Jennifer Deckert

Jennifer Deckert is an Associate Professor of Dance and Associate Department Chair for Dance at the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Carolina. She also serves as Director of Dance and is a member of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS), contributing to research on dynamic alignment, fatigue effects, and wellness-based training in dance education.

Education: BFA in Ballet Performance (University of Utah), MFA in Ballet Teaching, Choreography, and Research (University of Utah). Prior to USC, she was faculty at the University of Wyoming, where she co-founded the BFA in Dance Science Program and the Snowy Range Summer Dance Festival. She has held guest instructor roles at institutions including Utah Valley University, Colorado State University, and the Duncan Center in Prague.

Performance and Choreography: Notable works include *Dracula* (collaborating with composer Sean Stone and dramaturg Patrick Konesko), *Nutcracker*, *A Midsummer Night’s Dream*, and original contemporary pieces like *Fire & Ice* and *Reverb*. She has reconstructed José Limón’s *The Winged* and worked with renowned choreographers such as Darrell Grand Moultrie and Bill T. Jones. Her choreography has been showcased at venues like the Kennedy Center.

Research and Advocacy: Active in presenting global research on dance science and pedagogy. Her work emphasizes integrating health-focused practices into dance training. She has collaborated internationally, including performances in Prague and Beijing.