My investment in creative practices and academic learning has informed my positions as both a teacher and an artist. When I teach, I emphasize building community that spurs an intrinsic-knowing of who we are that connects with what we stand for through our movement and embodiment practices. I am inspired by the impacts of dance on our personal development and a person’s education. Through my graduate studies, my academic interests are rooted in queer studies, digital sound, experimental film, pedagogy, and screendance.  I see these subjects as entry points into my creative experiences that inspire me to move, teach and make work. When I teach, dance science and somatic practices bring my awareness to both landscapes of the body and the world around me. I am most curious about sensate experiences in both improvisation and form-based movement techniques that translate to critical thinking in dance and other academic subjects. As I move forward as a teacher and artist, I seek to be a part of the change that rectifies misguided notions about dance and advocates for its essentialism in education. I am currently an Assistant Professor of Dance at the University of Central Oklahoma.