I am a teacher and a dancer and I hold both of those identities sacred. I am an energetic, present and confident dance teacher with a deep belief in the transformative and expressive power of dance for all. I have made a life and proven career of working with and connecting authentically to dancers of all ages and abilities. In my teaching, I am equally focused on delivering educational experiences that develop my students’ knowledge and understanding of dance, and on showing them how to utilize dance in the discovery and expression of their individual voice. I strive to teach from a place of emotional and cultural intelligence coupled with my extensive dance IQ. I find so much reward in exploring how the intersection of culture, society, life and current events shape the artistic space we inhabit together. Teaching dance is about sharing not just movement, but how we are moved.
I hold recognized teaching qualifications, and have a diverse and rich history of teaching all over the world. I value professionalism and foster a learning environment that is open, caring and responsive to the humanity of each student with whom I work. I deliver dance classes that guide my students in their physical, spiritual, social, cultural development and also to bring out their individual potential. I am ready to meet students where they are and invest in understanding their motivation. It is vital to know not only what I am teaching but who I am teaching - their experience, needs and personalities so that the personal feeds the performance.
It is impossible to teach without also learning. My teaching experiences over the years have kept me a constant student of dance, of people and of the evolution of the field. I am open and excited to keep up with what is emerging in dance methodologies and in technology, to explore and embrace new ways to reach students and deliver meaningful educational experiences. 2020 was a perfect teacher as I took the challenge to teach at a private school, finding new ways to connect through a screen, to motivate and find triumph through the traumas of a distanced year.
I am perpetually eager for each new opportunity to share my knowledge and inspire others to find the same level of meaning, power and joy that I find in dance. Always teaching, always learning, always dancing.
United World College USA
I was invited by the College for a week-long teaching residency in New Mexico. The pieces created were used for the annual dance showcase as well as for the students IB exam submissions.
CultuRama
The main focus of CultuRama has been to present unity in diversity. As a school with 75 nationalities and 57 different languages, UWCSEA has embraced this diversity and through CultuRama, has used dance and music to find beauty in each other’s cultures and share in our many customs and traditions.
Epic Arts
The workshop and choreography piece with Epic Arts, which is an international, inclusive arts organization based in Cambodia. Epic Arts believes in a world where every person counts and where people with disabilities are valued, accepted and respected by using the arts as a form of expression and empowerment to bring people together. My senior dance team and myself travelled to Cambodia to create a collaborative piece called 'Utterance'.
United World College of South East Asia
The annual Dance showcase of the Middle and High school features genres such as Contemporary, Lyrical Hip Hop, Jazz and Rock & Roll in line with the theme of the show. These performances are auditioned and are a collaboration between student choreographers and myself.
TEACHING EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
August 2022 - 2024
Full Time Dance teacher, Advisor for 12th Grade
Crystal Springs Uplands School
Key responsibilities
Design and implement Dance classes for upper school.
Plan assessments and evaluate students.
Collaborate with other teachers when organizing performance events.
Choreographer and director for the US dance showcases.
Choreographer for the spring Musical.
Mentoring the 12th grade cohort.
November 2021 - 2022
Full Time Dance teacher, Advisor for 8th Grade
Crystal Springs Uplands School
Key responsibilities
Design and implement Dance classes for middle school.
Plan assessments and evaluate students.
Collaborate with other teachers when organizing performance events.
Choreographer and director for the MS dance showcases.
Choreographer for the spring Musical.
Mentoring the 8th grade cohort.
April 2020 - December 2020
Full Time substitute Dance and Drama teacher, Advisor for 8th Grade
Crystal Springs Uplands School
Key responsibilities
Design and implement Dance and Drama classes for middle school.
Plan assessments and evaluate students.
Collaborate with other teachers when organizing performance events.
Mentoring the 8th grade cohort
Key Achievements
Expanding my knowledge of teaching through Zoom.
Presenting 2 dance showcases filmed entirely through zoom.
February 2018 – 2019
Part Time Teaching Artist
Gabriella foundation LA
Key responsibilities
Design and implement Dance classes from primary to High school.
