Job Description

Department

Theatre

Position Summary

Metropolitan State University (MSU) of Denver’s dance program’s mission is to prepare students to be leaders in the dance profession and the entertainment industry through experiential learning, creative and scholarly research, community engagement, entrepreneurship, collaborative exchange, and diverse artistic experiences. The program aims to be inclusive and help all students develop the skills necessary to meet their individual career goals, experience physical, mental, and emotional wellness, and positively impact society through purposeful work and study in the dance field and beyond.

The MSU Denver Dance Program is unique in its partnership with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance (CPRD). CPRD is recognized worldwide for its dynamic cross-cultural curriculum, community engagement, innovative choreography, and promotion of American dance heritage. In this exciting program, CPRD’s mission of social transformation through dance and MSU Denver’s academic rigor and focus on real-world experience converge.

Program Goals

• Foster collaboration and creative research through partnerships, interdisciplinary exploration, choreographic and performance opportunities, creative and research festivals, and experiential learning projects.
• Provide a space for students to critically examine the aesthetic, historical, and cultural context of dance in society and to thoughtfully engage with diverse communities.
• Prepare artists, educators, scholars, entrepreneurs, and community organizers that demonstrate intentional leadership by developing students’ confidence, presentation and performance abilities, body awareness, tenacity, communication and administrative skills, and capacity for creative problem solving and self-reflection.
• To develop the whole person through a commitment to physical, mental, and emotional wellness through the art of dance.

The Dance Major serves a broad range of students with its diverse curriculum. This curriculum cultivates the versatility needed for students to become successful professionals as dance performers, choreographers, educators, administrators, and community organizers and builds and strengthens skill sets that are transferable to a wide range of careers. The dance program’s areas of emphasis include:

• Social Transformation Through Dance
• Dance Pedagogy
• Dance Entrepreneurship
• Performance and/or Choreography

The Dance Program at MSU Denver seeks a highly motivated individual for a full-time Lecturer in Dance position to begin in the fall of 2024. The primary responsibilities of this position are to teach a full-time load each semester, advise students, participate in dance program service, demonstrate a commitment to professional growth, and contribute to the program’s strong foundation.

MSU Denver enrolls over 17,000 students, where nearly 60% are first generation and over 55% are students of color. Located in downtown Denver, we are a designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), an INSIGHT into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity ( HEED ) Award winner for 10 consecutive years, and the only Seal of Excelencia certified institution in Colorado. As the third largest institution of higher education in Colorado and the only institution with an open access mission, MSU Denver is a model university for today’s college students. The University serves the most diverse undergraduate student population in the state, as well as the most first-generation students and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals students. MSU Denver is particularly interested in applicants who have experience working with students from diverse backgrounds and a demonstrated commitment to improving access to higher education for under-represented and historically minoritized groups.

Core Responsibilities

Teaching and Advising

• Work with diverse student populations and skill levels in three or more different dance techniques/forms
• Apply somatic practices within a variety of dance techniques/forms
• Promote dance as an art form through the creative, technical, expressive and intellectual development of each student in a personalized environment
• Stay abreast of best practices in dance programming within Higher Education and the dance field in general
• Stay abreast of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives with respect to dance and diverse learners
• Choreograph with a range of student dancers, contributing to the students' growth and development
• Mentor students as performers, choreographers, inter/multidisciplinary artists, social activists, entrepreneurs and teaching artists
• Summer teaching opportunities may be available

Dance Program Service (which may be done through reduced teaching load)

• Work closely with the Dance program faculty assisting with administrative duties and recruitment activities
• Advise and recruit students for the dance major and minor
• Guide various co-curricular activities that serve programmatic goals and the mission of the university according to candidate’s experience and interests
• Bridge relationships within MSU Denver and with community members and organizations to facilitate partnerships for community engaged learning through dance
• Develop and implement strategies to increase visibility of dance at MSU Denver 
• Recognize inequities in the dance field and in oneself and commit to addressing them
• Seek out opportunities in support of a more engaged and equitably supported student community at MSU Denver

Required Qualifications

• M.F.A. or M.A. in Dance or related field
• Skilled in working with diverse student populations and skill levels
• Possesses significant teaching experience in three or more different dance techniques/forms
• Experience teaching lecture and composition courses, and the ability to teach in three or more of the following areas: dance production, dance entrepreneurship, interdisciplinary performance, dance history and culture, somatics and injury risk reduction for dance, dance and popular culture, community-based dance, dance repertory, dance pedagogy, or improvisation and choreography
• Three years of experience teaching students in a collegiate/university setting or evidence of teaching excellence in lecture and technique/movement courses
• Evidence of success in using dance pedagogy to teach transferable skills applicable to a range of career pathways
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Evidence of success working in a team-oriented environment

