Paul Dennis

Paul Dennis, Professor and Chair of Hunter Dance earned his BFA at the Juilliard School, and MFA at Purchase College, Conservatory of Dance. A former member of world-renowned José Limón Dance Company, his performing career includes performances with Jacob's Pillow Men’s Dancers: The Ted Shawn Legacy, a 1995 White House performance and the “White Nights Festival”, Palazzo Vecchio Salone De Cinquecento in Florence, Italy. In addition to Paul’s internationally touring solo concert, he has been in residence with Dance International, adjudicator for Certamen International de Choreografia, in Burgos, Spain, and guest artist/faculty at International Dance Association in Ravenna, CivitanovaDanza, Italy. He is a régisseur of masterpieces of Ted Shawn, José Limón, Pearl Primus, and Doris Humphrey, restaging works for numerous companies including Scuola di Ballo Accademia Teatro alla Scala, The Limón Company and The Rome Opera Ballet.

 

Paul’s current research, “Movement Intervention for Neurodegenerative Disease (MIND): Dance for Huntington’s Disease (DfHD) uses a highly refined understanding of the patterns of movement through Laban/Bartenieff Movement System (L/BMS). Beginning in 2012, he has been developing DfHD as an academic connection with regional health care campuses including Western Massachusetts Hospital and Tewksbury Hospital to collaborate in developing, expanding, evaluating and stabilizing the nontraditional intervention program for their residents living with HD. He mentors students who are interested in dance and fields of science, such as kinesiology, neuroscience and psychology, helping bridge the gap between the arts and sciences. Paul has presented DfHD lectures and classes at the Annual Huntington’s Disease Society of America’s Annual conferences as well as presented at the new virtual educational series for the HD community, “HDSA & Me: Educate. Engage. Empower.” Paul is the recipient of a 202 Huntington’s Disease Society of America, Human Biology Award to assess safety as well as cognitive and movement benefits of a weekly dance program for people with HD.