Colorado State University dance faculty and students engaged with colleagues, dance instructors, educators, and community members at the 2023 National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) Conference. Faculty presenters included Madeline Harvey, Emily Morgan, Grace Gallager, Lisa Morgan, and Andrew Knight. Student and alumni presenters included Caitlynn Doyle (B.S. '22) and Grace Cooper (B.A. '23), with students Ellie Schroeder, Vi Myers, Liam Teagarden, and Jacqueline Urquidez.

The National Dance Education Organization Conference is an annual event that includes three days of workshops, masterclasses, panel and paper presentations, social events, and performances. The 2023 conference titled “Teaching is Leading: Embracing Our Impact & Opportunity as Dance Educators" was held Sept. 28 – Oct. 1, at the Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver Colorado.

About NDEO

The National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) describes itself as “a non-profit, membership organization dedicated to advancing dance education centered in the arts for people of all backgrounds. NDEO provides dance artists, educators, and administrators of all backgrounds a network of resources and support, a base for advocacy and research, and access to professional development opportunities that focus on the importance of dance in the human experience.”

Its members are “diverse in age, gender, socioeconomic status, ability, ethnicity, and live in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and throughout the international community.”

The organization envisions a nation that affords every citizen equal access and opportunity to quality dance arts education regardless of gender, age, race or culture, socio-economic status, ability, or interest. www.ndeo.org

CSU Dance at the conference

CSU Dance participated in eight presentations covering topics ranging from a “collaborative approach to engaged scholarship” and “moving through Parkinson’s” to “dramaturgy for choreographers.”

In addition to current faculty and students, the conference drew CSU alumni. Recent CSU Dance graduate, Gracie Cooper said, “There were over 800 attendees at the opening dinner alone, and I'm sure this didn't include everyone who attended the conference, and who is a member of NDEO. It can be difficult to feel like you are bringing dance and new ideas into different spaces sometimes but seeing that we were all there together to talk about dance was very powerful.”

CSU dance professor, Madeline Harvey, with dance students, Jacqueline Urquidez and Vi Myers

Dance student, Vi Myers, found the ability to connect with a variety of dance educators inspiring and impactful. “I am already using some of what I learned at the conference in my student teaching and choreography. Beyond the specific activities and strategies, I learned, I have a stronger sense of how I can look at my own pedagogy style and methods critically,” Myers said. They began implementing what they learned within their classes and rehearsals when they returned from the conference.

Myers, along with fellow student Ellie Schroeder, and dance faculty Madeline Jazz Harvey, presented “Leading and Teaching Through Collaborative Research.” Additionally, Myers presented, “Centering Mental Health in a Dance Curriculum” with fellow students, Liam Teagarden, and Jaqueline Urquidez, faculty, Lisa Morgan, and CSU Director of Dance, Emily Morgan.

“It was rewarding to see the ways that other conference attendees responded to my presentations,” Myers said.

Normalizing student presentations

CSU dance professor, Emily Morgan, revies presentation materials with dance students Jacqueline Urquidez, Vi Myers, and Liam Teagarden

The year Morgan applied for her current position at CSU, she saw a group of students in CSU sweatshirts at the conference, and I thought, “How cool is that; they bring their students to the conference.” Morgan said, “We continued that when I started my position here, but we upped the ante. We wanted to create a culture where presenting at a national conference was normalized, even expected of our dance majors.”

The CSU Dance students attended thanks to funding they received through a travel grant from the ASCSU. Dance major, Jacqueline Urquidez initiated the grant application along with dance faculty Lisa Morgan and Dance major, Matt Bishop recorded the request, explaining what attending the conference would mean to the CSU Dance students. View the request here: CSU Travel Grant Request NDEO

Urquidez took away inspiration for "fresh dance piece concepts, and new styles of dance." Urquidez said, "I loved learning how to incorporate multiple world concepts into dancing and teaching dance as well as being able to present in front of educators. That truly inspired me to understand that students and teachers are constantly learning, and the dance world is forever evolving and growing."

This year, CSU faculty participated in eight different presentations, with students presenting in four of them. Overall it was an impressive feat for a conference where many proposals are not accepted.

“It is beyond thrilling to see our students engaging with experts in our field in this way, and I hope this is only the beginning for them,” Morgan said.