Assistant Professor of Dance

Description

The Conservatory for the Performing Arts at Stephens College seeks a dynamic, student-centered artist-educator for a full-time Assistant Professor of Dance position beginning August 2026.

Stephens College, a private women’s college in Columbia, Missouri, with co-educational graduate and performing arts programs, offers BFA degrees in Acting, Musical Theatre, Interdisciplinary Theatre Arts, Film, Costume Design, and Design/Tech/Stg. Mgmt. through its nationally recognized Conservatory. Our rigorous training model is deeply rooted in professional practice and collaboration, preparing graduates for sustained careers in theatre, television, and film.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Teach undergraduate courses in: Ballet, Jazz, Musical Theatre Styles, Dance Synthesis, and Social Dance.
• Choreograph for at least one mainstage production each academic year.
• Create 20–30 minutes of original choreography for the dance portion of the annual spring concert/production.
• Provide mentorship and advising for BFA students.
• Actively contribute to Conservatory service through committees, recruitment, and curriculum development.
• Collaborate with faculty and staff across disciplines to support the Conservatory’s integrative, pre-professional training model.

Requirements

Qualifications:

• MFA in Dance or related field preferred.
• Or professional experience (as a dancer and/or choreographer in ballet, jazz, and musical theatre) that is commensurate with an MFA degree.
• Experience teaching a variety of dance techniques at the college or pre-professional level.
• Strong commitment to student-centered pedagogy and mentorship.
• Demonstrated ability to create innovative choreography for various genres in musical theatre (contemporary or Golden Age).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience collaborating on interdisciplinary productions that integrate dance with music and theatre.
• A record of professional choreography and/or performance in diverse venues.
• Evidence of inclusive teaching practices that support students from varied backgrounds.

Founded in 1833, Stephens College is the second-oldest women's college in the United States, dedicated to providing innovative, experiential, and career-focused education across various disciplines. The gender-inclusive Conservatory for the Performing Arts operates on a pre-professional model, providing intensive, performance-driven training within a liberal arts context. Each season includes a diverse mix of plays, musicals, devised work, and camera-based content.

Ranked (over and over again) as one of the best college towns in America, Columbia, Missouri, is home to 36,000+ college students and 118,000 residents. Columbia — conveniently located approximately 100 miles from both Kansas City and St. Louis — has it all: big-time college sports, film, music and arts festivals, a high-energy arts community, amazing recreation, and a great downtown with lots of places to eat, shop, snack and check out the latest bands. The Columbia community offers outstanding health care options, as well as excellent educational opportunities for every level of student (including our own Children’s School).

Stephens offers an attractive benefits package that includes health insurance, an Employee Assistance Program, Supplemental Retirement Annuity, Faculty/Staff Grants, tuition waivers and tuition paid undergraduate classes for dependents.

Be a part of this amazing community of innovative thinkers, doers and dreamers.

Stephens is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will recruit and employ qualified personnel without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or status as a veteran.