Sara Pecina

Sara Pecina is a Lecturer of Dance and Director of Dance at Berry College's Department of Visual and Performing Arts. She holds an MFA in Dance from the University of Oklahoma and a BA in Dance with a minor in Arts Administration from Western Kentucky University. Her research focuses on jazz and tap dance history, pedagogy, and the historical oppression of African American art forms, presented nationally and internationally. She has extensive performance experience, including roles at Cedar Point Live Entertainment and international dance festivals, and teaching experience across Indiana, Kentucky, and Oklahoma. Sara is a certified mat Pilates instructor and trained in Dance for Parkinson’s Disease programs and the American Tap Dance Foundation's Rhythm Tap Teacher Program.

Education:

• MFA in Dance, University of Oklahoma
• BA in Dance (minor: Arts Administration), Western Kentucky University

Research Interests:

• Jazz and tap dance historiography
• Decolonizing dance pedagogy
• Intersection of race and cultural preservation in dance

Professional Engagement:

• Guest teaching at American College Dance Association conferences
• Mark Morris Dance Group collaboration for Dance for Parkinson’s Disease

Labs/Teams: Directs Berry College's Dance Program, overseeing performance ensembles and curriculum development.