Assistant Professor - Teaching in African Dance

Wayne State University is searching for an experienced Assistant Professor - Teaching in African Dance at its Detroit campus location.

Wayne State is a premier, public, urban research university located in the heart of Detroit, Michigan where students from all backgrounds are offered a rich, high-quality education. Our deep-rooted commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity, diversity and inclusion creates exceptional educational opportunities which prepare students for success in a global society.

Essential functions (job duties):

DESCRIPTION: Located in the heart of Detroit’s Cultural Center, The Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance at Wayne State University is seeking a full-time, non-tenure track Assistant Professor of Teaching in dance with a teaching emphasis in the Africanist paradigm.

The ideal candidate is, first, excited to be in Detroit. Detroit's diverse culture has had both local and international influence, and the Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre & Dance has long played an integral part of city-based performing arts and community exchange. The ideal candidate will also have (a) a teaching praxis rooted within African and African-diasporic practices and (b) pedagogical expertise in weaving Africanist theory and history into their applied, studio practices. Preference will be given to individuals who have additional professional experience in pedagogy, choreography, artistic direction, and/or community art/activism.

RESPONSIBILITIES: The successful candidate will demonstrate an active and strong teaching praxis in African and African-diasporic dance techniques, choreography, and pedagogy. The successful candidate will also have experience choreographing and producing dance performances and/or community dance events.

Responsibilities include teaching BFA and BS dance course offerings at all levels, including but not limited to, African Dance I & II and African Diasporic Dance I & II. Responsibilities also include collaborating with the Black Theatre and Dance Collective as the acting director of an African dance company, which will succeed the department’s historic African dance company, To Sangana. The candidate may also participate as a collaborator with Freedom Players on social justice devised theatre touring ensemble.

The candidate will also be responsible for contributing to curriculum development initiatives at the undergraduate level, maintaining the Africana Theatre & Dance Minor, mentoring undergraduate students, attending faculty meetings, serving on department committees, and engaging with the Detroit community. The candidate may also have opportunities to choreograph work on students, manage repertory rehearsals, serve as artistic director on department concert productions, and organize guest artist residencies.

MAGGIE ALLESEE DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE & DANCE: The Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre & Dance serves as a creative incubator for the next generation of artists, thinkers and leaders in theatre, dance, and performance. While the department is grounded in praxis, it is committed to creating thinking artists who have strong foundations in theory, history, and performance studies.

The dance and theatre programs prepare students for professional careers as performing artists, choreographers, designer/technicians, directors, stage managers, administrators, and theorists within the urban, metropolitan context of Wayne State University. The Department of Theatre and Dance is committed to providing students the opportunity to develop within their disciplines through an extensive performance program that includes two major departmental dance productions, four student company dance productions, six departmental theatre productions, two student theatre productions, a student summer theatre company, and our community outreach performance companies that target the city and metropolitan area’s schools. Degrees offered by the department are a BS in Dance, BFA in Dance, BA in Theatre, BFA in Theatre (with concentrations), MA in Theatre and Dance – Teaching Artistry, MA in Arts Administration, and BFA in Theatre (with concentrations); Minors are offered in Africana Theatre and Dance, General Dance, General Theatre, Musical Theatre, Studio and Community Dance, Theatre Design and Technology, and Theatre Management.

The dance program at Wayne State University was established in 1928 and is one of the first U.S. dance programs in higher education. Since its establishment, the dance program has evolved to reflect its faculty’s pedagogical and artistic strengths. The Allesee Endowment provides extraordinary access to prominent national and international guest artists who stage repertory, create new work, and teach master classes throughout the academic year.

THE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY: As a university, we have a responsibility to uphold diversity as a value, and demonstrate commitment, through our policies and actions. Through our everyday activities and interactions, creative and scholarly practices, curricular design and teaching, and service and community engagement, we seek to create an inclusive institutional atmosphere that recognizes and celebrates the inherent value of a diverse campus community.

We are a university of access and opportunity, and we have a responsibility to demonstrate a commitment to our mission of providing access to an excellent and affordable college education. We are here to make our students’ lives and futures better. Financial aid avenues that help support this commitment are the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and Wayne State Guarantee (a tuition-free program open to all Pell Grant-eligible Michigan residents, as well as most families who earn less than $70,000) for first time students, and Michigan Reconnect for transfer pathways. In addition, the Detroit Promise award ensures that any eligible Detroit-resident student graduating from a high school in the city will have a tuition-free path to a bachelor's degree.

From debate to dance, jazz to journalism, and fashion design to center stage, our students create captivating performances, inspire artistic and academic excellence, and conduct innovative research on behalf of our Detroit community. The college’s alumni include a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and winners of and nominees for the Grammy, Emmy, Tony, Golden Globe, Obie, Screen Actors Guild and Caldecott awards.

Wayne State University is a Carnegie Tier 1 Research (R1) university enrolling more than 24,000 students in 350 undergraduate and graduate programs offered through the University’s 13 schools and colleges. Wayne State’s immediate neighbors in our Midtown Cultural Center include the Detroit Public Library, Detroit Institute of Arts, Michigan Science Center, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit Historical Museum, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and Detroit Opera Theatre. The vibrant Midtown and Downtown areas are also home to active theatres, galleries, professional sports stadiums, and entertainment venues ranging from Detroit Artist Market and the Fox and Fisher Theatres.

Qualifications:

QUALIFICATIONS: A terminal degree (Ph.D., MFA) in Dance or related disciplines is required. Experience with teaching dance technique, choreographing, and producing dance concerts and/or community dance events is also required. Candidates should demonstrate evidence of successful teaching for a minimum of three (3) years in a university or a professional educational venue. Candidates should be able demonstrate instructional versatility across various African diasporic forms by weaving Africanist theory and history into studio-based coursework. Candidates should demonstrate a commitment to teaching in higher education and a clear capacity to effectively communicate and collaborate with students, faculty, staff, and Detroiters from diverse backgrounds.

We look forward to working with a colleague who is eager to build upon the dance program’s legacy of African dance and feels supported by our Departmental Community Guidelines for Ethical Engagement.

APPLICATIONS: A letter of application, curriculum vitae, teaching philosophy and evidence of teaching effectiveness, portfolio or links to professional work samples, and a list of three references (including names, addresses and contact information) must be submitted through Wayne Talent at https://jobs.wayne.edu.

The search committee will begin reviewing applications on January 22, 2027. Applications remain open until the position is filled. The position begins August 18, 2027; salary is competitive and commensurate with experience.

Inquiries about the position may be directed to:

Dr. Ras Mikey Courtney

Dance Search Committee

Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance rasmikeyc@wayne.edu

School/College/Division:

H04 - Fine & Performing Arts

Primary department:

H0403 - Dance

Employment type:

• Regular Employee
• Job type: Full Time
• Job category: Academic/Faculty

Funding/salary information:

• Compensation type: Annual Salary

Working conditions:

This position must be filled pursuant to the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement, and as such may be filled by a qualified bargaining unit member, should one apply.

Job openings:

• Number of openings: 1

Background check requirements:

University policy requires certain persons who are offered employment to undergo a background check, including a criminal history check, before starting work. If you are offered employment, the university will inform you if a background check is required.