Jennifer Monson

Jennifer Monson is a Professor of Dance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and holds the title of Marsh Professor at Large at the University of Vermont. Her work bridges choreography, experimental dance, and interdisciplinary research, emphasizing environmental sustainability and urban contexts.

She has been a core faculty member since at least 2004, focusing on projects that investigate movement’s relationship to natural environments, animal behavior, and human-ecological interactions. Her research areas include advocacy for environmental justice, biodiversity, queer studies, and infrastructure studies, often through collaborative and improvisational strategies. Key projects include BIRD BRAIN (2000–2005), iMAP/Ridgewood Reservoir (2007), and Mahomet Aquifer Project (2008–2010), which reframe dance as an archival practice for environmental phenomena.

• Affiliations:
• Professor, Department of Dance, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Marsh Professor at Large, University of Vermont
• Founder and Artistic Director of iLAND (Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Art, Nature, and Dance)

Monson’s scientific awards include the Creative Capital Award (2000), Doris Duke Impact Award (2014), and two New York Dance and Performance (“Bessie”) Awards. Her work has received grants such as the NEFA National Dance Project grant for Live Dancing Archive (2013).

Her research spans choreographic process, contemporary dance, and modern technique, with a focus on cross-disciplinary collaborations between art, environmental science, and urban design. Current projects, like in tow, explore global and interdisciplinary artistic partnerships. iLAND serves as her primary platform for fostering these dialogues, addressing ecological and social issues through performance and creative practice.