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Contact

Department of Movement Sciences

Mailing Address:
College of Education, Health and Human Sciences
University of Idaho
875 Perimeter Drive MS 2401
Moscow, Idaho 83844-2401

Phone: 208-885-7921

Fax: 208-885-5929

Email: movementsciences@uidaho.edu

Map

Belle Baggs, M.F.A., CLMA

Clinical Associate Professor, Co-Program Coordinator, Dance Studio Co-Director, Dance

Office

PEB 203

Phone

208-885-6273

Mailing Address

Movement Sciences EHHS
University of Idaho
875 Perimeter Drive
Moscow, ID 83844-2401

  • Anusara Yoga Teaching Certificate, Yoga Alliance (Tiffany Wood), in progress

  • Masters of Fine Arts (M.F.A), University of Utah, Modern Dance, 2011

  • Certified Laban Movement Analyst (C.L.M.A.), Integrated Movement Studies, 2010

  • Diane B. Walker Dance Faculty Endowment Award (2017 & 2015)

  • ASUI Fine Arts Grant, 2014, $5,000, BASK Art Collective Project

  • Professor of the Year, 2012-2013, University of Idaho Gamma Phi Beta - Xi Chapter

  • Dee R. Winterton Award Recipient, 2011, Department of Modern Dance-University of Utah —A recognition award given annually to students exemplifying commitment to the field of dance, love of the arts, and striving for excellence with positive spirit, humor and wit

  • University Teaching Assistantship, 2011-2008The Graduate School-University of Utah -A competitive full year stipend scholarship in service to creatively enhancing undergraduate education & curriculum

Belle Baggs (MFA, CLMA, 200-RYT), is a performer, choreographer, dance educator, and artist. She is currently Clinical Associate Professor and Co-Program Coordinator of the University of Idaho Dance Program. Her research and teaching is focused in Modern Dance, Dance Pedagogy, Improvisation/Contact Improvisation, and Dance Composition. She holds her Master of Fine Arts in Modern Dance from the University of Utah and completed her Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analyst Certification through the Integrated Movement Studies program under the direction of Peggy Hackney and Janice Meaden.

She has also completed her 200-hour Yoga Certification under Tiffany Wood (Anusara Yoga) and continues to teach Yoga to dancers. Professionally, she had danced as a member of influxdance, a company based in Salt Lake City dedicated to build community and social change through innovative choreography and in work by: Monica Campbell, Juan Carlos Claudio, Eric Handman, and Satu Hummasti, Shawn T. Bible, Melanie Kloeztel, and Rosa Vissers.  Her choreographic work has been featured at the 92nd Street Y (NYC) as part a choreographic intensive with Doug Varone, Dixon Theatre (NYC) as part of White Wave Dance Company’s Solo Duo Festival, American College Dance Association Conferences, Idaho Dance Education Organization Conferences, and University of Idaho. She is proud to be a co-founding member of the BASK Art Collective—a group of artists engaging in community projects and empowerment for women in the Arts, as well as a board member of the Idaho Dance Education Organization.

  • Dance Composition
  • Improvisation
  • Dance Pedagogy
  • Somatic Practices in Modern Dance
  • Contemporary Dance Techniques
  • Laban Movement Analysis

  • Idaho Dance Education Organization Board Member — Higher Education Representative

  • National Dance Education Organization Member

  • Fall Faculty Concert Production (Current-2011),a pre-professional dance concert featuring faculty and guest artist choreography. Concerts serves as an educational and entertaining experience for the community and university,(Current - 2011)

  • BASK Art Collective Workshops and Performances- (Funded by ASUI grant) at University of Idaho Campus Details: Founding members include cross-disciplinary professional faculty at the University of Idaho: Alexandra Teague (English), Stacey Isenbarger (Art + Design) & Kristin Elgersma (Music). BASK is a dance/poetry/ sculpture/piano collaboration that seeks to consider overlaps — and productive divergences-amongst these art forms. Summary: BASK secured an internal ASUI arts grant ($5,000) to support local workshops: Playing with Strength (October 2013, 30 participants) and Labels and Layering (April 2014, 30 participants) and a culminated concert, Play Like a Girl, April 2014 (approx. 200 audience members)

