Faculty Profile for Michelle E Nance

profile photo for Michelle E Nance
Michelle E Nance
Professor — Department of Theatre & Dance
JOW 178
phone: (512) 245-2955

Biography Section

Biography and Education

Michelle Nance, Professor and Director of Dance at Texas State University, has enjoyed many years of devising dance works collaboratively with colleagues and students; as well as performing in the U.S. and abroad. Michelle has studied and taught the technique of Erick Hawkins extensively, and served as the Assistant School Director for the Erick Hawkins School of Dance in the mid-1990s. She also enjoys working in dance improvisation, site-specific dance, somatic practices, and collaborations in screendance. She has been teaching at Texas State University since 2003, and holds a MFA from the University of Colorado-Boulder.

Teaching Interests

dance appreciation, dance composition/choreography, improvisation, modern technique, world dance, dance history/philosophy

Research Interests

dance advocacy, aesthetics, somatics practices, world dance

Selected Scholarly/Creative Work

  • choreographer, Deep. July 2022 - Present.
    Performances:
    • Choreographers' Showcase. August 4, 2022 - August 5, 2022 Jowers Studio B178, Texas State University.
    • Opening Door Dance Theatre. October 20, 2022 - October 22, 2022 Patti Strickel Harrison Theatre, San Marcos, TX.
    • American College Dance Association. March 7, 2023 Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX.
    • Austin Dance Festival. March 25, 2023 Rollins Theatre - Long Center, Austin, TX.
  • dancer, WILD-er-ness (film version). 2019 - Present.
    Showings:
    • Group Exhibition. December 12, 2019 - December 29, 2019 CON-TEMPORARY Art Observatorium, Lavagna, Italy.
    • IMAMostra Internacional de dança-Imagens Em Movimento. November 18, 2019 - November 23, 2019 Sao Paolo, Brazil.
    • Jeju Drone Film Festival. November 1, 2019 - November 2, 2019 Aerospace Museum Jeju, Jeju, Republic of Korea.
    • Cefalù Film Festival 2019. June 2019 - December 2019 Cefalù, Italy.
    • Corpo e Câmera: Composição Coreográfica na Viodedança. October 12, 2019 - October 27, 2019 SESC Campinas, Brazil.
    • Theorists Festival. October 25, 2019 - October 26, 2019 Mexican American Cultural Center, Austin, TX.
    • The 6th International Meeting on Videodance and Videoperformance. October 17, 2019 - October 20, 2019 Centro del Carmen, Valencia, Spain.
    • IV ZINETIKA FESTIVAL-movement & technology. October 14, 2019 - October 20, 2019 San Sebastian, Bilbao, Pamplona (Spain).
    • MoziMotion Festival. October 5, 2019 - October 13, 2019 Hilversum, Netherlands.
    • The 16th edition of the FIVM2019- Festival VideoMovimiento. September 24, 2019 - September 26, 2019 CineDanza, Bogota, Colombia.
    • Festival Internacional de Video Danza (4ta edicion). September 20, 2019 - September 28, 2019 Guadalajara and Oaxaca, Mexico.
    • Topanga Film Festival. August 16, 2019 - August 18, 2019 Topanga Film Institute, Topanga, CA.
    • Dance Shorts on Film. July 22, 2019 Sussex Dance Network at Depot Cinema, Lewes, UK.
    • Dance Days Chania. July 20, 2019 - July 21, 2019 Crete, Greece.
    • Screen.Dance. Scotland's Festival for Dance on Screen. May 6, 2019 - May 8, 2019 Horse Cross Theatre, Perth, UK.
    • Cine-Corps. March 3, 2019 Theatre National de Bretagne, Rennes, France.
    • Seyr Festival. February 27, 2019 - March 1, 2019 Tehran (Iran).
    • D'Olhar Itinerant Dance and Video Festival. May 24, 2022 - May 28, 2022 Goiânia, Brazil.
    • The Centre for Research in Arts and Creative Exchange (CRACE). December 25, 2021 University of Roehampton, London, England.
    • Latest Visions: International Women’s Day Film Festival. March 3, 2023 - March 12, 2023 Latest TV –Brighton, Northern Visions –Belfast, Sheffield Live! –Sheffield and KMTV –Kent, UK.
    • Latent Spaces at Sala de la Diversidad. April 19, 2023 - May 12, 2023 Havana, Cuba.
  • choreographer, Don't Dys Me. December 1, 2023.
    Performances:
    • Kaleidoscope: TAHPERD (Texas Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance) 100TH Annual Convention. December 1, 2023 Ft. Worth, TX.
  • dancer, New Moon - excerpt. August 2023 - October 2023.
    Performances:
    • A Clear Place - Opening Door Dance Theatre. October 19, 2023 - October 21, 2023 Evans Auditorium, San Marcos, TX.
  • choreographer, Spring. February 2023.
    Performances:
    • Four Seasons Reimagined by Merge Dance Co. February 16, 2023 - February 18, 2023 Patti Strickel Harrison Theatre, San Marcos, TX.

Selected Awards

  • Award / Honor Recipient: Best Short Film - Environment & Sustainability (Silver Category), One Earth Awards 2023. 2023
  • Award / Honor Recipient: College Achievement Award for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching, College of Fine Arts and Communication. October 2023
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Everette Swinney Faculty Senate Excellence in Teaching Award, Texas State University. October 2022
  • Award / Honor Recipient: College Achievement Award for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activities, Texas State University. October 2020
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Innovation in Screendance, Jeju Drone Film Festival, Republic of Korea. September 30, 2019

Selected Grants

  • Nance, Michelle E. Student Travel to American College Dance Festival - FY 24, Student Service Fees - One Time Funding, Institutional (Higher Ed), $10400. (Submitted: January 2023, Funded: September 2023 - April 2024). Grant.
  • Nance, Michelle E (Co-Principal), Baer, Ana Carrillo (Co-Principal). Art as a Catalyst for Social Change: Our Journeys with DanceAbility, University Lecturer Series - one time funding, Institutional (Higher Ed), $3000. (Submitted: January 2023, Funded: September 2023 - April 2024). Grant.
  • Nance, Michelle E. Student Travel to American College Dance Festival - FY 23, Student Service Fee - One-time funding, Institutional (Higher Ed), $4000. (Funded: September 2022 - May 2023). Grant.
  • Nance, Michelle E. Why Representation Matters: Screendance and Accessibility, University Lecturers Program, Texas State University, $2000. (Submitted: October 2021, Funded: January 2022 - May 2022). Grant.
  • Nance, Michelle E (Principal). Student Travel to the American College Dance Festival - FY 21, Student Service Fees, Texas State University, $4700. (Submitted: January 15, 2020, Funded: September 1, 2020 - May 15, 2021). Grant.

Selected Service Activities

Editorial Review Board Member
San Souci International Festival of Dance Cinema
October 2018-Present
Member
University Performing Arts Committee
August 2019-Present
Member
Dance Technique Placement Juries
November 2017-Present
Organizer
Program Audition co-Coordinator
August 2017-Present
Director of the Dance Division
Director - Dance Division
June 1, 2017-Present