Educational Philosophy

My teaching philosophy is founded on the premise of the interconnection of life, art and self. As practitioner and as a teacher I encourage young artists to continually develop their self-awareness and their understanding of how they are connected to others and their art through movement.

My primary goal has always been to craft actors who are prepared to safely take themselves, their fellow actors, and their audiences to spaces that are physically demanding, risky and dangerous work through safe working practices and mythologies.  I hold the actor’s long term career in mind when guiding my students to these spaces: the actor’s body and mind need to work in harmony and be a sustainable instrument for as long as they work.  My secondary goal is to develop actors who can physically transform. Physical transformation is the ability of an actor to transcend her own physical shapes, habits and understanding of self. It is an essential skill for the actor to hone. Developing and crafting this skill will create a more diverse and complex performer. Thirdly, I encourage a holistic quality to approaching the work.

My methodology is the engine behind my philosophy and goals in movement training. When working with actors, I continually draw on metaphors and correlations to buildings and constructions. The concepts and ideas of architecture and design - foundation, function, form, scaffolding, geometry, structure, and alignment - are strong images when deconstructing the actor’s instrument. It is only when a building weathers the pressure of a storm that the architect and engineer find out if the structure is sound. As such, my mantras as a highly physical performer myself are: Can this physical choice be sustained under the pressure of performance? Can I remain safe? Can I keep my fellow actors safe? Will the audience and crew be safe? How do I blend function and form?

The development of any one individual student actor is a unique and extraordinarily personal journey. The student’s progress needs to take into account her strengths and weaknesses, and it requires a flexibility from me, as her teacher, to adapt to her growth. My belief is that a good teacher nurtures a student’s ability to express her creativity, and liberates her innovation and imagination. I carry these ideas with me on the floor, and it is important to me that I model to my students understanding, sensitivity, empathy, versatility, adaptability, tolerance and honesty. Preparing an actor for the industry takes a sensitive touch on the part of the teacher. Providing that guidance, from the first class to graduation, requires particular insight and great patience.

My teaching focuses on supporting the students’ understanding of how their ability to move well can interface with the technical and artistic demands of the industry as a business. Additionally, I encourage students to face themselves honestly and with open eyes. Walking alongside students as they confront their fears is part of my role, and requires me to travel that road myself. In this environment of care and trust, students find the space to grow through acceptance and examination of ‘failures’. Not all students possess the skill to see the matrix of learning and require assistance to help them see the whole picture. Part of my role is to teach students how to see and craft those connections. The diverse nature of my career has developed me into the teacher and practitioner I am today. It is what makes me unique. I believe that a movement teacher in today’s environment must be multi-skilled and adaptable.



1. Chaos& Order
2. Spirit& Energy
3. Sensitivity& Listening
4. Time& Space
5. Structure& Alignment
6. Function& Form
7. Empathy& Harmony
8. Patience& Understanding
9. Versatility& Adaptability
10. Truth& Logic
11. Contrast& Contradiction
12. Problem Solving & Multi-tasking