Plan assessments and evaluate students.
Collaborate with other teachers when organizing performance events.
Key Achievements
Expanded the number of teaching classes.
July 2013 - June 2017
Head Of Dance
United World College South East Asia - Singapore
Key Responsibilities
Design and teach the IB Diploma program Dance units for grade 11 and 12.
Created and planned all Dance schemes of work for K2 to 10.
Plan assessments and provide levels for all Dance students after each quarter.
Set up internal and external assessments.
Complete all exam paper work for the IB Diploma Dance program.
Requisition all resources, books, workshops and excursions needed for the above course.
Director of the after school dance program, managed and guided two dance teachers with regular observations and feedback.
Collaborate with the Arts Department when organizing musicals and other performance events.
Produce two dance showcases for the year. Collaboration of teacher and student works.
Manage a group focusing on service through Dance and being a teacher chaperone for International trips.
Dealt with all pastoral issues.
Liaised with parents regularly creating positive relationships and good partnerships.
Assisted with the transition from grade 10 to 11 (This involved in helping organize and taking part in primary visits, intake evenings and taster days for the grade 9’s.
Observed colleagues, setting targets and allowing colleagues to observe me.
Key Achievements
Expanded the student body for Dance from 6 to 250.
My IB dancers achieved a level 6 and above.
Collaborated and set up a relationship with a Cambodian Arts organization for the differently abled dancers to exchange knowledge and to participate in the School’s annual dance showcase.
OTHER RELEVANT EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
December 2013
Director, Producer, Choreographer and Dancer
Sri Lanka International Performing Arts Festival.
Collaborated with International artists of Dance, Theatre and Music.
Managed a team for relevant production issues, budgets and advertising costs.
Built a connection for supporting war affected young adults for exposure to arts integration.
August 2012 - July 2013
Teacher of Dance
German European School Singapore
Designed and taught Dance for the middle school students.
Choreographed Dance performances.
Assessed and graded students throughout the year.
August 2005 - June 2008
Owner, Teacher, Choreographer
Dance Moves Sri Lanka / Dance Moves Shanghai
Created the syllabus and taught Dance for primary to high school students.
Termly presentations and annual British Theatre Dance Association examinations in Contemporary, Hip-Hop and Ballet.
Planned assessments and provided levels for the students.
Designed costumes and sets for the showcases.
Managed the company’s costs to ensure the business was profitable.
Maintained positive relationships with the students and parents.
Promoted the company by reaching out to businesses where I could offer my services.
Dance teacher Middle and High School
August 2003 – July 2005 Gateway International
August 1999 – July 2005 Asian International
August 1997 – July 2005 Stafford International
August 1994 – July 1999 The British School in Colombo
August 1991 – January 2003 Colombo International
August 1990 – July 1 Assistant teacher @Khulsum’s School of Dance Grade 1 & 2: Royal Academy of Dance Classical Ballet,
the Martha Graham Technique and Jazz Ballet to classes aged 8 to16.
Choreographed School Productions of Musicals
Little Shop of Horrors, West Side Story, Wizard of Oz, South Pacific, Annie Get Your Gun, Phantom Of The Opera, King and I, Moving On, The Hunch Back of Notre Dame, The Boyfriend, Oliver, Cinderella, Greece, Annie, Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Sleeping Beauty, Mamma Mia, Fame, Lullaby of Broadway, Lion King, Aladdin, Cats
EDUCATION
November 2018
Single Subject teaching credential- Dance/PE
Teaching Credentialing California
December 2015
Post graduate certification of education (international)
University of Nottingham
May 2012
BA Honors - 1st class (As a mature student) LASALLE College of the Arts
December 1998
Diploma in Montessori method
Montessori teacher training
SKILLS
An expert at Contemporary, Jazz, Street Jazz, Indian Classical Dance
Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
Lighting, Costume design, producing, directing
Ability to inspire passion in students
Physically fit and able to sustain a high level of energetic activity for long periods
Confident teaching large groups of students
Dependable and organized