VP Area: Dance and Entertainment School
Department: Dance and Entertainment School
FLSA Status: Exempt
Benefit Eligibility: Yes
Oklahoma City University invites applications for the nine-month, non-tenure track position of Artist in Residence, Instructor, Assistant, Associate, or Professor of Dance – Ballet Focus for the academic year 2025-2026. This dance faculty position is responsible for teaching all levels of ballet classes and other dance technique/academic classes as assigned, participating in recruitment/assessment/advising activities, providing choreography if assigned, and serving the university through Ann Lacy School and university committee work.
- A Master of Fine Arts degree in dance or bachelor's degree in dance fields with extensive post-college experience is required.
- Professional and/or university teaching experience.
- Minimal of 2 years of advanced teaching
Preferred Qualifications:
- Performance experience is a plus.
- Teach beginning through advanced ballet courses.
- Teach other dance techniques, pedagogy, and choreography courses as qualified and assigned.
- Teach dance academic courses as qualified and assigned.
- Advise students.
- Provide choreography if assigned.
- Assist with recruiting for dance degrees.
- Assist with an assessment plan for dance degree programs and courses.
- Handle co-curricular program activities as assigned.
- Serve on dance department and school committees as assigned.
- The successful candidate is expected to participate in the department’s assessment program, advising activities, and student recruiting and retention efforts for the department and the university.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Ability to teach ballet to beginning through advanced level dancers.
- Professional and/or university teaching experience.
- The ability to teach pointe, partnering, ballet pedagogy, dance history, dance health, and/or anatomy for dancers is a plus. The ability to teach beginning levels of jazz or tap is a plus.
- Demonstrated excellence as a teacher in a university setting or private dance sector (i.e., dance studio, non-profit organization, and/or dance company school).
- Commitment to supporting a program aimed at the student who wants to work in the musical theatre/entertainment industry as a performer, teacher, or manager.
- Ability to work collaboratively and in an organized manner to provide structure and feedback to students.
- Appreciation of American theatrical dance with an ability to choreograph new works as assigned.
- Ability to use Microsoft Office Suite programs including Word, Excel, Publisher, Outlook, and PowerPoint and to adapt to new technology as it develops. Ability to use online course management systems such as D2L.
- Ability to follow policies and procedures of the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment. It is important for faculty to understand and be committed to the vision of the school. Many courses are a team or collaboratively taught. Collegiality, professional conduct, and teamwork are required of all faculty.
- Ability to perform sustained physical activity and demonstrate dance movements.
- Ability to work in dance studios, lecture in classrooms, and perform activities in theater facilities. Work in the theatre requires the ability to move quickly from the audience to stage areas that are at different levels. There are long exposure to theater and studio sound equipment volume levels.
- Ability to work varied hours from early morning to evenings and weekend hours in class, rehearsals, and rehearsal monitoring.
- Ability and willingness to travel locally, nationally, and internationally when assigned to activities involving road or air travel.
Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment The Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment specializes in preparing arts/entertainment managers and dancers for the American entertainment industry through its B.S. in Entertainment Business, B.S. in Dance Management, B. S. in American Dance Pedagogy, and Bachelor of Performing Arts in Dance Performance and degree programs. The school consists of the Arts Management Department and the Dance Department. The Entertainment Business degree is designed to allow students to focus on customizable tracks in Event Planning, Entertainment Pre-Law, Talent Management, and Entertainment Enterprise (touring, sports management, venue management, church arts programs, film, entrepreneurship, etc.) The Ann Lacy School is widely recognized for being a top school for preparing dancers, managers, and teachers for the entertainment industry.
About Oklahoma City University Oklahoma City University was founded in 1904 and is a coeducational, urban, private university located in the Uptown district of Oklahoma City. The university is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and offers a wide variety of degrees in the liberal arts and sciences disciplines. Oklahoma City University is the only Oklahoma institution listed in the top tier of the regional, master's-level university category by U.S. News and World Report magazine, and the university has been recognized repeatedly as one of The Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Great Colleges to Work For.”
Procedure for Submitting Applications Submit a CV, cover letter, list of 3-5 professional references, statement of teaching philosophy, and unofficial transcripts.
Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
Contact for Additional Questions Please email questions about the position or the search to the Search Chair - Jessica Fay, Professor of Dance jfay@okcu.edu.
Oklahoma City University is an equal opportunity employer and affirms the values and goals of diversity.