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Join host Daniel Burkholder for conversations about improvisation with an array of remarkable performing artists, from dance, music, theater, DJing, and circus.
Conversation w/ Ann Cooper Albright about Improvisation, Contact Improvisation, & Scholarly Inquiry
act/re/act
55 minutes
2 months ago
Conversation w/ Ann Cooper Albright about Improvisation, Contact Improvisation, & Scholarly Inquiry
Ann Cooper Albright Interview: Guggenheim Fellow on Simone Forti & Contact Improvisation | act/re/act Podcast
Oberlin Dance Chair | Guggenheim Fellow | Contact Improvisation Expert | Dance Scholar**
Join Oberlin College Dance Department Chair Ann Cooper Albright, 2019-2020 Guggenheim Fellow, in this illuminating conversation about improvisation, dance scholarship, and her latest book *Simone Forti: improvising a life. Following her inspiring UW-Milwaukee residency, host Daniel Burkholder explores how improvisation informs all aspects of Albright's multifaceted career as dancer, scholar, teacher, choreographer, and improviser.
## Featured Scholar: Ann Cooper Albright Bio Highlights
Ann Cooper Albright is a distinguished dancer, scholar, and Professor/Chair of the Dance Department at Oberlin College. With degrees from Bryn Mawr College, Temple University (MFA Dance), and New York University (PhD Performance Studies), she bridges academic rigor with embodied practice.
Major Recognition & Fellowships:2019-2020 John Simon Guggenheim FellowNEA, NEH, and ACLS grant recipientJerome Foundation and Ohio Arts Council supported artistOberlin College Department Chair - Dance Studies
Essential Publications (among others):"Simone Forti: improvising a life"** (latest book, 2025)"How to Land: finding ground in an unstable world"** - Contemporary uncertainty guide"Engaging Bodies: The Politics and Poetics of Corporeality"**"Choreographing Difference: the Body and Identity in Contemporary Dance"**"Moving History/Dancing Cultures"** (co-editor with Ann Dils)"Taken by Surprise: Improvisation in Dance and Mind"** (co-editor with David Gere)"Encounters with Contact Improvisation"**Resistance and Support: Contact Improvisation @ 50"** (forthcoming)
Conversation Highlights:Simone Forti biography insights** - Legendary improvisation pioneerContact Improvisation mastery** - 50+ years of practice and teachingAcademic dance scholarship** - Bridging theory and embodied practiceUW-Milwaukee residency** - Teaching philosophy and student inspirationImprovisation methodology** - How spontaneity informs all artistic workDance literacy education** - "Accelerated Motion" NEA project"Girls in Motion" program** - Award-winning middle school dance initiativeCritical Mass facilitation** - Contact Improvisation @ 50 leadership
This comprehensive conversation reveals how Ann approaches improvisation as both artistic practice and scholarly inquiry. From her groundbreaking Simone Forti biography to her leadership in Contact Improvisation's 50th anniversary celebrations, discover how Albright has shaped contemporary dance education and scholarship.
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Learn More:act/re/act Podcast Archive: https://www.danielburkholder.com/actreact-podcastAnn Cooper Albright's Books: Available through academic publishers
Keywords: #AnnCooperAlbright #GuggenheimFellow #OberlandCollegeDance #ContactImprovisation #SimoneForti #UWMilwaukee #DanceScholarship #MovingHistoryDancingCultures #GirlsInMotion #CriticalMass #NEAGrant #PhDPerformanceStudies #ActReActPodcast
act/re/act
Join host Daniel Burkholder for conversations about improvisation with an array of remarkable performing artists, from dance, music, theater, DJing, and circus.
