Evleyn Toh Paoli
Outstanding Teaching Assistant 2019-2020
Awarded by The Graduate School

Read Ms. Paoli's Teaching Philosophy

I believe a classroom is a special place, and the role of an educator should not be taken lightly. My dance background influences this perspective as a studio is a sacred space of learning, exploration, expression, and collaboration. In the dance studio, the teacher is both guide and mentor, holistically connecting with students, establishing a relationship of mutual respect. I bring this approach to all the classes I lead. Teaching excites me as I am passionate about my field of study. It is a privilege that I get to share what I love with my students. I feel great pride when I see my students integrate new information within their existing body of comprehension. As my students make connections, I, too, learn from their experience. It is this synergy that motivates me as an instructor and brings my classroom to life

As an educator in the field of dance, I prepare my students for continued growth beyond the collegiate level. I view mentorship as an important component of this role. As a mentor, I lead by example, holding myself to the same standards I set for my students, strengthening skills of self-motivation and critical thinking for life-long learning. In the dance studio, I am a guide, offering multiple approaches within the same lesson. I try not to dominate the learning process but instead offer suggestions that gently guide students in the right direction. This method gives the individual space and support in finding their unique artistic voice. My goal as a dance teacher is to help each student discover details that transform them into mature artists. When teaching dance, I utilize an approach that is influenced by my research in Chinese movement ideology, supported by further studies in somatic techniques. A principle concept of this approach is the consideration of the student’s subjective experience. This philosophy stems from a holistic understanding that there is no separation between a person’s intellect, physicality, and emotion. I, therefore, implement approaches that assist the student dancer in absorbing knowledge holistically. One such technique is the use of metaphors and imagery based on anatomical and kinesiological understanding. This somatic approach addresses the student’s embodiment of knowledge as a whole, encouraging true mastery, competency, and transformational learning.

Image from Paoli's Thesis Concert: Thus...She is Whole

The goal for students to integrate knowledge holistically is equally effective in a classroom setting. To support this philosophy of embodiment, I implement real-world experiences, tailoring lessons to help students succeed in the professional world. I view the classroom as an incubator for life. How students approach challenges within the class directly applies to how they tackle challenges in their careers. My lessons, therefore, emulate professional situations, providing a setting in which students practice the tools they may draw upon in the future. As the structure of my lessons builds on experiences, I lean towards alternative assessments. I assign purposeful projects and assignments guided by prompts that replicate tasks in the professional workplace. For example, students in my Senior Studio class write press releases, choreographic proposals, and biographies—documents familiar to professional choreographers. Even assignments in the dance studio gear towards the goals of the subject. Students in Ballet Technique IV perform a solo for their midterm and final, creating an experience that is not only a form of assessment but also practice for auditions. I challenge students to meet a professional standard, pushing them to perform at the fullest of their abilities. When I evaluate a student’s work, I look for quality and growth. My grading, therefore, takes into consideration the level of effort and the quality of execution.

Just as I encourage growth in my students, I, too, continue growing as an educator.  The strengths I currently bring to the classroom include an eye for detail and the ability to break down complicated concepts. Throughout my journey as a teacher, I’ve allowed interactions with students to mold my growth.  Approaching class with this mentality provides openness and flexibility to discover new techniques that increase my effectiveness as an educator.  I hope to inspire and encourage my students to find a passion for dance so that they may one day use their creativity to engage their community. I hope that my lessons not only teach them to be good artists but wholesome human beings. Through the medium of dance, lessons of commitment, openness, respect, sensitivity, adaptation, honesty, and collaboration are embedded within my classroom. Dance is a celebration of the organic and humanistic, and I hope that in sharing my passion, I will make a positive contribution to my students.

Evelyn performs Andy Noble's Fragment in Dance Spectrum

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SHSU Dance meets A.I.
Spring 2020 Collaborative Process

Dance faculty members Andy and Dionne Noble collaborate with Jeremy Stewart, a doctoral student from the Electronic Arts program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, to research the interactive capabilities of Dance and Artificial Intelligence technology. The choreographers and dancers will work with Stewart in concentrated periods during the Spring semester to create an immersive dance experience whereby a select group of audience members will be invited onstage to travel through a "training program" that mirrors the steps A.I. takes to learn from the human body in motion.

This creative research project aims to increase our understanding of how an interactive multimedia dance performance setting can inform the way we think about the body and movement in light of the continued rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies.

Stewart also had an opportunity to work with the MFA in Dance students in Professor Shorter's Dance and Technology course. During the workshop, students learned about A.I. software that can generate interactive video in real-time in response to performer movement and position on stage. The following clip shares a composition created by the students' engagement with the system. 

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