Jessica Moore, MFA

Lecturer of Dance

Spears | 140

803.786.3847

803.786.3893

Biography

Jessica Moore is the Dance Education Specialist at Columbia College, where she oversees the development, instruction, and mentor-ship of rising Dance Education majors. She earned her MFA degree in Dance, Performance, and Choreography from SUNY Brockport and her BA in Dance Education from Columbia College. 

While attending both institutions, Jessica received grants to pursue and further her research regarding Native American dance and cultural traditions. She has traveled to the Dance Studies Association, the National Dance Education (NDEO) conference, and the South Carolina Dance Association clinic presenting her research, leading seminars, and providing lectures to educators, scholars, and students alike. As a member of the Waccamaw Siouan Indian tribe, she continues to compete in pow wows, hone her craft, and spread knowledge of Native American customs, representation, and embodiment across the country.

As a multidisciplinary artist, Jessica is constantly looking at ways to explore and infuse movement, making it accessible to anyone regardless of their prior knowledge or specialty. She has trained in a variety of styles, specializing in contemporary, improvisational, and site-specific works and continues to hone her craft as a member of The Power Company Collaborative and Moving Body Dance Company. Her creative work integrates contemporary/modern aesthetics with cultural forms, while her academic research interests include cultural representation, cultural appropriation and increasing diversity and awareness in dance/dance education Building a community amongst students, performers, teachers, and artists by sparking a dialogue to create awareness remain the heart of Jessica’s approach.

What do you love about working at Columbia College?

As an alum of Columbia College, I am honored to give back to the vast, prestigious community of educators and dance artists who inspired me. Cultivating the next generation of leaders and watching them grow proves to be exciting, rewarding, and extremely fulfilling. It has been a true privilege to join such a vibrant campus community.