Professor of Dance and Dance Theory

The Department of Theater and Dance at Bates College invites applications for an open rank (Assistant, Associate or Full Professor) position in Dance to begin August 1, 2023.

We seek an experienced scholar-artist with primary expertise in Dance, a fluency with dance techniques of diasporic histories and traditions, as well as experience and skill in program administration and implementation. Preference will be given to applicants with at least four years of teaching and leadership experience.

The candidate’s primary areas of expertise should include the histories and cultural contexts of dance. Depending on the expertise of the candidate, this position will intersect with other departments and programs on campus, including but not limited to: Gender and Sexuality Studies, Africana, American Studies, Latin American Latinx Studies, and Anthropology–with studies addressing race, power, privilege, queer and feminist critique. We seek a candidate able to teach courses that reinforce and expand the current curriculum, supporting all three equal tenants of the dance program: Cultural Context, Creative Process, and Physical Practice.

In addition, significant leadership experience is essential in supporting a dynamic and vibrant faculty, and positioning the program at the forefront of small liberal arts college offerings in Dance and Theater. Some specific responsibilities as an experienced colleague include–but are not limited to–strengthening the departmental curriculum, mentoring junior colleagues and applied dance faculty, developing departmental practices that are attentive to equity and inclusion, facilitating departmental initiatives, and effective communication skills. The position also requires strong administrative skills in the great variety of tasks that go into being part of a small but robust program. These include directing/producing dance performances, coordinating guest artists and applied faculty, recruitment, deepening alumni relations, and community outreach, among others.

Given the collaboration between the Theater and Dance programs at Bates, a successful candidate will have interest and/or prior experience in theater, performance history, theory and devised methods of making. This position will foster critical dialogue in the classroom to make vital links between the praxis of dance and the application of its theory. The Department of Theater and Dance actively uses productions as curricular support, presenting works by faculty, guest choreographers, and students throughout the year, including the integration of summer programming by the Bates Dance Festival. Candidates will demonstrate commitment to undergraduate pedagogy, and a sincere desire to teach dance in a liberal arts environment. The position consists of a five course teaching or teaching-equivalent load, student advising, and supervision of senior theses.

The Dance program is uniquely partnered with the Bates Dance Festival, which rigorously trains established and emerging dance artists through workshops and community-oriented programs, and advances the field by supporting new work. It is the goal of the Dance program and Bates Dance Festival to establish shared curricular planning, with opportunities for overlap of pedagogy, residency and academic programming. A successful candidate will have interest in the shared visioning and continued development of this dynamic relationship.

The college’s mission statement celebrates “the transformative power of our differences.” Accordingly, we believe that campus diversity contributes to student learning, and we embrace the college’s aim to extend access to a Bates education to an ever wider range of students. Candidates who can enhance the diversity of the faculty and/or support an increasingly diverse student body are encouraged to apply. We are particularly interested in attracting colleagues who share our commitment to the recruitment, retention, and mentoring of students from a wide range of under-represented and marginalized identities.

Candidate Qualifications:

The candidate must demonstrate a record of achievement in dance scholarship, teaching and practice, curricular development, administrative and advocacy experience, as well as a deep commitment to inclusive and equitable pedagogies and practices.  Candidates must have a relevant terminal degree. Both MFA’s and PhD’s will be actively considered.

Application Instructions:

Applicants should submit the following materials:

1.      Letter of Application (cover letter)
2.      Curriculum Vitae
3.      Teaching Statement
4.      Artist’s Statement
5.      Three Letters of Recommendation
6.      Two sample syllabi of relevant courses
7.      Links to video documents of artistic work/research.

We ask candidates to comment on their ability to support a diverse student body and contribute to campus diversity in their teaching/research materials.

The review of applications will begin December 16 and will continue until the position has been filled. Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check.