The Department of Dance at Smith College invites applications for a three-year, benefits eligible faculty position of Musician in Dance to begin July 1, 2020. We seek an accomplished musician with substantial experience as an accompanist in a variety of dance technique courses, a strong record of artistic collaboration with dancers, the qualifications to teach music courses for dancers in the undergraduate and graduate curricula, technical knowledge of sound systems for dance studios and venues, and a vast and diverse knowledge of music and sound as the foundation for advising dance students’ choreographic work. Applicants must be in possession of a master’s degree, or, alternatively, a bachelors’ degree and extensive professional experience. Candidates from groups underrepresented in academia are encouraged to apply.

This non-tenure track faculty position is renewable every three years, subject to the needs of the College and job performance reviews. The Musician in Dance is a voting member of the faculty.

The Department of Dance serves dance major and minors, as well as the rest of the student population of the College, for which dance is a valuable component of a liberal arts education. The Department has a competitive M.F.A. program in Choreography and Performance. Together with the dance departments/programs of Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, we conform Five College Dance, a collective for inter-campus collaboration among dance students, faculty, and staff.  

Responsibilities

• Teaching one music course a year, alternating between the undergraduate course “Analysis of Music from a Dancer’s Perspective” and the graduate seminar “Dance, Music and Sound.” Content is tailored to the instructor’s areas of expertise and supports the Department’s mission of artistic innovation. The courses cultivate skills for formulating creative relationships between dance, music, and sound from the perspectives of choreography, improvisation, and performance. At the graduate level, there is an added emphasis on the philosophies and aesthetics of artistic collaboration and artmaking as research.
• Playing music with versatility and at a highly creative level for eight technique courses per year in ballet, contemporary dance, and improvisation.
• Academic advising of dance majors, dance minors, and pre-major students in the liberal arts.
• Mentoring students on the selection and use of music, sound, and related technology for choreographic projects, through individual conversations and participation in departmental showings of work in progress. Advice should extend across various genres/styles of music, in accordance to the varied aesthetics and artistic interests of our diverse artistic community. It may also comprise guidance on music/sound editing software such as Garage Band, Audacity, Adobe Audition CC, or similar.
• Monitoring the correct functioning of pianos and sound systems in dance studios and performance venues, as well as advising the Department on matters of audio technology and serving as a consultant for the Production Office and the staff of the Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts, as needed. 
• Producing creative work in collaboration with other faculty and artists as part of the artistic programming of the Department and the College.
• Contributing to the administration of the Department and the College through participation in meetings, auditions, committees, recruitment activities, program reviews, and other events.

Review of applications will begin on December 12, 2019. 

Located in Northampton, MA, Smith College is the largest women’s college in the country and is dedicated to excellence in teaching and research across the liberal arts.  The faculty of outstanding scholars interact with students in small classes, as advisors, and through student-faculty research projects. Smith College offers opportunities to foster faculty success at every career stage, such as those listed here: https://www.smith.edu/about-smith/provost/faculty-development.  The College is a member of the Five College Consortium with Amherst, Hampshire and Mt. Holyoke Colleges, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.  Students cross-enroll and faculty cross-teach across the Five Colleges. Details about the Department of X may be found at https://www.smith.edu/academics/dance

Diversity and a culture of equity and inclusion among students, staff, faculty, and administration are crucial to the mission and values of Smith College. We are an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, age, color, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression or veteran status in the recruitment and employment of faculty and staff, and the operation of any of its programs and activities, as specified by all applicable laws and regulations. Women, historically underrepresented minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Application Instructions

Review of applications will begin on December 12, 2019. Please submit the following application materials at  http://apply.interfolio.com/69818

• Cover letter
• CV
• 20-minute video sample of your work as an accompanist in a dance class (link to YouTube, Vimeo, Dropbox, Google Drive, or similar platform). This sample could be continuous footage of one class or an edited selection of various classes, but must adhere to the 20-minute limit
• One-page outline of content for an undergraduate course and, separately, a graduate course (half a page each).
• Three letters of reference

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Smith College is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, age, color, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression or veteran status in the recruitment and employment of faculty and staff, and the operation of any of its programs and activities, as specified by all applicable laws and regulations. Women, minorities, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.