Assistant Professor - Ballet (Theatre & Dance)

JOB TITLE:  

Assistant Professor – Ballet   

JOB PURPOSE:   

The University of Wyoming Department of Theatre and Dance welcomes applications for a full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor of Dance with a primary specialization in ballet. The successful candidate will teach all levels of ballet technique within the department’s undergraduate dance curriculum and contribute to the continued development of rigorous, student-centered dance training within a collaborative and interdisciplinary Theatre and Dance department. 

The successful candidate will maintain an active program of research and/or creative activity appropriate to the discipline and will contribute to student mentorship, and the academic and artistic life of the department. Depending on areas of expertise and departmental needs, the candidate may also contribute choreography, restaging of repertory, and/or other creative work to the department’s production season. 

The ideal candidate will demonstrate a commitment to student-centered teaching and mentorship; classical and contemporary approaches to ballet training; collaborative and interdisciplinary work; meaningful engagement with the professional field; and versatility across dance practices. The department particularly values candidates who can support students in connecting rigorous technical training with their development as adaptable, thoughtful, and engaged dance artists and professionals.

The UW Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts, home to the Department of Theatre and Dance and Department of Music, provides generous space for undergraduate scholarship and studio practice. The Theatre and Dance spaces feature a 388-seat proscenium theatre, 250-seat thrust theatre, a flexible black box theatre, lecture classroom, two theatre studios, two dance studios, musical theatre classroom, design studio, costume and production shops, and storage. The department offers a Bachelor of Art in Theatre and Dance with tracks in Theatre and Dance and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre and Dance with concentrations in Acting Performance, Dance, Dance Science, Design, Production, and Management, and Musical Theatre Performance. The department also offers a variety of related minors, an Arts Entrepreneurship Certificate, and pending K-12 Theatre and K-12 Dance Endorsements. 

Salary: Competitive salary and benefits package beginning at $65,000, commensurate with qualifications and experience.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Teach undergraduate courses in Dance, with primary responsibility for all levels of ballet technique.


• Maintain an active program of research and/or creative activity appropriate to the discipline and consistent with expectations for a tenure-track faculty appointment.


• Mentor dance students in their academic, artistic, and professional development.


• Contribute to the ongoing development of the Dance curriculum and work collaboratively with faculty and staff in support of departmental programs and initiatives.


• Participate in student recruitment and retention efforts and contribute to outreach and engagement activities that support the Dance program and Department of Theatre and Dance.


• Contribute choreography, restaging, and/or other creative work to the department’s production season, as appropriate to areas of expertise and departmental needs.


• Maintain active engagement with the professional field through appropriate regional, national, and/or international professional activities and organizations.


• Provide service to the department, college, university, profession, and broader community as appropriate.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: 

• MFA in Dance or a closely related field by the start date of the appointment.


• Minimum of one year university- or college-level teaching experience as the instructor of record.


• Demonstrated ability to teach ballet technique across all levels of an undergraduate dance curriculum.


• Evidence of an active research and/or creative practice appropriate to the discipline.


• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in academic and creative spaces with faculty, staff, and students.


• Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:   

• Demonstrated two years or more of teaching experience in dance at the university- and/or college-level. 


• Experience teaching additional areas of ballet practice, including pointe, partnering/pas de deux, variations, and/or repertory.


• Experience teaching in additional areas of dance technique beyond ballet.


• Experience teaching in theoretical and creative areas of dance, including dance science/kinesiology, dance history, dance and technology, dance for camera, and/or other courses that support the Department of Theatre and Dance core curriculum.


• Evidence of effective student-centered teaching and mentorship.


• Evidence of classical as well as contemporary and evolving approaches to ballet training and pedagogy.


• Experience working collaboratively across disciplines within and beyond dance and/or other artistic practices.


• Ongoing engagement with the professional field through research, creative activity, performance, choreography, professional organizations, and/or other relevant professional activities.


• Experience supporting student recruitment, retention, outreach, and/or community engagement.  

REQUIRED APPLICATION MATERIALS: 

Please address how you meet the minimum and desired qualifications in your submitted materials.

To apply please complete the online application including:

• Cover letter addressing qualifications for the position, including the scope/versatility of dance teaching and the role of collaboration in the candidate’s work


• Curriculum Vitae


• Statement of teaching philosophy (two pages maximum)


• Statement on research and/or creative activity (one page maximum)


• 3-5 samples of research, creative activity, and/or interdisciplinary work appropriate to the candidate’s area(s) of practice and expertise. For choreography, include links to full videos of completed works with clearly indicated cue points totaling no more than 10-15 minutes. For written research, include published works totaling no more than 20 pages.


• Contact information for four professional references

*All application materials must be included to be considered for this position.

WORK LOCATION: 

WORK AUTHORIZATION REQUIREMENTS: 

HIRING STATEMENT/EEO:   

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. In compliance with the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation to apply for a position, please contact us at 307-766-2377 or email [email protected].  

ABOUT LARAMIE: 

The University of Wyoming is located in Laramie, a charming town of 30,000 residents nestled in the heart of the Rocky Mountain West. The state of Wyoming continues to invest in its only 4-year university, helping to make it a leader in academics, research, and outreach with state-of-the-art facilities and strong community ties. We invite you to learn  more about Laramie by visiting the About Laramie website. 

Located in a high mountain valley near the Colorado border, Laramie offers both outstanding recreational opportunities and close proximity to Colorado’s Front Range and the metropolitan Denver area. Laramie’s beautiful mountain landscape offers outdoor enjoyment in all seasons, with over 300 days of sunshine annually. For more information about the region, please visit http://visitlaramie.org/