Stories are among our most potent tools. We need to unearth old stories that live in a place and begin to create new ones. We are story makers, not just story tellers. All stories are connected, new ones woven from threads of the old. (Paraphrased – Robin Wall Kimmerer)
Join ARENA DANCES every Thursday lunch break for new podcasts, hosted by Artistic Director Mathew Janczewski. This series will share the histories of notable Twin Cities dance artists and the evolution of the industry’s landscape through time. Each week will feature a new guest of honor, sharing their story and impact on this gem of an arts town.
— Our special guest this week is Julie Kerr-Berry —
To listen to previous episodes, click HERE!
More about today’s special guest –
Julie Kerr-Berry retired in 2023 after 35 years at Minnesota State University, Mankato (MSUM). In 2020, she became chair of the Department of Theatre & Dance. Throughout her tenure, she helped to build multiple degrees in Dance. Julie is Editor Emerita of the Journal of Dance Education. Her scholarly publications focus on the intersections of dance, race, and history specific to whiteness. Recently she was named of Minnesota Dance Educator of the Year and was the recipient of a Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award at MSUM (2019). From the National Dance Education Organization, she received a Top Paper Citation (2011), an Outstanding Leadership Award (2012), Executive Director’s Award (2020), and Presidential Award for dedication to the National Dance Education Organization’s, Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Project/JDEI Project (2022). The American College Dance Association (ACDA) recognized her creative research. War Story was the 2nd Alternate for ACDA’s 2014 National Dance Festival at the Kennedy Center. Julie taught in a federal prison for women which she hopes to continue. As a Fulbright Scholar in Indonesia, she became an advocate of international dance education, which later motivated her travels to Nigeria, Australia, New Zealand, Cuba, and France. In France, Julie co-led a study abroad course to Paris and Dijon on several occasions where students danced, performed, traversed both cities, and the French countryside. She is an avid practitioner of Vinyasa yoga. Currently, she is writing a book that is a cultural critique of American dance history through the lens of whiteness. Julie earned her EdD and MEd in Dance from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA.
Missed last week’s episode? You can find all our previous interviews by clicking here!