“The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don’t tell you what to see.” - Alexandra K. Trenfor
Rick Southerland
Associate ProfessorDance
Rick is Associate Professor of Dance and Past President of the National Dance Education Organization. He spent more than 20 years teaching in P12 dance education in NC, MD, GA, NV, and Washington, DC. Rick currently oversees the K12 dance education certification program and teaches dance education, modern dance technique, composition, and study abroad courses on the African continent, in addition to directing modern dance guest artist residencies. His research on international arts integration, online dance education, and entrepreneurial orientation in dance has been published and presented nationally and internationally. Rick's creative works has been presented across the US and in Mexico. Aside from teaching and research, Rick also worked as the Education Director for Sierra Arts Foundation, where through a US Department of Education grant, he was able to collaborate with the public schools and the UNR to develop and implement the Arts Infusion Project, an arts integration training program for both artists and regular classroom teachers. As a national leader in the field working to cultivate leadership, build knowledge, and connect the field, Rick has served as external reviewer of dance higher education programs, contributed to developing dance assessments, reviewed curriclula and standards for teaching and learning, advocates nationally, and speaks regularly at conferences and events on Dance Education for all.
Conference Papers & Panel Participation
“Increasing Male Presence and Participation in Dance”, Lead Panelist, National Dance Education Organization Special Topics Conference “Men In Dance: Bridging the Gap”. University of West Virginia. June 2017.
“Dancing Toward an Entrepreneurial Orientation: Experiential Education and the Art of Networking”, poster presentation. NDEO Annual Conference “XXXX”, Washington, DC. October 2017.
Southerland, M.T. Felts (2015) Dancing toward an Entrepreneurial Orientation: ExperientialEducation and the Art of Networking, ICERI2015 Proceedings, pp. 1817-1826. Supported by Goucher College Summer Research Grant 2015. Paper presentation, International Conference on Education, Research, and Innovation (ICERI), Seville, Spain. November 2015.
“Innovations in Dance Education: Moving Our Students in Online Learning” Lead Panelist, National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) Annual Conference. Phoenix, AZ. October 2015.
"Helping Students Make Connections Between Observation and Media in an Online Dance Appreciation Class”. Research presentation, National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) Annual Conference. Miami, FL October 2013 with support from Goucher College Summer Research Grant 2013.
"Found in Translation: Bridging Diversity Through Cultural Integration of the Arts"- Research presentation NDEO Annual Conference October 2012 with support from Goucher College Summer Research Grant 2012.
Invited Talks
Master Class, modern. Regional High School Dance Festival, University of Wisconsin, Madison. March 2017.
“The Hats We Wear”, guest lecturer, dance education. East Carolina University, March 2017.
Master Class, modern. East Carolina University, March 2017.
College Recruitment on the Arts, panelist. St. Paul’s School for Girls, Baltimore, MD. February 2017.
“I Can Do That”, morning keynote. North Carolina Dance Education Organization (NCDEO) Annual Event, January 2017.
Luncheon Address. Maryland Dance Education Association (MDEA) Annual Event, October 2016.
Master Class, modern. National High School Dance Festival, Point Park University. Pittsburgh, PA. March 2016.
Master Class, modern. Regional High School Dance Festival, Governor’s School for the Arts. Norfolk, VA. March 2015.
Master Class, modern. American College Dance Association Regional Conference, Elon University. March 2011.
Master Class, modern. Maryland Public High School Dance Festival. Goucher College. January 2011.
Master class, modern. The Dance Collective company class, Baltimore, MD. 2011, 2012.
Academic or Professional Associations
National Dance Education Organization (NDEO), Member since 2001.
President, 2016 – 2018
President Elect, 2015 – 2016
Secretary, 2013 – 2015
Interim Secretary, 2010 - 2013
Board of Directors, Director of Contributions & Endowments, 2010 – 2013
Charter President Capital Region Educators of Dance (CREDO), NDEO state affiliate, 2002 – 2004
American College Dance Association (ACDA), Member since 2011.
Maryland Dance Education Association (MDEA), Member since 2015.
International Dance Council (IDC), Member since 2011.
Other Professional or Scholarly Activity
Rick Southerland (2017) Thom Cobb: 1951 – 2016, Dance Education in Practice, 3:1, 33-33, DOI: 10.1080/23734833.2017.1285636
Rick Southerland (2017) Thom Cobb 1951–2016, Journal of Dance Education, 17:1, 42-42, DOI: 10.1080/15290824.2017.1277912