Preferred Qualifications

• M.F.A. in Dance or related field
• Marketing Skills
• Significant teaching experience in Ballet Folklórico
• Experience in forging collaborative inter/multidisciplinary relationships within and outside of the university system
• Experience in producing, artistic direction, and/or program curation in Dance at the university level
• Experience with programmatic administrative responsibilities in a university setting (budgets, records, reporting, program design, assessment, etc.)
• Ability to choreograph in service to a broad range of students and student proficiencies
• Expertise in somatic practices, dance conditioning, and injury risk reduction
• Prior experience in dance curriculum and course development
• Experience working with and sensitivity to the needs of a diverse urban student population including (but not limited to) students of color, LGBTQIA+ students, students from low-income backgrounds, first-generation students, students with disabilities, undocumented students, non-traditional students, student veterans, and English language learners 

Salary for Announcement

The salary range for this position is $53,000 - $58,000 at Lecturer level. The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based upon a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, training, and qualifications.

MSU Denver offers excellent benefits that include medical, dental, retirement, tuition benefit, RTD pass, and more. For a brief overview of these options, please visit our Benefits section.

Instructions to Apply

Complete applications received by May 22, 2024 at 11:59 PM MST will receive full consideration, however applications will be accepted after this date until the position is �lled. Interested applicants must apply online at MSU Denver's career site, ,  and search for JR102253.

The applicant must have a complete file that includes:  

• Curriculum vitae
• Cover letter that addresses the requirements of the position, why you are interested in the opportunity and how you see yourself aligning with the goals and mission of this dance program
• Teaching philosophy that states your perspective on the teacher-learner relationship and which notes your roles in student mentorship
• The names and contact information for three references
• DEI statement (2 pages max). See instructions below

DEI Statement Instructions:  

We encourage applicants to reference Pillar IV of MSU Denver's Strategic Plan:  

   

Themes that may be addressed in a candidate’s diversity statement may include, but are not limited to:  

• A candidate’s lived experiences and/or identities that align with the department and university’s commitment to inclusion and diversity;  

• Diversity and diversity-related approaches in a candidate’s research, pedagogy, and/or service;  

• Why a candidate believes diversity is a critical focus for higher education and ideas or strategies the candidate could enact as a member of the MSU Denver campus community to support the university’s efforts.  

 

Applicants will notice on the application portal there is one location (the resume submission field) to upload all required materials. Multiple documents can be submitted into this one field; alternatively, merge all documents into one PDF and upload. Once submitted , you will not be able to edit your application.  

Official t ranscripts will be required of the candidate selected for hire.  

Final candidates will be required to teach an in-person class to MSU Denver students or submit a video of their teaching

Closing Date

Open Until Filled

Posting Representative

Tanya Rogowsky

Posting Representative Email

trogowsk@msudenver.edu

Benefits

MSU Denver is pleased to offer our current and potential employees a wide array of benefit options. To learn more, please visit the following link:

The University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities throughout the employment application process. To request an accommodation pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact the Human Resources ADA Coordinator at   totalrewards@msudenver.edu .

Diversity Statement

Metropolitan State University of Denver is a unique, access-oriented campus community that values diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its forms. Our student population consists of nearly 58% first generation students and over 50% students of color. We are a designated Hispanic Serving Institution located in downtown Denver.

We create an equitable learning and working environment in concert with individuals who consistently demonstrate commitment to equity and inclusion. We greatly value the diverse identities and perspectives of our students, faculty, and staff and recognize that in order to achieve a just and equitable society, diversity must go beyond simple representation. It requires critical inquiry and dialogue and a commitment to action. We strive to provide a culture of belonging for all community members to achieve personal and professional success.

About Metropolitan State University of Denver

Thank you for considering Metropolitan State University of Denver as an employer of choice. MSU Denver has transformed the lives of more than 90,000 people in Denver and Colorado through affordable degree programs, innovative public-private partnerships and a commitment to diversity. Learn about MSU Denver's facts, statistics, and C.A.D.R.E values. If you need another reason to choose MSU Denver, get to know our unbeatable benefits packet.

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Job Tags

Full time, Summer work, Worldwide,

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