BIO

  Catherine Schaeffer, Associate Professor, Valdosta State University, is originally from Pennsylvania where she earned a B.S. Degree in Art Education from Kutztown University and a M.Ed. in Dance from Temple University.  After completing these degrees she performed professionally, touring both nationally and internationally, with a variety of modern dance companies based in Washington DC, Baltimore, Phoenix, and New York City.  In 1993 she earned her MFA in Performance and Choreography from Arizona State University and founded her own company, Site Specific Danceworks AZ, creating collaborative artistic performances in natural and man-made settings. 

 

Catherine has performed in the work of renowned choreographers Cliff Keuter, Maida Withers, Doug Varone, Gary Masters, Janis Brenner, Bill Evans, Ann Ludwig, Juliet Forrest, and Eric Nielsen.  In NYC she performed with the companies of Wendy Osserman and Mark DeGarmo and presented her own choreography at the Laban Institute for Movement Studies and Dance Theater Workshop.  As well as intensive study of all major modern dance techniques, from classical (Humphrey/Limon) through contemporary styles, Catherine has studied ballet (Zena Rommett, Finis Jhung) and jazz (Lynn Simonson, Luigi) throughout her career.

 

Ms. Schaeffer specializes in teaching all aspects of Modern Dance, Improvisation, Choreography, Dance Kinesiology, Floor Barre Ballet, and Somatics.  Prior to moving to Valdosta in 2001, she taught for numerous colleges, public, and private schools.  From 1995-1999, she was an Assistant Professor in the Mercyhurst College Dance Department and guest performer with the Erie Ballet Theatre in Erie, PA.   She has taught for the GA. Governors’ Honors Program, Dickinson College, Elizabethtown College, the Central PA Youth Ballet, Ballet Arizona, ASU, GWU, and Temple University.  Miss Schaeffer has taught master classes throughout the US and made professional presentations at IADMS, ACDF, NDEO, GAHPERD, & ESN conferences.  

 

A prolific choreographer, Ms. Schaeffer has created over sixty original works in modern, contemporary ballet, jazz, and multi-media genres produced at colleges, conferences, and professional venues.  Along with her choreography for the VSU Repertory Dancers, she continues to perform in her own work, most recently presenting in  Las Vegas, NY, and San Francisco.  Her latest passion is the study of Butoh dance as a healing performance art.

 

Catherine participated in developing the new BFA Dance Major and Minor degrees at VSU, where she also serves as the faculty advisor to the Repertory Dance Club.  Although the predominant focus of her career has been dance, she is also a producing visual artist, licensed massage/somatic therapist, and yoga enthusiast.   Most recently, Catherine completed her dance science and somatics training with Eastwest Shin Somatics. She earned certification as a RSME/RSMT with the International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association, ISMETA, in 2007.