
Teaching Philosophy
Jodie is a teaching artist and choreographer based in Ann Arbor, MI. She holds her MFA in Choreography from Jacksonville University and is the director and resident choreographer for Pure Existence, a professional contemporary dance company. Pure Existence tours nationally and internationally, presenting work in such cities as Detroit, Grand Rapids, Columbus, New York City, and Santo Domingo, among many more. Jodie is a sought after guest artist working with multiple dance schools and universities each year including Eastern Michigan University, Wayne State University, Oakland University, and Snow College.
Her research is grounded in the interaction between self and other. Her practice aims for personal connectivity through the building of complexity in the body, challenging the mind/body exchange. Additionally, she works with partner and ensemble practices that generate a sense of interdependence, breaking current social trends and challenging the ideas of subject vs. object. Her movement is founded on the concept that without tension, stagnation occurs. Physically, It is the friction of two opposing forces that propel the body into newness. The friction between ideas challenges perspectives, driving her creative practice.
Jodie develops her classes based on concepts rather than codified movement. This allows agency within each participant to intersect with the material accordingly. Students are asked to exist in the moment, allowing themselves to maximize both potential and enjoyment. This encouragement to experience is used for attaining autonomy. In this way, the student becomes their own instructor. No one class or group of students is approached the same way.