Photos: Snovian Image Media

“In my classroom hard work and intellectual engagement are expected;
jokes, mistakes, and the collaborative exchange of ideas are required.”

Thoughts on Teaching

Teaching acts as a conduit for my experiences, the ones I am most eager to share with others so that they too can embody their magic. My classroom is my laboratory where I passionately and enthusiastically share the gifts that have been so fortunate to receive from several others and have discovered through my own movement practices. I often articulate to my students that I am just another way in, a different perspective, not the only perspective. In other words, my role as an educator is to plant seeds, not to try to change my students’ minds.

The demands of today’s contemporary dancer/artist-citizen requires a fusion of knowledge and perspectives analogous to the culturally pluralistic world in which we live. I want to train my students to not only be technically skilled movers and practitioners, but also effective dance writers, dance thinkers, dance makers, dance educators, arts administrators, etc. I believe in a structured, challenging learning environment that also generates an open and welcoming space for discovery. Within my high standards for student engagement and learning, I am dedicated to providing a space where students are able to work safely and with the support they need to succeed. Through consistently underscoring rigor with warmth, care, and encouragement, I hope to inspire a healthy and lifelong approach to learning in dance.

I attempt to design and model a participatory teaching approach - a student-centered educational environment where students are responsible for actively engaging and immersing themselves in the educational experience. I take pride in facilitating this holistic and humanistic approach to teaching and learning. In this emphasis on self-exploration, I seek to encourage somatic awareness, somatic intelligence, and somatic authority for my students. The embodiment of self resonates much deeper than mastery of content/subject matter at hand. In this atmosphere, content becomes the medium for self-discovery and self-mastery.

I also strive to cultivate an active learning environment for myself. An insatiably curious person, I am constantly seeking research on various movement practices and pedagogical strategies in order to acquire new knowledge, methods, and ideas that will serve my teaching and therefore my students. I am dedicated to life-long learning. I actively seek opportunities to grow professionally not only through accessing contemporary research, but also by observing colleagues and mentors, by attending conferences and workshops, and by contributing to our field through my own research and practice – always finding ways to reevaluate, revise, and expand my own perspectives. My aim is to continually model risk-taking and reinvent my approach to pedagogy.

Caitlyn has been studying Safety Release (SR) technique for the past six years, under the mentorship of founder and developer, B.J. Sullivan, and is currently a Master Safety Release Teacher.

Safety Release (SR) is a comprehensive approach to dance that transcends mere physical execution. It is both a dance technique and a personal somatic investigation. By considering the moving body from a skeletal perspective, it encourages dancers to utilize bony landmarks and major joints as initiators of movement. This approach facilitates bodily awareness and direction of energy, and promotes joint freedom, leading to more efficient and easeful movement. It offers a sustainable approach to movement that can be embraced throughout a lifetime. Classes in SR begin with foundational exercises that cultivate kinesthetic awareness, fostering a deep connection between the body, the self, and the floor, that prepare dancers for a seamless transition to upright movement, emphasizing the harmonious relationship between different levels of motion.

As my student, you simply …

Show up.
Dive in.
Stay at it.

In my classroom, I strive …

To be informative; to challenge ideas, push boundaries.
To be in the practice of joy and community.
To provide a safe, open space to try something new for the purpose of deeper self-awareness and personal discovery.

As an educator, I believe in…

Meeting students where they are.
Promoting positive self and body awareness and anatomical understanding.
Encouraging students to approach their learning from several different lenses.

Sample course syllabi and full teaching philosophy available upon request - please visit my Contact Page.

Courses Taught in Higher Education:

Contemporary Dance I + II (dance majors/minors)
Introduction to Ballet (musical theatre majors)
Introduction to Contemporary (general education)
Introduction to Dance (general education)
Dance Appreciation (online; general education/dance majors)
Dance Repertory II (dance majors)
Career Strategies for Artists (online; dance majors)
Research Methods in Social Practice (Interdisciplinary Art & Social Practice Program)

“As a beginner, I am very glad to have had someone so enthusiastic, patient, and encouraging as Caitlyn as an instructor. I felt constantly challenged, as she always implored us to explore within our learning and always test ourselves—but I also always felt safe. I had a complicated relationship with dance coming into this semester, as it is not my strongest suit—but knowing that I was going to walk into a safe, comforting environment really helped me improve my perspective of dance. After this semester, I’m finding more joy in movement, whether I know exactly what to do, or if I’m doing it for the first time.”

— UNCG Undergraduate Student, UNCG

Caitlyn has collaborated with public school teachers within the Massachusetts School District providing supportive, curricular driven lessons in Science and Math through dance. She has also co-developed a sequential Dance and Movement curriculum model for grades K-8 as a part of an EdVestors Grant for Gardner Pilot Academy’s Friday Arts Program, for whom she also taught Yoga Movement. (Boston, MA).