Position: Assistant Professor of Contemporary Dance    

The School for the Contemporary Arts (SCA) at Simon Fraser University invites applications for a tenure-track position in Contemporary Dance, at the Assistant Professor level, starting July 1, 2027.  

The Dance area in the SCA is committed to a practice-based research approach, developing embodied knowledge and its translation in an interdisciplinary academic context.  We seek an individual with a recognized and expanded practice in contemporary dance creation and performance. Candidates should have a robust and established studio practice; a rigorous understanding of the movement forms that emerge from their research and the cultures, traditions, practices, and philosophies that support them; and an ability to articulate these forms and contexts within a contemporary interdisciplinary environment. Additionally, candidates must possess a thorough understanding of dance history that considers dance beyond Western forms and practices. We are looking for someone who will help us educate and support the next generation of dance artists and launch individual voices in dance. At SFU and the SCA we continue to confront underrepresentation in mentorship roles and are committed to increasing diversity in our faculty.  

A demonstrated record of sustained excellence in teaching at the post-secondary and professional level, an engagement with contemporary artistic discourse in dance and related disciplines, and a record of established relationships with communities, organizations and institutions nationally and internationally are required. An interest in new technologies grounded in embodied practice is an asset.  
 

SCA Dance   

The SCA Dance Area provides the unique opportunity to study, create and perform dance within a collaborative, interdisciplinary department. Our students are challenged in studio and lecture courses to think expansively, be versatile and articulate, to interact with new technology, and to understand that the collaborative process is crucial to their development as contemporary artists. An engagement with broader contemporary issues is fundamental to their training. We believe in a versatile approach to training and, to this end, offer a plurality of dance techniques in addition to the western dance forms of modern, contemporary, and ballet courses. Our creative set of courses in improvisation, composition and choreography are designed to encourage student-led research and creation. Additionally, courses in experimental anatomy and body conditioning introduce students to the fundamental principles of movement and support an approach to dance practice that promotes longevity. Our courses complement a wider set of studio and lecture courses offered by the Film, Music and Sound, Theatre and Performance, Performance Production and Design, Visual Art, and Art, Performance and Cinema Studies areas. 

For more information about course offerings within the program, visit: https://www.sfu.ca/sca/programs/dance.html. 
 

Candidate Qualifications   

Applicants must have a terminal degree (MA, MFA or PhD) in a field or discipline of demonstrated relevance and an established artistic practice in dance. An MA or MFA by the employment start date is required; however, PhD candidates with solid indication of imminent completion may be hired at the rank of Instructor and will be promoted to the rank of Assistant Professor upon completion of the PhD. Applicants must also demonstrate excellence in creative research and post-secondary studio teaching. Prior activity indicating leadership, service, commitment to diversity, and dance as a research-creation practice is required.   
 

Position Responsibilities   

Within the Dance area of the SCA, we are looking for a versatile individual, someone who can integrate theory and practice in both their teaching and research, who can mentor undergraduate and graduate students, and who can stage choreographic and performance works for a diverse student body. Teaching will include classes in contemporary dance technique, choreographic composition, and interdisciplinary collaboration and improvisation. Lecture courses include the historical, philosophical and socio-cultural contexts of the above-mentioned dance forms, with an attention to decolonizing principles. All faculty in the Dance Area share responsibilities in the staging and production of the Main Stage and studio productions.   

Additionally, this position will include committee responsibilities, supervision of graduate students, and graduate-level teaching. The candidate will be expected to maintain an artistic research practice and work holistically with the SCA to advance contemporary performance. 
 

About the School for the Contemporary Arts 

We acknowledge the Squamish (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw), Musqueam (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm), Tsleil-Waututh (səlil ̓w̓ətaʔɬ), Katzie, and Kwikwetlem (kʷikʷəƛ̓əm) peoples, on whose traditional territories Simon Fraser University’s three campuses stand. By recognizing the Unceded Traditional Coast Salish territories, we aspire to create space for reconciliation through dialogue and decolonizing practices.   

The School for the Contemporary Arts (SCA) is situated in one of downtown Vancouver’s most dynamic and diverse neighborhoods and is one of five separate departments within the Faculty of Communication, Art, and Technology. The SCA offers a unique curriculum with studio and studies classes in Dance, Film, Music and Sound, Theatre and Performance, Performance Production and Design, Visual Art, and Art, Performance and Cinema Studies integrating the practical, historical and theoretical study of the arts. This meeting of creative practice and academic enquiry is a core value of the School and is enhanced by our attention to critical contemporary issues and our commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, both within the classroom and beyond. Our context as an art school within the top-ranked comprehensive university in Canada is a great strength. We pride ourselves in offering the advantages of an intimate art school with its own purpose-built facilities: excellent student mentorship and faculty/student interaction, a knowable community, a sense of belonging and familiarity, and a shared sense of purpose. We also have the advantages of a large university, with the vibrancy and opportunities that come from an institution with dozens of academic programs.  

SCA is composed of a culturally diverse faculty.  We value collaboration and interdisciplinary art-making that is grounded in both disciplinary and multidisciplinary training, an integration of creative and scholarly education, and work with an ethic of care for our students. We therefore maintain a significant presence in the local, national, and international arts communities. Whether as choreographers, scholars, composers, performing artists, filmmakers, production and design technologists, visual artists, directors or dramaturges, our faculty are internationally recognized for research excellence in their individual fields.  
 

Application Instructions  

Candidates are asked to submit:   

• a cover letter of application outlining their creative and scholarly background with indication of citizenship and/or residency status   
• an up to-date, full curriculum vitae   
• a statement of teaching and mentorship philosophy   
• a research statement and links to samples of creative work and writing 
• the names and email addresses of three confidential referees (letters of reference may be requested at a later date)   

Address all applications to: Dr. Peter Dickinson, Director, and submit via the following link: apply.ca1.interfolio.com/124080 
 

Review of applications will begin on November 2, 2026, and continue until the position is filled. To ensure full consideration applications should be submitted by this date. Please note that materials submitted will not be returned.  
 

SFU is an equity employer and strongly encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including women, Indigenous Peoples, racialized persons, people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, persons with disabilities, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of the University. 

Faculty salaries at SFU are based on the salary scales bargained between the University and the SFU Faculty Association. A reasonable estimate of the salary range for a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor is $104,700 - $133,322.  The salary for the Instructor rank is $98,340. Note, the expected salary range does not include the value of benefits. 

SFU offers several benefits and services aimed at creating a more inclusive and accessible campus community for faculty, please see the Faculty Relations, Benefits and Service page for more details. SFU is also committed to ensuring that the application and interview process is accessible to all applicants; if you require accommodations or have questions about SFU benefits, services, accommodations policies, or equity considerations, please contact the Director, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. 

The position of Assistant Professor of Contemporary Dance is subject to availability of funding and final approval by the SFU Board of Governors. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority.  
 

Personal information that is required by the University for academic appointment competitions is collected under the general authority of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, applicable University Policies, and the SFUFA/SFU Collective Agreement. For further details please see the Collection Notice: https://www.sfu.ca/vpacademic/academic-careers.html. 
 

For more information about our School and our University, please visit: www.sfu.ca/sca.