Department: Department of Dance
Position:  Movement Practice, Repertory and Composition in the Dance Forms of the African Diaspora
Rank:  Assistant Professor               

Description:

The Department of Dance at The Ohio State University seeks an experienced dance professional who is actively engaged in a combination of movement practice, creative process, and theoretical inquiry. We welcome a teacher and artist working in dance forms of the African diaspora who embraces 21st century approaches and interdisciplinary perspectives.  We value an individual with established relationships with the professional field nationally and internationally, who will continue the department’s strong ties with the local community. This individual will critically contribute to the advancement of the Department’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

This position is partially funded by The Ohio State University’s Discovery Themes, a significant faculty hiring investment in key thematic areas in which the university can build on its culture of academic collaboration to make a global impact. This position maps onto the Global Arts and Humanities Discovery Theme: Global Mobility, Migration, and Immobility.

Our new colleague will contribute:

In Teaching: Rigorous contemporary movement practice courses rooted in Africanist aesthetics, including, but not limited to African dance, Afro-Latinx, Caribbean forms, Afro-fusion techniques, and Hip-hop. Teaching in the areas of dance composition and repertory at all levels of the BFA and MFA programs is required.  Additional areas of teaching expertise could include pedagogy, improvisation, creative technologies for dance, and somatics, among others.

In Research: Choreography for concert stages and/or other venues, collaborative and interdisciplinary projects, investigations of the theoretical underpinnings of contemporary dance practices.

In Service:  Leadership in undergraduate and graduate programs, curriculum development, advising, and governance within the department, college, university and the professional field.

Qualifications:

Required: MFA with significant work as an artist. Preferred experience: university teaching, developing or working in interdisciplinary research teams, mentoring members of underrepresented groups. Appointment is contingent on the university’s verification of credentials and other information required by law and/or university policies, including but not limited to a criminal background check.

About the Department:

As one of the premiere dance programs in the United States, the Department of Dance at OSU is at the forefront of contemporary dance through choreographic and performance exploration, creative use of technologies, and reimagining the documentation of dance traditions. One of the oldest dance departments in the country, and a founding member of the National Association of Schools of Dance, it consistently ranks in the top programs in dance. We provide intersecting investigations with courses in varied movement and choreographic practices, repertory, dance history, production and lighting, dance pedagogy, cultural studies, screendance, dance documentation, dance-technology, theory and analysis. The breadth of our program values diverse perspectives and prioritizes educating students in a comprehensive way within the lively discourse of a major research university. We have a bold commitment to cultural, racial and ethnic diversity, reflected throughout our curriculum and in recruitment of faculty, students and staff.

Our department is staffed by 13 tenure-track faculty, adjunct educators, international guest artists, visiting scholars, and 18 graduate associates. We serve 100 BFA undergraduates, 30 MFA/PhD graduate students, 250 dance minors, and 1200 general university students each semester. Currently, 90 graduates are in tenure-track and leadership positions in higher education nationally.

Our newly renovated facilities feature state-of-the-art performance spaces, six studios, a costume shop, and a media lab. Our neighbors include The Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design with a motion capture lab and the famed Wexner Center for the Arts.

You'll love working with us.

About Columbus:

The Ohio State University campus is located in Columbus, the capital city of Ohio. Columbus is the Midwest’s fastest-growing city and the nation’s 14^th largest city. Columbus offers a diverse array of welcoming neighborhoods and a vibrant arts and culture scene.   Ranked by BET Networks as the “#1 best place to live, work and raise a family for African Americans” and home to one of the largest Pride festivals in the Midwest, Columbus is a smart, dynamic and progressive city.  Additional information about all that the Columbus area has to offer is available at https://visit.osu.edu/experience.

Let us, with unabashed pride, show you what other people have determined about Columbus:
6th Best Big City
Yelp's Hottest Hipster Market 
3rd Best City for Black-Owned Small Businesses
The Most Underrated City in America for Gay Travelers 
6th Best Arts & Culture Cities (ahead of SF and NYC) 
3rd Best City for Millennials 
2nd Safest City for Young Families with Kids 
3rd Happiest City in the Country 
7th Smartest City in the World 
8th Best City For Black Families To Live In

You'll love living here.

Application Instructions:

Apply to Academic Jobs Online at: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/14289. A complete application consists of a cover letter, curriculum vitae, work samples, and three letters of reference.  Send a letter of application, CV and 3-5 work samples by October 1, 2019 and 3 letters of reference by October 15, 2019. In your cover letter please include how you foster diversity, equity and inclusion. The anticipated start date of the position is Autumn Semester 2020.  Inquiries may be directed to Valarie Williams at williams.1415@osu.edu.

The Ohio State University is committed to establishing a culturally and intellectually diverse environment, encouraging all members of our learning community to reach their full potential. We are responsive to dual-career families and strongly promote work-life balance to support our community members through a suite of institutionalized policies. The university is an ADVANCE Institution and member of the Ohio/Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC).

The Ohio State University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation or identity, national origin, disability status, or protected veteran status.