Kara Cea

Title: Special Lecturer
Dept/Program: School of Dance, Theater, and Arts Administration
Office: Guzzetta Hall 398L
Phone: 330-972-7989
Email: kms140@uakron.edu

Biography

Kara Cea is a graduate of The University of North Carolina School of the Arts and earned her B.A. in Psychology, B.F.A. in Dance, and M.A. in Arts Administration from the University of Akron. She performed as a member of The Ohio Ballet, The Eliot Feld Ballet, Long Island Dance Theater, The Washington Opera, Toledo Opera, and The Cleveland Opera companies. Kara is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the School of Dance, Theater and Arts Administration at The University of Akron and the Founder and Executive Director of ArtSparks, an educational outreach program that brings dance to non-traditional arts participants and individuals with disabilities. Her research, which has been presented at The Kennedy Center, has focused on using the arts to develop social, emotional, and behavioral competence and the ways in which the arts may minimize impulsive behavior in individuals with developmental disabilities. Kara is currently working with The Center For Arts Inspired Learning to design a professional development series for teaching artists who work in K-12 settings. She was the proud recipient of the 2016 Arts Alive! Outstanding Arts Administrator Award and serves on the Board of Directors of NEOS Dance Theatre and Summit Art Space.

Education

• BA, Psychology, The University of Akron
• BFA, Dance, The University of Akron
• MA, Arts Administration, The University of Akron

Courses

Ballet V, VI, VII, VIII

Pointe I & II

Partnering

Learning Theory for Dance

Instructional Strategies for Dance

History of Ballet

Dance History: 20th Century

Viewing Dance

Dance Orientation

Senior Seminar