Alyssa Motter

Alyssa Motter (She/Her) is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Department of Theatre at Northwestern University's School of Communication. As a dance artist, educator, and writer specializing in socially engaged dance practices, she creates interactive movement-based experiences that foster social dialogue, self-reflexivity, and creative exploration.

• MFA in Dance, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Peck School of the Arts
• BFA in Dance, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, School of Fine and Applied Arts

Her research focuses on community-building through embodied methods, with specific interests in:

• Identity exploration via movement practices
• Arts-based educational interventions
• Science learning through physical engagement
• Dialogic embodiment frameworks

Recent publications examine somatic identity inquiry, autoethnographic dance applications, and interdisciplinary pedagogical models. Awards include a 2023 UC-Berkeley Learning Fellowship and a 2018 Mezirow Transformative Learning Award.

• South Chicago Dance Theatre performer
• Collaborated with Kyle Abraham, Jasmine Hearn, and Nejla Yatkin
• Contributed dance writing to Newcity Chicago
• Arts administration experience at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival