Biography

Glenna Blessing
Department: Dance
Title: Assistant Professor in Dance (2002)
Degree: B.A., Goucher College; M.F.A., University of Oregon
Office: SRC
Email: glenna.blessing@goucher.edu
Website: http://www.goucher.edu/dance

Glenna Blessing is currently an assistant professor in the Dance Department at Goucher College.  Since joining the faculty in 2002, she has taught all levels of ballet and modern technique, intermediate dance composition and elementary dance education.  She also teaches a freshmen seminar program as well as an international study abroad intensive course that examines the history and performance of dance in Brazil.  She received her B.A. in dance from Goucher College in 1998 and her M.F.A. with a dual emphasis in dance science and performance/choreography from the University of Oregon in 2001.  As a dance educator, Blessing is a member of the faculty at Carver Center for Arts and Technology.  Blessing is a certified secondary education teacher and maintains an Advanced Professional Certificate from the State of Maryland.  Orginally from Pennsylvania, she began her early training with Mary L. Hepner, Nana Badrena, and Trinette Singleton at the School of Ballet Theatre Pennsylvania.  Blessing has performed nationally and throughout Canada with several companies, including ClancyWorks Dance Company, University of Oregon Repertory Dance Company, the New York-based Mills and Payne Co., Howard County Ballet, and Ballet Theatre Pennsylvania.  Her repertory as a performer has included works by classical and contemporary choreographers such as Christopher d'Amboise, Ib Andersen, George Balanchine, Adrienne Clancy, Mark Dendy, Stephen Greenston, Pamela Geber, Doris Humphrey, Randy James, Virginia Johnson, Eleanor King, Bebe Miller, Tiffany Mills, and Trinette Singleton.  As a choreographer, her works have been presented in Maryland, Oregon, and New Mexico.  She has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards including the Goucher College Summer Research Grant (2006); Rosenberg Scholarship in Dance Goucher College; Graduate Teaching Fellowship, University of Oregon and ASUO Dance Oregon Grant for choreography as well as being recognized by the National Dance Association for her research as a graduate student.  Blessing is also an ACSM-certified personal trainer and is the director of the Dance Early-Arrival Program at Goucher College.