Guest Speaker, Matthew Farmer from Hope College

Matthew Farmer is currently the Dorothy Wiley DeLong Endowed Chair of the Dance Department at Hope College, the Co-Artistic Director of R.G. Dance Productions and the Co-Artistic Director of H2 Dance Co.

Farmer has had great success as a director, educator, choreographer, performer, and author; co-authoring the book Introductory Modern Dance: A Teaching Manual. He is the former Director of Dance at Anderson University, a former Associate Director and company member of LehrerDance, and former company member of The Peter Sparling Dance Co. While dancing for Sparling, Matthew received his MFA from the University of Michigan in Dance Performance and Choreography. Farmer received his BA in Theatre and Dance from Hope College.  

As a soloist and guest performer, his performance credits include various dance companies and festivals both home and abroad. His teaching and faculty credits include Hope College, The University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, Anderson University, Dancer’s Inc. National Conventions, Chicago National Association of Dance Maters, Southern Association of Dance Masters, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, Interlochen, and a host of festivals and master classes in the United States, Mexico, Ecuador, and the United Kingdom. Farmer’s choreography spans the field of dance, and can be seen throughout the U.S and abroad.

Guest Speaker, danah bella from The Peabody Conservatory

danah bella is the artistic director of d a n a h b e l l a DanceWorks, a modern dance company focused on reclaiming evocative movement as social practice.

bella has performed and presented her work throughout the country including the Cool New York Festival in New York, the United States Asian American Festival in San Francisco, the Bates Dance Festival in Maine, the American College Dance Association’s National Dance Festival at the Kennedy Center, ReVIEWING Black Mountain College international conference in Asheville, N.C., as well as in Mexico and Italy. She has taught workshops and has been artist in residence in festivals and universities throughout the United States and abroad; including, Pro Danza Italia, Bates Dance Festival, Monterey Dance Fest, the American College Dance Association’s Regional and National Conferences, Western Michigan University, University of Virginia, Oklahoma Contemporary Dance Festival, Santa Barbara City College, and Goose Route Dance Festival. bella is also a founding member of Colectivo Caliban, an artist collective that transgresses disciplinary borders through sound and movement.

She has worked in higher education since 2002 teaching modern technique, dance theory, and history.

Anne Aubert-Santelli, Associate Dean of Academic and Student Life, USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance

A dancer since a young age, Anne Aubert-Santelli serves as the Associate Dean of Academic and Student Life for the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. She has been at USC Kaufman for almost nine years.

Prior to joining USC Kaufman, she worked for the USC Office of Admission, recruiting students and reviewing applications for the university. In her current role, she oversees the Student Services team, which manages admission, academic affairs, advisement, student affairs, career services, and alumni affairs.