As both a scientist and an avid dancer, I am always interested in combining science and art. Performing arts are unique in that it is a natural, universal, and jargon-free language to reach the public. Combining my two passions, I have developed an outreach program that teaches the public about animal behavior using dance as a tool.
One example of a dance I have made in collaboration with the Cornell Veterinary Dance Collective is Love on six (or eight) legs: a dance in two acts about the sexual selection theory [science program]. This dance uses movements and interactions to teach basic concepts and examples about the sexual selection theory.
One example of a dance I have made in collaboration with the Cornell Veterinary Dance Collective is Love on six (or eight) legs: a dance in two acts about the sexual selection theory [science program]. This dance uses movements and interactions to teach basic concepts and examples about the sexual selection theory.
In addition, performing arts is a wonderful tool to break the wall of the ivory tower and make scientific research more transparent and accessible to the public. I plan to use dance to educate the public about animal behavior research itself, the day-to-day activities of scientists, and the challenging issues scientists face.
In the future, I will collaborate with the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance at University of Minnesota as well as local dance studios to develop dance and theatrical programs targeted at both the general public and K-12 students. A few projects that are in line are:
In the future, I will collaborate with the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance at University of Minnesota as well as local dance studios to develop dance and theatrical programs targeted at both the general public and K-12 students. A few projects that are in line are:
- A dance about the amazing courtship behaviors of birds of paradise (http://www.birdsofparadiseproject.org)
- A dance about life of Mary Anning, the unsung hero of paleontology (https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/mary-anning-unsung-hero.html)
- A dance that aims to raise awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion issues in academia