Elizabeth Kattner

Elizabeth Kattner serves as Associate Professor of Dance and Associate Director at Oakland University's School of Music, Theatre and Dance, where she also coordinates assessment and accreditation for all departments and the K-12 Dance Education program. With a distinguished background in both academic and professional dance, she bridges historical scholarship with contemporary practice.

Her research focuses on early 20th century dance repertory, particularly German Ausdruckstanz and early Soviet ballet, with extensive international research conducted in Germany, the US, and Russia. Kattner has presented her work internationally in Berlin, Dublin, Manchester, Quebec, and Toronto, and has been published in leading journals including Ballet Review, Dance Research Journal, and Journal of Dance Education.

Her scholarly output demonstrates consistent engagement with dance history and reconstruction, most notably through her 2020 publication Finding Balanchine's Lost Ballets and the reconstruction of Balanchine's March Funèbre, performed by the Grand Rapids Ballet in 2018. Her recent choreographic works like Seasons in the Sun (2022) and Bach Dances series reflect her integration of historical understanding with contemporary expression.

Kattner actively contributes to the dance education community through service on editorial boards for Dance Education in Practice and the International Journal of Education and the Arts. She recently hosted the National Dance Education Organization's 'What Can Data Do for You?' conference in February 2024 and is part of the planning committee for the NDEO Annual Conference in Detroit in October 2025.

As a dedicated educator and advocate, she has served on the Michigan Dance Council board for 11 years and coordinates the annual Michigan Youth Dance Festival. She has created Michigan's only K-12 Dance Education program and provides professional development for K-12 teachers across multiple districts. Her current research involves translating Mariama Diagne's book on Pina Bausch's work from German to English.