Marissa Nesbit

Dr. Marissa Nesbit serves as Assistant Professor of Dance and Dance Education Coordinator at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, specializing in arts-integrated pedagogy that bridges dance with core academic disciplines.

Her academic credentials include:

• B.A. in Psychobiology from Pitzer College
• M.F.A. in Dance from Texas Woman's University
• Ph.D. in Art Education from The Ohio State University

Nesbit champions embodied learning methodologies where dance becomes an equal partner to subjects like math and science rather than a supplementary tool. Her research demonstrates how physical movement can concretize abstract concepts such as the water cycle, creating dynamic learning environments for students who struggle with traditional sedentary instruction. She emphasizes dance's evolutionary nature as a cultural force that students actively shape rather than merely replicate.

Her recognition includes:

• 2024 Outstanding Dance Educator in Higher Education (established category) from the National Dance Education Organization

As an educator, Nesbit trains future dance instructors to develop personalized arts-integration curricula, fostering teaching approaches that evolve with societal shifts while maintaining dance's integrity as both art form and academic discipline.