Embedded within any teaching role is the opportunity to propose a new definition of “community”. I am committed to creating classroom environments that inspire deep self examination and skill building in relationship to the community at large. Studying dance is an opportunity to study oneself, experiment with new modes of communication, and advocate publicly for a vision. In the process of this deeply personal inquiry and acceptance of self, a greater empathy for the lived experiences of others is acquired. I educate future performers in order to reignite the intelligence of the human body, and advocate for expansion of empathy and communication practices. How do we perceive our own experience within the world and how do we communicate that truth?  As performers, we do not train in the studio so that we can isolate ourselves from the rest of the world. Rather, it is essential that students are given the opportunity to apply their technical skills learned in the studio out in the public sphere.