Focus and Philosophy: Jazz dance is at the heart of Amy VanKirk’s work as a teacher and artist. She is
drawn to its rhythm and dynamics, groundedness and expressiveness, and especially
its history of resilience, community, and joy. Those same qualities shape her approach
to teaching. VanKirk believes students thrive when they feel connected and supported
while also being challenged to take risks, build confidence and discipline, and find
their own voices. She brings her own enthusiasm and sense of joy to the classroom
while maintaining high expectations for her students.
Background: Originally from Rochester, New York, VanKirk earned her BFA in Dance Performance from
the University at Buffalo and her MFA in Dance with emphases in choreography and performance
from the University of Arizona. She still has a faint Rochester accent that occasionally
gives her students something to laugh about.
Before entering higher education, VanKirk worked as a dancer, dance captain, and rehearsal
director for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, as an assistant choreographer for Dollywood
Parks & Resorts, danced with Artifact Dance Project in Arizona, and performed in Las
Vegas before joining Radford in 2013. That varied path continues to shape how she
prepares students for a dance career that rarely follows one predictable route. She
now serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Dance.
Teaching: VanKirk’s primary teaching area is jazz dance technique, which she teaches at all
levels. She also developed the department’s first-year seminar and teaches the department’s
career-focused senior seminar. She especially values the bookending of those courses:
opening up possibilities for students as they begin and, four years later, helping
them turn their goals into reality through both artistic exploration and practical
career preparation. Her relationships with students often continue after graduation,
and she values staying connected to celebrate their successes and offer support through
the inevitable ups and downs of a life in dance.
As Chair, VanKirk brings the same emphasis on relationships to her leadership, valuing
honest communication, collaboration, high expectations, and a strong sense of community.
She also helps lead the development of RADF 101, Radford’s new university-wide first-year
seminar focused on belonging and student success.
Research/Scholarship/Creative: VanKirk’s creative work often begins with stories and ideas that extend beyond the
dance studio. Among the projects she is most proud of are Remember the Future, commissioned
by NASA Langley Research Center for its 2017 Centennial, and Keep This For Me: Memories
of the Last World War, an original full-length musical she co-wrote based on her grandparents’
experiences during World War II. Her choreography has also been presented by the New
York Jazz Choreography Project, the American College Dance Association, and at universities
across the country.
Her current scholarship focuses on jazz dance pedagogy and the responsibility of teaching
a Black American art form, particularly how educators can honor the roots of jazz
while also preparing students for the many jazz-influenced forms they may encounter
professionally.
