Michele Moss will be an artist in residence with the Hope College Dance Department March 10-13, 2025. See below for a full listing of her guest schedule on the campus of Hope College and her bio. 

Learn one or make your own. Learning about the world through dance is exciting but not as exciting as learning about yourself. Whether we couple the practice of dance with other topics such as freedom or interpretive studies, hermeneutics and social justice, ethnography or rhythm and style— it’s all storytelling, fun through self-expression!

This time together may be a wander, a get-to it event or some disco dancing!  Let’s explore you and me through dance; the human condition, the lived experience, tell our stories, your stories, through dance. I encourage you to awaken your critical consciousness in pursuit of emancipation, expressiveness and creativity. Ground yourself as you flash your spirit, ascend, expand and connect.

Michèle Moss (B.Ed/M.A.)(she/her) is a dancer, choreographer, academic researcher and community educator. She was born in the UK of Jamaican and British parents, raised in Montréal, and has conducted her professional career and academic career in Calgary, Alberta. For forty years Michèle has engaged in dance as performer, teacher, creator, writer, researcher, and ethnographer. She participated in studio training, nightclub practices and urban dance forms as well as earning two degrees that moved her into the academe following a professional performing career on the stage with DJD (est. 1984). She continues to marvel at the topic and enjoys reveling in it. Michèle is currently serving as an associate professor in the School of Creative and Performing Arts/Faculty of Arts at the University of Calgary and moving toward retirement. She continues her jazz dance research, which started in 1986 on the African continent, chasing down the Africanist aesthetic and the roots of the African American form. She has travelled broadly within Africa as well as to the African Diaspora to embody the work, discuss the work and listen to the music that supports the work. NYC and other American centres have provided rich centres for her to conduct embodied ethnographic research. Moss has served on numerous boards, peer adjudication panels, presented at many conferences, collaborated in the field and written book chapters. She has been the recipient of many grants, awards, choreographic commissions and international teaching opportunities. She received a life time achievement award for her work in Canada. The 2022 Hall of Fame induction presented by Dance Collection danse was an honour. The topic of dance and jazz remains vibrant and interesting with so much yet to learn, experience and dig!

Artist in Residence with the Dance Department: Michele Moss

Dates: March 10-13, 2025

Schedule of Teaching and Lecture:  

• Monday, March 10 - 1pm-1:50pm - lecture on Vernacular Jazz history for our 20th Century Dance History course. CLOSED for this class only
• Tuesday, March 11 - 9:30am-10:50am - a technique course in Vernacular Jazz for our Jazz I and Jazz II courses OPEN TO DANCE STUDENTS - Heeringa Dance Studio
             1:30pm-3:20pm - a dance class in African for our Global Percussive Music and Dance course OPEN TO DANCE STUDENTS - Heeringa Dance Studio
• Wednesday, March 12 - Campus lecture Dances of Resistance lecture/demonstration in the Heeringa Dance Wing from 5-7pm OPEN TO CAMPUS
• Thursday, March 13 - 9:30am-10:50am - an oral history course in Vernacular Jazz for our Jazz I and Jazz II courses. OPEN TO CAMPUS - Heeringa Dance Studio
             1:30pm-3:20pm - a dance class in African for our Global Percussive Music and Dance course. OPEN TO CAMPUS - Heeringa Dance Studio