  • Dance Your Ph.D. Performance, in collaboration with Dr. Lee Fortunato doctoral candidates in biology paired up with dance composition students to integrate science and art into an educational event and performance, served 50 audience members — May 2014

Current Presentations:

  • Idaho Dance Education Organization: “Embodying Healthy Practices”, University of Idaho hosted, Moscow, ID. Taught: “Developing a Healthy Relationship to Failure Through Improvisation” — October 2017
  • American College Dance Association Conference. Taught Int/Adv Modern Dance Class, “Pelvis Power” & Improvisation Course “Collide/Create” at the Northwest Conference, University of Oregon — March 2017
  • Idaho Dance Education Organization Conference: “The Language of Dance”, Boise, ID.Taught “Pelvis Power,” Modern Dance Technique — October 2016
  • Presenter, American College Dance Association Conference. Taught Int/Adv Modern Dance Classes, “Pelvis Power”, at the Northwest Conference , University of Wyoming — March 2016
  • Idaho Dance Education Organization Conference: “Brain Dance”, Pocatello, ID, Idaho State University. Taught: “Luminosity: Improvisation & Compositional Tools” — October 2015
  • The Women’s Center Brown Bag Event: “Approaching Gender Through Collaborative,  Interdisciplinary Arts”, University of Idaho—September 2014 
  • Malcolm Renfrew Interdisciplinary Colloquium, University of Idaho Humanities Series , “Dance Your Ph. D: An Integration of Art and Science” with Dr. Lee Fortunato & Belle Baggs — April 2014 
  • IAHPERD Presentation “Get Fit and Smart at the Same Time” (Idaho Association Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance). Co-Presented with Dr. Christa Davis (Lewiston State College, ID) Moscow, ID.  Presentation focused on integrating dance/movement with academic subjects in public schools systems. Spring 2013 
  • Guest Presenter at Performatica: Moving the Future: Creating dance and social justice. Representing inFluxdance with Rose Pasquerello Beauchamp. Creative intensive focused on using movement as forum to explore social justice issues; in collaboration with local community members. Cholula/Pueblo, Mexico. Fall 2012 

Recent Choreographic Work:

  • 2017 — Fragile Hearts, Faculty Choreography Concert: "Form & Transform;” inspired by a poem shared in the choreography, “Compliment” by Corey Olgesby, Hartung Theatre — University of Idaho
  • 2017 — Stronger Shines The Light Inside, American College Dance Association Festival (ACDA), Eugene, OR University of Oregon *reviewed by a panel of professionals
  • 2017 — Unfolded, DancersDrummersDreamers: "Conversations” Original music by Dylan Champagne, Hartung Theatre — University of Idaho
  • 2016 — Swallowed by the Sun, Faculty Choreography Concert: "Defining Balance” 
    Hartung Theatre — University of Idaho & Idaho Dance Education Concert “The Language of Dance”, October 2016,  Ballet Idaho Theatre — Boise, ID
  • 2015 — Settle/Unsettle, CHIN Project, concert curated by Doug Varone, 92nd Street Y — New York, NY
  • 2014 — OkeTinderMatcharmony, American College Dance Association Festival (ACDA) Ames, Iowa March 2015, University of Iowa *reviewed by a panel of professionals

  • B. Baggs, K. Elgersma, S. Isenbarger, A. Teague. LINES: Out of Bounds, Ed. Elizabeth Bradfield, Nov. 2014. Alaska Quarterly Review.

  • Baggs, B., Beyond Words: An Embodied Empathic Process, 2011, UMI Dissertation Publishing.

Contact

Department of Movement Sciences

Mailing Address:
College of Education, Health and Human Sciences
University of Idaho
875 Perimeter Drive MS 2401
Moscow, Idaho 83844-2401

Phone: 208-885-7921

Fax: 208-885-5929

Email: movementsciences@uidaho.edu

Map