Hannah Thomas, School of

Hannah Thomas

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF DANCE

BY JOSH GREN, COMMUNICATIONS, SCHOOL OF MUSIC AND DANCE PHOTO BY DUSTIN WHITAKER, UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Wandering the halls of the University of Oregon’s Gerlinger Annex, absorbing the kinetic energy produced by a building full of dancers, is a visceral experience—enough to make one dream of a life in the performing arts.

Among the School of Music and Dance faculty members guiding these dancers to their dreams is Hannah Thomas, a new assistant professor of dance. Her dynamic personality and unique performance experience made her the right person to join the faculty and launch a bachelor of fine arts in dance degree program last fall. It’s the first dance BFA in Oregon and the first in the nation with equal emphasis on dance rooted in Eurocentric forms and those of the African diaspora, the worldwide collection of communities descended from native Africans.

Thomas specializes in hip-hop and choreography, incorporating still moments, theatrical expressions of the body, large ensembles, solos, and music that directs the movement.

“I have two goals for inspiration when creating work,” Thomas says. “The first is that the dancers are inspired to build trust and community with each other and themselves. The second is that the audience is moved. Every person may not feel the same thing, but my hope is they are engaged and along for the ride.”

A MOVING INVITATION

Thomas created Duck Jam, a showcase of student hip-hop dancers open to the public (7 p.m., June 1, Gerlinger Annex, 1484 University Street). “I curated the event for students to be seen by each other, the UO community, and Eugene at-large, and to experience a more authentic reflection of hip-hop culture,” Thomas says. She invites everyone to engage in the creative process, no matter what side of the curtain they’re on: “Be present, converse on the topic, and support the work.”