MANDI TAYLOR

Mandi Taylor grew up in Twin Falls Idaho where she started dancing at the age of fifteen in the styles of hip hop, tap, contemporary, and jazz. She studied dance at the College of Southern Idaho where she furthered her training and education in Classical Jazz, Contemporary Ballet, and Modern (Limon and Cunningham). She choreographed and performed with contemporary based company, Inspirata Dance Project under the direction of Cynthia Jones. She went on to Idaho State University where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance, training in the styles of West Coast Jazz, Vaganova Ballet, Modern (Humphrey-Limon and Cunningham), and Contemporary (Release and Bartenieff Informed). There, she was the President of the Idaho Student chapter of the National Honors Society for Dance Arts, and the student representative for the Idaho Dance Education Organization. She also had the opportunity to perform and choreograph works for the adjudicated concert at the American College Dance Association's Northwest Regional Conferences. Outside of the university, she danced with the adult community dance group The Company. After graduating, she moved to Utah where she taught at Bravo Arts Academy, and performed and choreographed with Body Logic Dance Company. 

Recently, Mandi graduated with her MFA in Dance at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in the School of Dance. There, she studied dance pedagogy, choreographic methods, Screen dance, and Safety Release Technique. Mandi was a recipient of the College of Visual and Performing Arts Summer 2019 Research Summer Stipend and the 2020-2021 Kristina Larson Award. She was also awarded a Graduate Teaching Associate which allowed her to teach various techniques and dance history to undergraduate students. Her research on dance and ageing was featured in the Graduate School's 2020 Research Expo. Her Thesis "We Interrupt This Program" explored the use of interruption as a creative practice to engage audiences in participative performance. Mandi was also involved in the student group the Association of Graduate Students in Dance, and served as President in her final year.