ballet
  • Ailey II
  • Momix
  • Martha Graham
  • David Parsons
  • Shapiro and Smith
  • Russian National Ballet
  • David Dorfman

Residencies (usually, 3 days to a week)

  • Chase Angier and Robert Bingham, modern classes and performance
  • Sean Curran (funded by Cultural Affairs, NCDA, FA&A, SOM, T&D)
  • Christal Brown and Candace Thompson or INSPIRT: A Dance Company, Bronx, NY
  • Renay Aumiller
  • Taryn Packheiser
  • Tina Yarbourgh, Hip-Hop, African and Modern
  • Kathryn Ullom, Alumni, independent choreographer
  • Prospect Dance Group, Modern and Composition
  • Chase Angier, NYC Choreographer/Dancer, Alfred University
  • Jennifer Mitchell, former teacher for the Eric Hawkins Studio in New York City
  • Deborah Monlux, Isadora Duncan, Repertory and historical restaging
  • Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, Michelle Pearson, Marvin Webb (funded by Cultural Affairs)
  • Jeanne Travers, Residency and reconstruction of: Rencontres
  • Amy Chavasse, Laura Dean Dancers and Musicians
  • Jack Arnold, former Pilobolus Dancer
  • Phillippa Clarke, Artistic Director of 2 Dance Plus, Perth, Australia
  • Dr. Jill Beck, Dance Historian/Labanotator
  • Martha Partridge, Choreographer/Dancer
  • Tigger Benford, Percussionist

Modern Master Classes

  • Laurie Atkins, Alumni, modern release
  • Valerie Midgett, Artistic Director of X-Factor
  • G. Alex Smith, modern and contact improvistation
  • Jeannie Steele, Alumni and former Cunningham dancer
  • Robin Becker, former Graham Dancer, Performed: The Mystical Poetry of Rumi
  • John Gamble/Jan Van Dyke Dance Company, UNCG Faculty
  • Dianne Markham, former dancer with Murray Louis & Dancers
  • Richard Gain, former Martha Graham dancer
  • Hilary Yacovetti, Composition and Improvisation
  • Jennifer Mitchell, Hawkins Technique
  • Vincent Brosseau, Modern Release Technique

Ballet

  • Malcolm Burn, Richmond Ballet Associate Artistic Director
  • Cynthia Beers, MA, former scholarship student at San Francisco Ballet
  • Theresa Hillman, Southern Ballet Theatre
  • Melissa Hale, former Principal Ballet Dancer with Tulsa Ballet Theatre and Cincinnati Ballet Theatre
  • Tracy Owens, Professional Ballet Dancer, North Carolina Dance Theatre
  • Wendy Fletcher, Northwestern Studios Owner

African

  • Chuck Davis African American Dance Ensemble, Multiple Classes and Residencies
  • Sherone Price, African Dance, Multiple master classes
  • Shawn Roberts, African Drumming and Dance

Jazz/ Ethnic/ World Master Classes

  • Modern Jazz: Hope Brawley, Alumni
  • Modern with Brazilian influence: *Nelson Reyez
  • Jazzy Funk: Jules Szabo
  • Hip-hop: Masaki Yasmine
  • Capoeira: Tiago Souza, Gabrielle Motta-Passajou, Federico Castelloes
  • Salsa: Gylton Da Matta
  • Brazilian Modern Dance: Eluza Santos, UNCG Faculty
  • Classical Indian Dance: Mayuri Boonham

Scottish Dance

  • Lee Ryan and Friends
  • Appalachian Flat Footing & Clogging
  • Arthur Grimes
  • Mariette Lisk, Clogging

Choreography

  • David Dorfman, Modern /Creative Process
  • Eric Johnson, Intentions, for Composition and Improvisation

Lighting Design for Dance

  • Becky Manning
  • Stephanie Byrnes
  • Elenor Smith

Miscellaneous Master Classes

  • Elizabeth Taylor, Arts Advocacy
  • Jan Adams, Dance Education
  • Akal Dev Sharonne, Dances of Universal Peace
  • Theatre for Social Change
  • Artists from Bread and Puppet Theatre

Body Therapies

  • Kendal McDevitt, Authentic Movement, DTR, multiple classes
  • Lumini Merced, Authentic Movement
  • Dance Therapists: Greer Essex, *Marcia Plevin, Kendal McDevitt,
  • Greg Wilder, Structural Integration Practitioner, (Rolfing)
  • Jim Lehmann, Trager Practitioner
  • *Helene Flore Closset, Trager Psychophysical Integration practitioner, from France taught two summer intensives in Body Therapies
  • Jane Comfort Brown, Alexander practitioner
  • Becky Miracle, Music therapist

Expressive Arts Therapists

  • Paolo Knill, Provost for the European Graduate School for Expressive Arts
  • Greer Essex, Dance and Expressive Arts Therapist
  • Harold McKinney, Expressive Arts and the Soul of Music
  • Sharon Sharp, poet and editor for Expressive Arts book