Assistant​/Associate Professor of Movement in Media School of Dance

Overview

The University of Utah School of Dance and the Department of Film & Media Arts invite applicants for a full-time, tenure-line Assistant/Associate Professor position to begin July 1, 2026. This faculty line has a teaching and research focus in the interplay of movement and media, including Screendance practice and theory, as well as related areas of scholarship, performance, and production.

The Position Includes

• Teaching across the School of Dance and the Department of Film & Media Arts.
• Serving as the Program Director for the Graduate Certificate in Screendance.
• Collaborating with faculty, students, and administrators in both units to expand research, teaching, curation, and practice of Screendance, dance on film, and movement in media.
• Working with university and community partners to develop, curate, and promote public festivals, screenings, symposia, and workshops.

We seek candidates who are leaders in the fields of dance and media and who can model interdisciplinary approaches that connect the School of Dance, the Department of Film & Media Arts, the College of Fine Arts, and the University  ideal candidate will be a practicing artist-scholar with strong potential for publication, demonstrated teaching expertise, and a distinctive perspective on contemporary approaches to movement, dance, and media making.

The University of Utah has been classified by the Carnegie Foundation among research universities with the “highest research activity” in the nation and is the flagship of the Utah System of Higher Education. The successful candidate will demonstrate a strong commitment to research and to research-informed teaching, be actively engaged in research that furthers the field of dance, and demonstrate potential to achieve tenure at a research-intensive university.

Creative research may include a wide variety of art practices and genres in which the dancing/moving body is in dialogue with the camera, including installation and multi-channel works for museums and galleries, single-channel works for theatrical screenings, or other moving image technologies. In the College of Fine Arts, the definition of research is broad and may include a range of dissemination modes.

The teaching load is 12 credit hours per academic year (typically 6 credit hours per semester). The successful candidate will teach undergraduate and graduate courses, serve on graduate thesis committees, contribute to curriculum development, faculty governance and administration, and may undertake various service roles. They will oversee the Graduate Certificate in Screendance; recruit students into the program, mentor Dance and Film graduate students in thesis research;

and collaborate with community partners. Rank will be dependent on experience compared to the home department's Retention, Promotion, and Tenure policy.

The School of Dance is one of five academic units within the College of Fine Arts. As one of the first U.S. universities to offer degrees in dance, the University of Utah has developed one of the largest and most established dance programs in the country. Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance, the School celebrates nine decades of alumni who continue to shape the field.

Today, we are a vibrant and forward-thinking program that combines rigorous training with artistic innovation. Faculty connect closely with students, fostering an environment that supports personal growth, scholarly inquiry, and creative exploration. Students benefit from extensive performance opportunities, interdisciplinary engagement, and a curriculum that balances performance with research and scholarship.

Our curriculum includes anatomy, choreography, dance education, dance studies, history, music, pedagogy, Screendance, somatics, and a variety of dance techniques. Admission is competitive. We have approximately 200 undergraduates (BFA) and 10 graduates (MFA) enrolled in Ballet or Modern/Contemporary Dance degrees. In addition, the School offers certificates and minors in specialized areas, including the nation's only graduate Certificate in Screendance.

The School is housed in the Marriott Center for Dance, featuring a 333-seat professional theatre, a black box theatre, six large studios, a dedicated faculty studio, and a cross-training room with an on-site athletic trainer.

Film & Media Arts builds on the intersection of global critical studies with film and media production. It is the largest academic unit in the College of Fine Arts and includes the School of Dance. The department serves around 800 undergraduates (across two campuses) and 12 MFA candidates on the Salt Lake campus. It offers courses in film and media history, media publishing, global critical studies, screenwriting, direction, animation, production, and post-production.

Undergraduate options include a BA with emphasis in Animation or Film Production, minors or certificates in Animation Studies,…