Guest Artists in Dance

In addition to Master Classes offered by Dance Companies visiting Morris for the Performing Arts Series (link), longer residencies are arranged by the UMM Dance Program and the UMM Dance Ensemble to enhance opportunities for students to work with and perform the choreography of a variety of dance professionals.

Past guest artists have included Lily Cai Chinese American Dance, African Dance artist Autumn Compton, Cassandra Shore teaching Middle Eastern Dance, North Carolina Youth Tap Dance and Koresh Dance Company, for example.

From 2005 - 2008, UMM hosted Jennifer Clagett Sommers as an instructor in the Dance Program teaching Ballet, Modern and Composition. Her work was performed in Dance Ensemble shows as well as the Dance Program Recitals.

Jennifer Clagett Sommers holds a Master of Fine Arts in Dance, Performance, and Choreography from Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts.  Among her dance honors is a scholarship to Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival,where she studied choreography with Bessie Schonberg, and a Emerging Artists’ Grant from the Durham Arts Council. She has performed with Laura Dean Musicians and Dancers, Carolina Ballet, StreetSigns Center for Literature and Performance, Artifact Productions, Smith College and Albany Berkshire Ballet where she also served as ballet mistress.  Until 2005, she served on the faculty of Meredith College and the Raleigh School of Ballet, and she was the Associate Director of Raleigh Dance Theatre.  She currently serves as  guest choreographer for Raleigh Dance Theatre (NC), Metropolitan Ballet Company (PA), and the Albany Berkshire Ballet (NY/MA).  She joined the UMM faculty in the fall of 2005 and has  choreographed two new dances on UMM students.  In the spring of 2007, UMM dancers presented her Dance for Three at the American College Dance Festival in Milwaukee, WI.

In 2007 - 2008, Jazz Suite was created by Kathleen Ridlon in conjunction with the UMM Jazz Music Program and performed by UMM Students in the Dance Ensemble Fall Show. Her Biography is printed below.

Kathleen Ridlon is a dance professional with over 20 years of teaching and performing experience. She received her professional training from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center in NYC and holds an M.F.A. in Performance and Choreography from Smith College. In Galesburg, Ms. Ridlon co-directs Midwest Dance Group and works at Knox College as an Artist in Residence/Lecturer in Dance and as the Coordinator of the Center for Community Service. Her dance work has been performed by Knox College Dance Ensemble, UNI Orchesis Dance Company, Contemporary Dance Oklahoma, Lively Dance, Worcester Youth Ballet and Boston Youth Moves.