Jennifer Smith

Jennifer Smith serves as Chair and Professor of Dance at Knox College, where she has shaped the dance program since 1997 while maintaining an active professional career as Artistic Director of 'Back & to the Left Productions.' Her work bridges academic leadership with professional performance, featuring current Knox students and alumni in her company's productions at major festivals across North America and Europe.

Her academic credentials include:

• MFA in Dance, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2007)
• M.A. in Dance, Columbia College (2000)
• B.A. in Dance, Columbia College (1995)

Professor Smith's research centers on somatic dance principles that integrate mind and body, exploring applications in modern dance technique, choreographic innovation, and dance education. Her work spans African dance studies (evidenced by 2012 Ghana research), interdisciplinary collaboration, and the development of integrated dance curricula that connect theory with embodied practice. She investigates how somatic awareness transforms both performance quality and pedagogical approaches.

Her scholarly output includes the 2007 publication 'Developing an Integrated Dance Curriculum' and numerous conference presentations analyzing somatic pedagogy, choreographic processes, and cultural immersion in dance education. Her research consistently examines the intersection of embodied cognition and artistic creation.

Major recognitions include:

• Philip Green Wright/Lombard College Award for Distinguished Teaching (2003)
• Atlantic Center for the Arts Residency with Doug Elkins (2003)
• Chicago Tribune's '30 Young Show-Stoppers under 30' (1999)
• Multiple Knox College research grants (2014, 2016-2017)
• Four Illinois Arts Council Art Tour Grants (1998-2002)

As a mentor, Professor Smith provides exceptional professional integration through her dance company, where students perform alongside professionals at national festivals. Her grant-funded research trips to New York and Ghana create unique cultural immersion opportunities, while her choreographic projects give students direct experience in festival production and international collaboration.

She directs 'Back & to the Left Productions' as a living laboratory for her research, with the company performing at venues including the Kennedy Center, Dance Chicago, Minnesota Fringe Festival, Toronto's International Festival for Dance Artists, and Festival Off'Avignon in France. This platform enables continuous exploration of somatic principles in performance contexts while training the next generation of dance artists.