Shelese Douglas

I am a middle school dance educator at Heritage Middle School in the Wake County School District in Wake Forest. I have taught dance to youth in grades 5–12 in California, New York, and Durham North Carolina for the past six years. I love to see what the students create and how they make sense of the information that is presented to them. Though my classes are primarily movement based and move incredibly fast in 45 minutes, I seek out opportunities to challenge them to think and use multiple forms of communication: verbal, written expression, and kinesthetic action. My curriculum includes learning specific dance techniques, cultural and folk dances, and frequently integrates curricula from language arts, social studies, and science classes. Occasionally, I get the opportunity to include some theater activities also.

Raised on the west coast in Sacramento, California, I have a B.A. in Economics and Computer Applications from the University of Notre Dame and have completed an M.A. in Dance and Dance Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Besides dancing, I love to read, run, cook, watch foreign films, and travel. I still perform and choreograph locally with other dancers and dance educators.