Mara Mandradjieff

Mara Mandradjieff is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Dance & Movement Studies Program at Emory University. She holds a PhD in Dance from Texas Woman’s University, alongside an MEd and BA from the University of Pittsburgh. Her work bridges scholarly research with choreographic practice, focusing on posthumanism, ballet culture, and body politics.

• Education:
• PhD in Dance, Texas Woman’s University
• MEd in Secondary English Education, University of Pittsburgh
• BA in English Literature, Dance, and Gender Studies, University of Pittsburgh

Her research examines intersections of ballet, fat studies, and disability, critiquing systemic biases in classical dance. Notable projects include analyzing Coppélia’s legacy through posthuman theory and investigating fatphobia in ballet aesthetics. She has been awarded grants from the American Society for Theatre Research and serves as Associate Editor for Dance Chronicle.

Mandradjieff’s choreography interrogates ballet’s limitations while exploring self-reflexive possibilities. Performances include works at Emory, Kennesaw State, and University of Pittsburgh. Her scholarly articles appear in Dance Research Journal, Feminist Media Studies, and Journal of Dance Education.

Outside academia, she co-founded the Lume Foundation to use dance in healthcare settings and collaborates with Emory’s Restorative Movement Project. Her work emphasizes dance’s healing potential and social justice advocacy.