UR Program of Dance and Movement

Name: UR Program of Dance and Movement
Address: 500 Joseph C Wilson Boulevard, Rochester, NY, 14627, US
Telephone: +15852735150

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UR Program of Dance and Movement

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The Program of Dance & Movement at the University of Rochester is committed to offering experiential and theoretical study of dance and movement practices that honor and inform the whole person. Through diverse dance techniques and contemplative practices from all over the world, this unique program explores dance and movement as art, as spiritual practice, as community-building, and as personal and interpersonal development.

06/05/2026

✨Graduate Spotlight✨

Celebrating all of our 2026 Dance and Movement Studies minors!

Dance Minors:
Amelia Basco
Samantha Bauer (Above & Beyond Award, 2024)
Kaycee Ejiofor
Julia Rothschild (Above & Beyond Award, 2026)
Rita Sciortino
Aubrey Snyder
Doris Zhang

Movement Studies minor:
Sneha Prakash

Congratulations, everyone! We can’t wait to see where your futures take you!! ✨🎉💜

06/03/2026

✨Graduate Spotlight: JHANAJ WAYRA QUISPE!✨

Jhanaj has earned her Bachelors of Arts in Dance and a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing. During her time at Rochester, Jhanaj’s research has centered on ethnographic studies of Tinku, a traditional Bolivian ritual and dance, and its re-articulation within the diaspora. Jhanaj’s choreography was chosen to represent URochester‘s Program of Dance and Movement at the American College Dance Association’s Northeast Conference in 2026. She has also been involved in club athletics on campus. Following graduation, she will pursue an MFA in Dance at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY.

Jhanaj received this year’s Hook-Taylor (Pooka) Dance Award, a prize given to a senior in recognition of their passion, imagination and ability to take risks in the art of dance and choreography. She was also the recipient of the Above & Beyond Award in 2025.

Congratulations, Jhanaj! ✨🎉💜

06/02/2026

✨Graduate Spotlight: VALENTINA RIVOLI!✨

Valentina is a triple major in Psychology, BCS, and Dance. Incorporating all her interests, her senior capstone revolved around movement relating to forensic psychology. She aimed to answer the question: How does the body language of a defendant change pre and post sentencing in criminal court? Throughout the semester, she attended public hearings and used observational methods to identify if movement patterns change before and after sentencing. Outside of this project, she was the captain of Indulgence Dance Crew - the hip-hop group on campus - and also spent 2 years as publicity chair for Sihir Bellydance Ensemble. While lots of time dancing, she equally cherished her cognitive studies in hopes to become a forensic counselor. Valentina’s triple major beautifully combined her passions into one.

Congratulations, Valentina! ✨🎉💜

06/01/2026

✨Graduate Spotlight: KAIDENCE PACHECO!✨

Kaidence double-majored in Psychology and Dance. Her Senior Capstone project aimed to investigate the following: "How does learning multiple styles of Latin Dance across four classes help promote social connectedness amongst peers in adolescence and decrease feelings of loneliness and isolation?" She has been involved in the Program of Dance and Movement shows as a dancer and choreographer, and also choreographed for the University of Rochester's SALSEROS. Outside of the dance program, she is involved in research through URMC's Department of Psychiatry, and enjoys spending her free time reading and learning to crochet. After graduation, she will be pursuing her Master's degree in School Counseling.

Kaidence received this year’s Sevigny Service Award.

