Barry Blumenfeld honors the joy and delight of moving with a dedication to creating spaces for students to express themselves. In this episode, he shares about integrity in dancemaking, defining one’s own path, and boldly embracing challenge. He has been a dance educator in a wide range of environments from pre-schools, studios, public and private K-12 schools to universities, including American University, Gallaudet University and New York University. Barry is currently on the faculty of Friends Seminary School in Manhattan. He holds a BA in Psychology and an MA in Dance from American University and is a graduate of the Dance Education Laboratory of 92nd Street Y; a certified yoga instructor; and a Registered Dance Educator. Barry is president-elect of the NY State Dance Educators Association and was a recipient of their Outstanding PreK-12 Dance Educator Award in 2017. For 10 years, he was Artistic Director of TAPFUSION, a dance company combining modern dance and tap. Barry also started the Men in Dance group in NDEO and co-chaired the Men in Dance Symposium at WVU. In 2019, he received NDEO’s Oustanding Leadership Award. He writes a monthly “Ask the Experts” column for Dance Teacher Magazine, as well.
Resources referenced by Barry:
92Y Dance Education Laboratory: https://www.danceedlab.com/
New York State Dance Educators Association (NYSDEA): http://www.nysdea.org/
National Dance Education Organization: https://www.ndeo.org/content.aspx?page_id=0&club_id=893257
Men in Dance Special Interest Group: www.menindance.net
Ann Hutchinson Guest: http://www.lodcusa.org/
Tina Curran: https://theatredance.utexas.edu/people/curran-tina
Barbara Bashaw: https://www.tc.columbia.edu/faculty/bjb24/
Naima Prevots: https://www.ndeo.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=893257&module_id=355040
Dancemaker app: https://www.danceedlab.com/collaborations/del-app/
