International Dance Instructor Becomes Assistant Professor at SUU
Published: August 10, 2021 | Author: Ashley H Palmer | Read Time: 3 minutes
The Department of Theatre, Dance, and Arts Administration (TDAA) at Southern Utah University (SUU) is honored and thrilled to welcome Andrea Vazquez-Aguirre to their faculty as a new Assistant Professor of Dance. She is a cross disciplinary dance artist and did her graduate work at the College of Brockport, State University of New York, and her undergraduate work at the National Conservatory of Dance in Mexico City.
Professor Vazquez-Aguirre has a decade of experience teaching full-time in higher education in institutions of diverse philosophy and focus. She teaches in Italy over the summer, and hopes to bring SUU students with her in the near future. She shares, “This coming fall semester, I’m excited to teach Ballet, Cross Cultural Dance, and Dance Ensemble – where the process of crafting choreographic work with dance majors always has some collaborative component. I look forward to nurturing curiosity, generosity, rigor, risk, joy, and thoughtfulness in my courses, and to connect with colleagues across campus.”
Vazquez-Aguirre performed professionally with companies such as Bill Evans Dance Company, Latina Dance Theater Project, Geomantics Dance Theatre, and Dramadanza. Among the inquiries that drive her creative and pedagogical work are: How can a teacher facilitate experiences that might propel a class into revelations of the power of dance? How can we train our minds and bodies to create sparks of truthful connection with our audience? How can we create work that nourishes our community’s needs for honesty, constructive provocation, intimacy, and the most elusive, controversial thing of all, beauty? She is delighted to join the faculty in the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Arts Administration and relocate to Utah with her husband, pianist James J. Kaufmann.
Nick Blaylock, Associate Chair of the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Arts Administration, says, “The students can look forward to Andrea's global-mindedness and multicultural perspective, and I have no doubt they will enjoy her calm, focused intention in the classroom. Andrea's responsible work ethic, eagerness to work collaboratively, and plethora of contributions to the program make her invaluable. She is also simply a kind person and great to be around, so the dance faculty is very fortunate to welcome Andrea as a colleague, and I am excited for the work ahead.”
The College of Performing and Visual Arts at SUU is eager for Andrea Vazquez-Aguirre to serve as a new Assistant Professor of Dance. We look forward to her including her international expertise in the classes she teaches for SUU students. For more information about the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Arts Administration at SUU, please visit www.suu.edu/pva/ta.
About the College of Performing and Visual Arts
The College of Performing and Visual Arts (CPVA) at Southern Utah University comprises 26 academic programs including liberal arts (BA/BS) and professional (BFA, BM, BMEd) degrees in art, design, dance, music, and theatre. It includes graduate programs in the fields of arts administration (MFA, MA), music education (MME), and music technology (MM). More than 60 full-time faculty and staff are engaged in teaching and mentoring nearly 800 majors in the College. CPVA presents over 100 performances, lectures, presentations, and exhibitions each year and is affiliated with the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA), Utah Shakespeare Festival, and the Center for Shakespeare Studies. Southern Utah University is an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Art & Design (NASAD), National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD), National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), and the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST) making SUU the first public university in the state of Utah to be accredited by all four associations. For more information about the College of Performing and Visual Arts, visit www.suu.edu/pva.Tags: Theatre Arts and Dance College of Performing and Visual Arts