Heather Roffe

Heather Roffe is a Professor of Dance and the Director of the Undergraduate Dance Program at Nazareth College's Theatre and Dance Department. Joining in 2012, she spearheaded the creation of the college's dance studies program, leveraging her prior experience in marketing, business administration, and dance. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes constructivism, community, and student-directed learning, fostering changemakers through interdisciplinary pathways.

• M.F.A. from The College at Brockport
• 2012–present: Nazareth College
• Previous faculty roles at SUNY Brockport, Wells College, SUNY Potsdam, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and St. John Fisher College

Roffe's choreography explores human relationships, technology, and societal issues like classism, racism, and gender. She performs nationally and internationally with companies such as Garth Fagan Dance and Bill Evans Dance, and her work has been showcased at venues including Jacob’s Pillow and the Ailey Center. Her research focuses on somatics, dance pedagogy, and feminism, with presentations at conferences across the U.S. and abroad.

Students highlight her mentorship, such as María J. Rodríguez-Torrado '20, who credits Roffe for inspiring her dual passions in dance and public health. Roffe's program emphasizes individualized learning, collaboration, and using dance as a tool for community engagement and healing, particularly through partnerships with underserved populations.