about

RASHANA PERKS SMITH

Rashana Perks Smith is a dance artist and educator who presents immersive, generative, and collaborative performance works that examine human connections and community. As the artistic director of Motor Dance, she has produced and performed original choreography and conducted workshops and master classes nationwide. Her work has been funded by the Coca Cola Critical Difference for Women Award, the OSU Alumni Grants for Graduate Research and Scholarship, and by OSU’s Department of Dance through the Chair’s Discretionary Fund and the Vera J. Blaine Special Project Fund.

Smith authored the Vera J. Blaine Choreographic Resources website as archival documentation of the teaching methods of Vera J. Blaine and as an online teaching tool for dance educators. Smith is a co-author of merrygogo.com, an interactive, archival site detailing the creative process and choreography of movement artist, Maree ReMalia. Smith also worked with Lise Worthen-Chaudhari at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in the Motion Analysis and Recovery Lab. Her main research explored the ways in which technology, art, and movement studies combine to create interactive, computer-based rehabilitation.

Smith received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance at University of Texas at Austin and her Master of Fine Arts in Dance with a focus on Choreography and Technology at The Ohio State University. While at OSU, she taught dance composition as well as modern and jazz dance techniques. She has also taught ballet and social dance techniques, history and kinesiology courses at Wittenberg University and is currently Assistant Professor at Ohio Wesleyan University teaching dance composition, dance history, and dance techniques. She also teaches an honors tutorial Interfacing Bodies and Technology and serves as the Artistic Director for the annual Ohio Wesleyan University dance concert.