Assistant or Associate Professor of Dance

About the role

The Dance department invites applications for a full-time, Assistant or Associate Professor of Dance, to begin in the fall 2027 academic year. We are especially interested in advanced Assistant or recently tenured Associate Professors. We seek an accomplished artist-scholar with expertise in teaching contemporary and modern dance techniques, a distinguished record of professional creative achievement, and a demonstrated commitment to excellence in undergraduate teaching within a liberal arts environment.

Responsibilities

• Teach undergraduate courses in contemporary and modern dance technique at beginning through advanced levels.
• Choreograph an original work annually for Vassar Repertory Dance Theatre.
• Teach seminar and/or lecture courses that examine dance through critical, historical, cultural, and theoretical frameworks.
• Maintain an active creative and/or scholarly practice.
• Mentor and advise undergraduate students in their artistic, academic and professional development.
• Contribute to curriculum development and continued growth of the department while fostering interdisciplinary collaborations within the department and across the College.

Qualifications

• Ph.D., MFA or equivalent professional accomplishment in Dance or a closely related field at the time of appointment.
• Demonstrated excellence in teaching contemporary and modern dance technique at multiple levels as an academic and artist.
• Sustained record of professional creative work, including choreography and/or performance.
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusive, equitable, and student-centered pedagogy.
• Ability to contribute to the intellectual and artistic life of a liberal arts college through teaching, creative practice, scholarship, and service.

Skills

• Previous college-level teaching experience.
• Active professional network and sustained engagement within contemporary and modern dance communities.
• Experience developing collaborative projects across artistic disciplines.
• Record of effective student mentorship and support for students’ academic, artistic, and professional growth.
• Experience integrating technologies such as video, photography, sound, and digital media into creative practice and/or teaching.

Pay

The annual base starting salary range for this position is $100,000 to $130,000 (USD). This range includes advanced Assistant Professors as well as recently tenured Associate Professors. When extending an offer of employment, Vassar College considers factors such as (but not limited to) candidate’s education/training, work experience, internal peer equity, as well as market and organizational considerations. This salary range represents the College’s good faith and reasonable estimate at the time of posting.

Schedule

The teaching load in the first year is the equivalent of four full credit courses, following which the load is the equivalent of five full credit courses per year, or four plus intensive work with students which typically involves directed student research.