Research & Dance Education
Utilizing Dance to Improve Working Memory in Children
This study, led by Skidmore Dance Alumni Jacque Forman and in which I served as a research assistant, examined whether a 5 minute dance activity could improve working memory and attention span in children ages 5-11. The results suggested that working memory improved significantly following a dance activity, whereas attention did not change due to the testing environment. The findings showed that a brief 5-minute dance break in the classroom could significantly improve a child’s cognitive function, particularly working memory.
Dancing Towards Success
This semester long bridge course, “Dancing Towards Success”, my classmate and I worked alongside a 3rd grade teacher at Gloversville Elementary School to teach a 3 day dance residency. We used tools from our class, applied them to our lessons, and introduced social-emotional skills to help students understand and express their feelings artistically.
Senior Coda
With the guidance of Skidmore professor Sarah DiPasquale, this Senior CODA project is a dance residency scheduled to take place in January 2026 at the Lancaster County Prison women’s division. This residency is designed for incarcerated women and will center on choice based movement and self expression. Drawing on the foundations of Anne Green Gilbert’s Brain Compatible Dance Education, this residency uses movement as a tool for agency. Participants will be engaging with elements of time, body, and space. The focus will also be geared towards movement generation with oneself and others. The residency will culminate at Skidmore Dance Theatre with a performance that highlights the movement generated by participants, performed in a large student group. The performance, scheduled for late March or early April 2026, aims to respond to the residency and to spark a larger conversation with audience members about who generates movement and the powerful connection dance has with people.