Research: On Pedagogies and Ballet
Selected Publications
Forthcoming Book: Humanizing Ballet Pedagogies: Philosophies, Perspectives, and Praxis for Teaching Ballet. London: Routledge, 2025.
In Humanizing Ballet Pedagogies, Jessica Zeller offers a new take on the ballet pedagogy manual, examining how and why ballet pedagogies develop, considering their implications for students and teachers, and proposing processes by which readers can enact humanizing, equitable approaches.
Contents
Part 1: Philosophies
1. Ideal-driven Pedagogies
2. Student-driven Pedagogies
Part 2: Perspectives
3. Teacher Presence and Behavior
4. Student Voices
Part 3: Praxis
5. Student Agency and Autonomy
6. Evaluation and (Un)Grading
7. Reflective Practices
Book: Shapes of American Ballet: Teachers and Training Before Balanchine. Oxford University Press, 2016.
"At last we've a serious examination by Jessica Zeller of seven brave and resourceful ballet teachers from Russia and Italy who came here to initiate and catalyze their ballet traditions. It's been a missing link in studies of the major influences on the creation of our unique, contemporary American ballet. Located in New York City, their schools tempered and molded both the athletic bodies of Americans, and in so doing affected the bold choreography of our artists. Zeller's fluid and judicious writing brings to light the energy and pathos of early twentieth century dance history." –Judith Chazin-Bennahum, University of New Mexico
Book Chapter: “Pedagogy as Protest: Reimagining the Center.” In Hybrid Teaching: Pedagogy, People, and Politics. Edited by Chris Friend. Hybrid Pedagogy. 117-120. Washington, D.C.: Hybrid Pedagogy, Inc., 2021. (Based on my June 2020 post with the same title.)
Book Chapter: “‘Can you feel it?’: Pioneering Pedagogies that Challenge Ballet’s Authoritarian Traditions.” In (Re:) Claiming Ballet. Edited by Adesola Akinleye. 172-188. Chicago: Intellect Press, 2021.
Book Chapter: “Developing the American Ballet Dancer: The Pedagogical Lineage of Rochelle Zide-Booth.” In Dance on Its Own Terms: Histories and Methodologies. Edited by Melanie Bales and Karen Eliot. Oxford University Press, 2013.
Journal Article: “Reflective Practice in the Ballet Class: Bringing Progressive Pedagogy to the Classical Tradition.” Journal of Dance Education 17.3 (2017): 99-105.
Journal Article: “On Dance Pedagogy and Embodiment.” Conversations Across the Field of Dance Studies 38. Society of Dance History Scholars. 2017. 17-20.
Journal Article: “Teaching Through Time: Tracing Ballet’s Pedagogical Lineage in the Work of Maggie Black.” Dance Chronicle 32.1 (2009): 57-88.
Selected Presentations/Podcasts
Podcast Interview: “Optimism.” Teacher of the Ear. Host Chris Friend. January 2022. Listen here.
Podcast Interview: “Ungrading Dance.” Lesson Impossible. Host Aviva Levin. June 2020/Dec 2021. Listen here.
Conference Presentation: “Grading Dancing: Fitting the Square Peg of Ballet into the Round Hole of University Assessment.” Presented at the CORPS de Ballet, International virtual conference, July 2020.
Podcast Interview: Beyond the Curriculum. Host Aaron Blackwelder. June 2020. Listen here.
Public Lecture: In the Liminal Space: Pedagogy at the Intersection of Our Ideals and Our Humanity. Presented as part of Temple University’s Dance Studies Colloquium series. November 2019.
Media Contributions/Interviews
Pointe Magazine. “It’s Time to Rethink These Common Corrections.” By Lauren Wingenroth. January 24, 2022.
Dance Magazine. “Do College Dance Department Rankings Matter?” By Garnet Henderson. February 2022.
The Chronicle of Higher Education. “The Redefinition of Rigor.” By Beckie Supiano. March 29, 2022.
The Chronicle of Higher Education Teaching Newsletter. “How do students want instructors to relate to them?” By Beckie Supiano. October 12, 2023.
Pedagogy Workshops: Facilitation, Consulting, Faculty Development
Workshops and consultations on pedagogies (in Dance and beyond) are tailored to the pedagogic needs of each program/institution. Please connect with me for details. Recent workshops include:
Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, UK
“Ungrading: Philosophies and Practices”
Presentation and discussion with MA cohort and faculty, March 2022
Presentation and discussion with Faculty and Staff, September 2022
University of Mississippi, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
“Facilitating Critical Thinking in Arts Disciplines: Pedagogies and Policy Designs”
Presentation and consultation with Arts faculty and administrators, February 2022
Texas Christian University, Koehler Center for Instruction, Innovation, and Engagement
“Grading Less, Learning More: Ethical Assessment Practices for Student Agency”
Pedagogy-in-Practice workshop for faculty co-facilitated with Jason Helms, September 2021
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Dance
“Dialogues on Agency in Dance”
Presentation and discussion with undergraduate students and faculty
April 2021