Position Overview
The Ohio State University Department of Dance invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor position in African American/African Diasporic Percussive Dance with a start date of August 15, 2025. We are interested in artist-educators working in and with African American/African Diasporic percussive dance forms who research emergent and established practices in movement, digital media for dance, choreography, and/or performance. We are excited to receive applications from candidates working in tap dance, Stepping, Body Percussion, Sand Dance, Gumboot, and/or other percussive forms. Applicants whose cross-disciplinary research pursues intercultural dialogues relating to circulations of forms, styles, and practices within percussive dance are encouraged to apply.
The Department of Dance is committed to investigations of dance through embodied practices, historical inquiries, and technological explorations to deepen our engagement with underrepresented archives and repertoires. Therefore, we welcome applications from candidates whose research explores a broad range of globally circulated percussive dance forms whose lineages intersect with African Diasporic percussive dance. Applications are also welcome from candidates whose scholarship intersects with other global dance forms including flamenco, Bhangra, and ballet folklorico.
Performance Objectives
Candidates will contribute to BFA, MFA, and PhD programs through teaching undergraduate and graduate courses and mentoring and advising students. In research, applicants should have, or have the promise of establishing, a sustained interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary creative research agenda rooted in dance, which may include collaborative, curatorial, and/or scholarly projects. In Teaching, successful candidates should demonstrate established artistic methodologies and creative practices that educate communities on African Diasporic contributions to American vernacular and percussive dance forms in multiple performative contexts. In service, we imagine candidates engaging with professional development initiatives for undergraduate students including supporting career goals in concert, commercial, and popular dance.
Education and Experience Requirements
Required:
- MFA or PhD in Dance by the appointment start date of August 15, 2025. ABDs are welcome to apply.
Desired:
- Experience teaching courses in movement, scholarly, and creative practices related to their research, particularly focusing on creative processes that integrate African American/African Diasporic Percussive Dance across historical and contemporary contexts, as well as interdisciplinary performance practices with a strong connection to music.
- Experience with and demonstrated dedication to a 21st-century dance curriculum that fosters inclusivity, embraces diverse perspectives, and contributes to areas such as movement practice, composition and creative process, interdisciplinary collaboration, and improvisation. Candidates should demonstrate attentiveness to building a diverse intellectual community in alignment with Ohio State’s shared values (see below).
How to Apply
A competitive application consists of the following required elements: a cover letter, curriculum vitae, links to work samples, a teaching statement, as well as a research statement, and names of three professional references.
You will be presented with the opportunity to attach up to FIVE documents in the Application Documents section. Please include the following:
- Attachment 1: Cover Letter - A letter of introduction including why you are interested in this opportunity and how you imagine engaging with the Department of Dance.
- Attachment 2: CV (Curriculum Vitae) - Detailed overview of your scholarly experience, including your research experience, teaching and mentoring experience, service, funding, and exhibitions/performances/publications.
- Attachment 3: Work Samples - Provide 2-3 relevant links representing your creative inquiry and/or scholarly research, which can include video documentation, PDFs for books and journal articles, or other sources appropriate to your work. Please include a brief description of each work sample and any passwords necessary to access the files.
- Attachment 4: Research Statement - A summary of your past research accomplishments, current work/research, and proposal for your future research plan as a faculty member.
- Attachment 5: Teaching Statement - A statement of your approaches, experience and philosophy regarding your teaching, learning, and mentoring.
Please be aware, you will not be able to edit your application or attachments after you apply. You will need to fill out the application in its entirety and upload all required documents before clicking Submit.
You will be asked for names and contact information for three reference letter writers if your candidacy advances beyond the initial review.
Review of applications will begin November 15th. Inquiries may be directed to Crystal Perkins, Associate Professor, at Perkins.642@osu.edu
Additional Information:
The College
With more than 80 majors and 100 minors, the College of Arts and Sciences is the academic heart of the university. The Arts and Sciences provides extraordinary opportunities to collaborate across disciplines, blending creativity and analysis to truly be at the forefront of thought. The breadth and depth of knowledge in the college gives students and researchers the critical thinking and adaptability essential for a lifetime of success.
Department Information
Through a focus on praxis, or the symbiotic relationship between theory and practice, the mission of The Ohio State University Department of Dance is: to educate students through a breadth of study in contemporary dance, integrating areas of movement practice, creative investigation, and theoretical inquiry; to make significant contributions to research and creative activity in the field of dance; and to provide leadership in service to the field of dance.
The department offers three degree programs: BFA, MFA, and PhD. All programs seek to provide the best possible preparation for dance professionals including challenging dance experiences in and out of the studio and classroom that influence and reflect the changing contemporary dance scene and its relationship(s) to culture. Diverse course offerings occur in the following areas: contemporary and traditional dance techniques, somatic practices, performance, choreography, creative technologies for dance, dance film, dance lighting and production, dance history, theory and criticism, movement analysis, anti-racism and social justice, dance education, directing from score and Labanotation and Laban movement studies. Faculty and graduates of The Ohio State University Department of Dance demonstrate excellence in the field of dance through national and international recognition as leaders in many professional arenas.
Furthermore, the Department of Dance recognizes a responsibility to build public understanding and appreciation of dance as a diverse creative, cultural, and educational expression. In pursuit of this goal, the department provides a minor in dance, elective dance classes, and public performances for both the university community and the central Ohio region.
The University
Ohio State is a top-20 public university, and its Ohio State Wexner Medical Center is one of America’s leading academic health centers and recently ranked No. 4 on Forbes’ list of best U.S. employers for diversity. Eligible Ohio State employees receive comprehensive benefits packages, including medical, dental and vision insurance, tuition assistance for employees and their dependents, and state or alternative retirement options with competitive employer contributions.
The Ohio State University’s Shared Values include Excellence and Impact, Diversity and Innovation, Inclusion and Equity, Care and Compassion, and Integrity and Respect. Our university community welcomes differences, encourages open-minded exploration and courageous thinking, and upholds freedom of expression.
Ohio State is a dynamic community where opportunity thrives, and individuals transform themselves and their world. Positions are available in countless fields and specialties.
The Ohio State University is committed to enhancing academic excellence. Recruiting, supporting, and retaining faculty of the highest caliber is a core component of this commitment. The Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) has established Dual Careers and Faculty Relocation (DCFR) to focus on supporting new and prospective faculty and their loved ones. Service offerings include dual careers partner consultations, identifying potential employers and/or employment opportunities, consultation and resources related to relocation, as well as identifying opportunities to engage on campus and in the surrounding community. While employment opportunities are not guaranteed, resources and consultation are provided to support the partners of new and prospective faculty as they are considering or transitioning to The Ohio State University.
In addition to being responsive to dual-career opportunities, we strongly promote work-life balance to support our community members through a suite of institutionalized policies. Ohio State is an NSF ADVANCE institution and a member of the Ohio/Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC).
Located in Ohio’s capital city, Ohio State’s Columbus campus is near the center of a rapidly growing and diverse metropolitan area with a population of over 1.5 million. The area offers a wide range of affordable housing, many cultural and recreational opportunities, excellent schools, and a strong economy based on government as well as service, transportation, and technology industries. Additional information about the Columbus area is available here. Beyond its Columbus campus, Ohio State has four regional campuses including Ohio State Lima, Ohio State Mansfield, Ohio State Marion, and Ohio State Newark, in addition to the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Wooster Campus, which houses Ohio State ATI.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disability
Final candidates are subject to successful completion of a background check.
