Job no:

R-0000002732

Position Title:

Visiting Assistant Professor in Dance

Work Type:

Faculty

 

Full time

 

In-Person

Start Date:

07/01/2026

Job Description:

The Department of Dance at Mount Holyoke College invites applications for a full-time, three-year Visiting Artist in Dance, to begin July 1, 2026. We seek an artist, practitioner, and scholar with expertise in ballet and modern dance techniques and composition, with additional specialization in dance science and/or dance history. Candidates are required to have an MFA, completed no later than June 30, 2026. Applicants should maintain an active studio practice and show a strong commitment to public-facing scholarship. 

The successful candidate will:

• Teach dance techniques within a contextual framework that acknowledges the cultural and historical forces that shape them.
   

• Demonstrate expertise in Western concert dance forms, including both Ballet and Modern or Contemporary techniques.
   

• Be prepared to teach all levels of Composition (Composition I, Composition II, and advanced seminars in process and production).
   

• Show evidence of leadership in academic, professional, or organizational contexts.
   

• Maintain an established research portfolio that emphasizes public-facing scholarship and performance, and be able to articulate the trajectory of that portfolio.
   

• Have a demonstrated record of strong teaching at the undergraduate level and experience mentoring students who are broadly diverse with regard to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, disability, and religion.
   

Position Details:

The Dance curriculum at Mount Holyoke College focuses on three areas: Street and Club Styles, West African Dance, and Western concert dance. Across forms, our faculty emphasize the relationship between music and movement. Candidates for this position are expected to demonstrate proficiency working with live music in class. All core dance faculty teach technique, dance theory, and composition courses. Faculty actively engage students in their own research and provide mentorship, supporting students’ development both as individuals and as artists.   

Teaching responsibilities include:

• 2-credit undergraduate courses in ballet and modern technique (from beginning through advanced levels), other contemporary or codified modern forms based on expertise, and repertory courses (which may include original or restaged works). 

• 4-credit undergraduate courses in composition, dance science and anatomy, and/or dance history (either survey or special topics, depending on areas of specialization). 

• There may also be an opportunity to contribute unique courses that expand the curriculum. 
   

The candidate is expected to participate in departmental and Five College Dance faculty meetings and contribute to curricular planning and programming. This position focuses primarily on teaching and creative practice; it does not include formal academic advising or significant administrative service beyond the department.

To Apply:

Review of materials will begin on September 20, 2025. Please direct questions to Department Chair William Seigh (wseigh@mtholyoke.edu). 

A completed application will include:

• Cover Letter

• Curriculum Vitae

• Contact information for three references (request for written letters of reference may follow for short-listed candidates)

• Teaching and Mentoring Statement articulating philosophy and practices (1 page maximum)

• Include 1-2 sample syllabi

• Please address readiness to teach and mentor undergraduates in a liberal arts context, at a historically women’s college that is gender diverse. 

• Creative/Scholarly Research Statement outlining the current and future trajectory of professional work (1 page maximum)

• Include 1-2 work samples of choreography

 

Background Checks:

Mount Holyoke College is committed to providing a safe and secure environment, supported by qualified employees that will allow all of its students, faculty, staff and those associated with them to successfully carry out the mission of the college. As a condition of employment, the College will conduct appropriate background checks for all new hires. Mount Holyoke has designated the Office of Human Resources as the office responsible for ensuring that background checks (CORI, SORI, Credit History, & Driver Credential) are completed and utilized in the hiring process and Five College Office of Compliance and Risk Management as the office responsible for facilitating background checks as articulated in this policy.

Special Instructions for Applicants: 

Apply online; application materials must include:

• A cover letter summarizing interests and qualifications

• A complete resume or curriculum vitae

• For faculty positions, statements on mentoring, teaching, and research will also be required.

​It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment.