Zeller’s first book, Shapes of American Ballet, explored training methods employed before George Balanchine, the “father of American ballet.” Photo: Joyce Marshall
Jessica Zeller, associate professor of dance in the School for Classical & Contemporary Dance (SCCDance), has published her second book, “Humanizing Ballet Pedagogies: Philosophies, Perspectives, and Praxis for Teaching Ballet.”
In this insightful work, Zeller explores how humanistic approaches are critical to the development of 21st century ballet pedagogies. She aims to transcend ballet’s exclusionary history and advocate for a shift in the traditional hierarchy, empowering students as essential drivers of collaborative and human-centered work.
Jessica Zeller is an expert on the art of teaching ballet. Photo: Joyce Marshall
“In the face of ballet’s notorious history of authoritarian teaching approaches, I suggest in this book that what I call ‘student-driven’ pedagogies are a more equitable, humanizing alternative,” shared Zeller. “These approaches draw from and support students’ individual strengths, bodies, experiences and identities — their whole selves — in myriad ways, while providing a meaningful purpose for the work of teaching and learning.”
To celebrate the release of her book, Zeller will host a book launch featuring a panel discussion with SCCDance faculty and students on Tuesday, April 8.
“I wrote Humanizing Ballet Pedagogies as a means for thinking about the whys and hows of teaching,” explained Zeller. “The human-level, moment-to-moment interactions between teachers and students offer a rich gray area for pedagogical thinking and development.”
This year, she also plans to organize readings, faculty-student workshops, classroom visits and discussions centered around the key themes explored in her book.