Sessional Instructor, Division of Dance, School of Creative and Performing Arts, Fall 2023

University of Calgary

The sessional instructor will provide our students with a strong base in Contemporary, African, and African fusion techniques. The successful candidate will also contribute significantly to the students' national and international perspective on dance.

This position includes teaching three half-course equivalents (HCE) and requires a 13 - week commitment from September 5, 2023 to December 5, 2023.

The successful candidate will teach courses in contemporary dance technique (with a focus on non-Eurocentric contemporary dance), composition, and African Indigenous, Urban and Fusion forms. The guest artist will also be contracted to create a dance work on students/community members as part of the newly established UCalgary Movement Research Festival. The candidate will be expected to provide service to the Dance Division by mentoring the students they teach.

The successful applicant must have:
• International reputation as an African, Contemporary and Afro-Fusion dance performance artist with minimum seven years professional experience in both genres
• International reputation as an African, Contemporary and Afro-Fusion dance performance artist with minimum seven years professional experience as an ensemble choreographer
• Minimum BFA Dance or equivalent professional training
• Minimum three years teaching Contemporary, African and Afro-Fusion forms of dance at university and/or professional levels
• International perspective on contemporary trends in dance as developed through dance practice
• Minimum seven years experience working as a professional dance artist outside of Alberta, Canada
• Professional experience in the following areas: Contemporary dance techniques from a Afro-Contemporary training perspective, African Indigenous and African Urban forms, with a preferred focus on Bantu Fusion and/or Bantu Urban Fusion forms

Desirable Skills and Abilities:
• Energy, enthusiasm and commitment to excellence in teaching.
• The willingness to work with students having a wide range of skills, varying abilities, motivations, and academic or vocational goals.
• The ability to communicate effectively and work cooperatively with others in a team environment.
• The ability to use instructional strategies designed for diverse learning styles and academic goals.
• Demonstrable knowledge of current literature on dance.


Fall 2023:

DNCE 581: Special Topics in Dance Practices II - Afro-Fusion Forms: Afro-Urban and Afro-Contemporary Dance
Course dates: September 5 to December 5, 2023
Fridays: 14:00-17:50
Course description: Study of the theory and practice of Afro-Urban and Afro-Contemporary fusion forms

DNCE 405/505: Intermediate Contemporary Dance II / Advanced Contemporary Dance I
Course dates: September 5 to December 5, 2023
Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays: 12:00-13:50
Course description: Further study of intermediate study of the techniques of contemporary dance / This starts the sequence of advanced study of the techniques of contemporary dance.

DNCE 333: Creative Process II: Composition-Solo Forms
Course dates: September 5 to December 5, 2023
Tuesdays and Thursdays: 14:00 to 15:50
Course description: Further study in creating choreographic structures with an emphasis on group forms.

Additional teaching/creation:

As part of this position and in addition to the courses listed above, the Guest Artist will need to create one dance work on students/community members for the newly established UCalgary Movement Research Festival. The dance work (10-15 minutes) in length will be rehearsed approximately 2-4 hours per week and the work will need to be ready for presentation by the opening of the Festival on November 17, 2023.

Application Process:

Please submit your application online via the following link:

https://careers.ucalgary.ca/jobs/12307564-sessional-instructor-division-of-dance-school-of-creative-and-performing-arts-spring-2023

Please be aware that the application process allows for only four attachments. The four attachments should be organized to contain the following (which may require you to merge documents):

In support of your application, please provide the following:
1. Current CV (if the SCPA does not already have one on file)
2. Names and contact information for 3 potential referees
3. Evidence of teaching proficiency (teaching evaluations if available)
4. Letter of interest describing your qualifications in support of each course taught by the Guest Artist as listed as well as a teaching philosophy statement.
5. Links to videos of choreographic work with an explanation of context, links to videos of performance works with an explanation of context

Additional Information:

For salary information, please refer to TUCFA's Collective Agreement, Schedule B. As per the Collective Agreement, the Faculty of Arts adheres to the right of first refusal terms (Section 23.12.1 and 23.12.2) for Sessional Appointments.

If you have any questions, please contact Melanie Kloetzel, Division Lead, Dance, by email at kloetzel@ucalgary.ca


Application Deadline: April 16, 2023


The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy in line with the foundational goals of Eyes High, committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply.

To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (equity@ucalgary.ca) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources (hrhire@ucalgary.ca).

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. In this connection, at the time of your application, please answer the following question: Are you a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada? (Yes/No)