Congratulations, Kaidence! ✨🎉💜

05/31/2026

✨Graduate Spotlight: JAIME MARLEY!✨

Jaime has a B.S. in Neuroscience and a B.A. in Dance Studies, with a minor in Psychology. Her academic and clinical interests lie at the intersection of neuroscience, rehabilitation, and movement science, with a particular focus on sports and dance medicine. Jaime has extensive research and clinical experience across rehabilitation medicine, neurology, and psychology. She has served as a clinical research assistant at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and the University of Rochester Medical Center. Internationally, she conducted psychology research in Barcelona examining diagnostic labeling in children with ASD and ADHD, as well as projects in transcultural psychiatry. For her dance capstone, Jaime examined treatment approaches for dancers by comparing perspectives across professionals involved in an integrative rehabilitation care model – including physical therapists, sports medicine physicians, and orthopedists – who specialize in treating dancers versus those who do not. She acted as a teaching assistant, represented the URochester as a Meridian Society Ambassador, and has held leadership roles within the Louvre Performance Ensemble and Kappa Delta. Jaime plans to pursue medical school with the intent of specializing in sports and dance medicine.

Congratulations, Jaime! ✨🎉💜

05/30/2026

✨Graduate Spotlight: CATHERINE MALONE!✨

Catherine is a Dance Studies and English double major. Her capstone research combined her dance education and her additional major in English to examine why dances from movies and television shows go viral. Catherine has loved being involved in the University of Rochester's dance community for the past four years and has spent much of her free time choreographing and rehearsing for department concerts. Moreover, Catherine loves to write and has published dance performance reviews with the Campus Times. Overall, she is very excited to continue her pursuits in the field of dance and dance criticism post-graduation.

Catherine was also the recipient of the Above & Beyond Award in 2024.

Congratulations, Catherine! ✨🎉💜

05/29/2026

✨Graduate Spotlight: JOY LIN!✨

Joy is a Business Analytics and Dance Studies double major. She has been dancing for more than 10 years. Her capstone project examines how K-pop choreography functions as a strategic tool for constructing group identity; drawing on choreographic analysis, media studies, and practice-based workshops. Through both research and embodied experimentation, she investigated how movement communicates collective image across live performance and digital platforms. Beyond her capstone, Joy was actively involved in the Program of Dance and Movement performances throughout her four years, with interests covering contemporary, street, and different popular dance forms. Outside of dance she loves traveling, hiking, watching concerts, exploring anything new.

Congratulations, Joy! ✨🎉💜

05/28/2026

✨Graduate Spotlight: STELLA LEMPERT!✨

Stella is a Dance and Political Science major with a minor in Computational Biology. She has been dancing since she was three years old in styles such as Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Lyrical, Contemporary, and Hip Hop. When she's not dancing, she's a Coxswain on the Men’s Rowing Team. For her capstone project she studied physical movement during suffrage protests in the United States.

Stella received this year’s Sevigny Service Award, and was the recipient of the Above & Beyond Award in 2024.

Congratulations, Stella! ✨🎉💜

05/27/2026

✨Graduate Spotlight: KRITHVI KRISHNAN!✨
Krithvi is a Dance Studies and Psychology major. Her capstone is about learning how somatic practices can help dancers and non-dancers expand their movement repertoire to make dance more accessible. She also choreographed a piece from this research. Outside of dance, she loves to volunteer and play the viola.

Congratulations, Krithvi! ✨🎉💜

05/26/2026

✨Graduate Spotlight: VERA BLACKFORD!✨

From LaFargeville, New York, Vera Blackford is a Dance Studies and Psychology major with a minor in Brain and Cognitive Sciences. For her capstone project, she investigated the effects of teaching dance to elementary-aged students on college dancers, specifically the relationships they form and their perceptions of themselves in society. Vera worked with a local school, where she and her participants taught dance classes twice a week in an after-school program. Outside of her studies, she enjoys participating in the Program of Dance and Movement shows, working and volunteering at Mt. Hope Family Center, being a member of the dance council, and teaching dance at Next Level Dance Center.

Vera received this year’s Dancer Citizen Award, and was the recipient of the Sevigny Service Award in 2025, and the Above & Beyond Award in 2023.

Congratulations, Vera! ✨🎉💜

🎓

Address

500 Joseph C Wilson Boulevard
Rochester, NY
14627

Telephone

+15852735150

Website

http://www.rochester.edu/college/dance/

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