Westphal College of Media Arts & Design

Jennifer Morley is an Associate Teaching Professor and the Somatics coordinator in the Drexel University dance program. She is the Director of both the Drexel Pilates studio and the 450-hour Drexel Pilates training program. She is the coordinator of the Somatics minor. Her scholarship is highly focused on both existing and emerging embodied practices and the cultures and value systems from which they emerge. Jennifer is dedicated to anti-racist pedagogy and active inclusion.

Her specific work in the Pilates method has been centered on the deconstruction of the biomechanics of the classical repertoire. This practice is reflected in the 400-page training manual she authored and utilizes in the training program. This approach, partnered with exploration of the kinetics of dynamic stabilization and a love of full-bodied expressive movement create the foundation of her dance pedagogy.

Jennifer’s choreographic research is focused on the development of archetypal movement modes as a starting point for the creation of inhabited landscapes. Utilizing the Jungian understanding of archetypes as energies that reflect innate tendencies that mold and transform individual consciousness that live in all humans across time, space, and culture, she works to develop movement motifs that connect to lived experiences.

Her work was most recently presented at the Somatic Dance conference in Geneva New York and at the Cardell Dance Studio in Philadelphia. She has had a two-year choreographic residency at Philadelphia’s Community Education Center and been the recipient of multiple New Stages for Dance grants through Dance USA Philadelphia and the Pew Center for Arts and Culture.

Jennifer is invested in the development and support of community. She teaches mindfulness workshops throughout the University and beyond. She developed a community-based yoga course, through which she was able to study trauma informed care at the Kirkbride Center behavioral health care facility.

Her background includes Pilates certifications from Romana Kryzanowska (Romana’s Pilates) and Karen Carlson (Pineland Pilates) and multiple yoga certifications including a dynamic flow certification from Alex Holmes. She is working toward a Dynamic Embodiment certification from Dr. Martha Eddy and holds select certifications in the Franklin Method. Drexel Pilates has been highlighted in Dance Magazine, Pilates Style Magazine, and Drexel Quarterly. Interviews with Jennifer have been published on DanceAdvantage.net and the Gratz Industries International newsletter. Jennifer’s performance background includes work with Keith Thompson/ danceTactics, Olive Prince Dance, and Deborah Goffe’s Scapegoat Garden. Through danceTactics, Jennifer taught master classes at Duke University and at the American Dance Festival in North Carolina. She was the recipient of a 2020 Rocky Award.

BA in Dance, English, and American Literature, Minor in Theatre; Hofstra University, Summa Cum Laude
MFA in Performance; Temple University, Summa Cum Laude, Rose Vernick award winner
Diploma in Dance; Laban Center London, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance

Certifications
The Franklin Method: Art of the Plie - Certification as part of 5-day training in Dynamic Anatomy for Peak Performance in Dance
BodyMind Dance - First of two phases of certification in amalgam of Laban Movement analysis, Bartineff Fundamentals and Body-Mind Centering
Pilates Method Alliance CPT - Accredited Pilates instructor through an internationally recognized professional association for Pilates teachers
Community Based Learning Faculty Workshop - 3-day workshop of foundational expectations to teach a course utilizing the side-by-side community-based learning course format
Pineland Pilates Master Teacher Certification Program - 3-Year Master Certification in the Pilates Method
Dhyana Yoga Dynamic Flow Immersion - Dynamic Flow yoga teacher training
Pilates, Inc. Teacher Certification Program - 600 hour certification in Authentic Pilates Exercise with Romana Kryzanowska
Hatha Yoga Certification - 200-hour certification in Hatha Yoga

Select Peer-Reviewed Presentations
2021 “Sharing Perspectives: Reimagining Representation and Equity in Dance Science and Somatic Education.”
Dance Science and Somatic Educators Virtual Conference Series

2019 “Feeding the Phrase: How to Nourish your Dance Pedagogy.”
Emerging Pathways within Somatic Movement and Dance Education, a Special Topics Conference between the National Dance Education Organization and the International Somatic Movement Education & Therapy Association.
New York, New York

2019 “A Comprehensive Dancer Wellness Program: Improving Access & Wellness Care for the Collegiate Dancer.”
International Association for Dance Medicine & Science Conference
Montreal, Canada

Poster presentation with Drexel Physical Therapist Maria Benedetto on the ongoing collaboration between dance, Pilates, and physical therapy at Drexel.

2018 “Enter to Dance. Enter to Heal.”
Somatic Dance Conference and Performance Festival Geneva, NY

A presentation reflecting on current research on where trauma exists in the body and how I saw this play out when teaching yoga to students recovering from opiate addiction.

2018 “Clearing the Path: Pilates Fundamentals for Peak Performance.”
Somatic Dane Conference and Performance Festival Geneva, NY

A presentation involving 6 students during which we looked at how Pilates movement fundamentals support efficient performance of dance phrase material.

2017 “Archetypal Modes”
Somatic Dance Conference and Performance Festival Geneva, NY

Workshop exploring archetypal energies and how they can be used as a framework for the development of various movement practices.

2016 “Refining the Powerhouse Through Tactile Cuing”
Drexel Pilates and Gratz Industries Classical Pilates Conference Philadelphia, PA

A workshop looking at the anatomy of the abdominals and pelvic floor and how to best support recruitment of that musculature through tactile cuing.

2016 “Teaching on Your Growing Edge”.
Gratz Conference Philadelphia, PA

A workshop built for Pilates instructors to identify familiar patterns in teaching and to have an opportunity to change voice, physicality, and cuing to “try on” a new approach to teaching the Pilates material.

2016 T3 “Movement in Mind”
Drexel ExCite Center Philadelphia, PA

5-minute presentation on “Movement in Mind”, a project that explores the human performance, perception, and memory of expressive and skilled movement in the domains of martial arts and Pilates, combining cognitive science, research, motion capture, and eye tracking technology.

2016 Application of Developmental Movement to Pilates Geneva, NY

In this workshop I organized a Pilates class to best reflect the developmental movement principles as they are highlighted by Imgard Bartenieff.

2015 “Moving out of Flexion in the Pilates Mat Work”
National Dance Educators Organization Conference Phoenix, AZ

A presentation implemented with 2 additional Pilates Instructors teaching and performing modifications that move Pilates out of spnal flexion.

2015 T3 “Dance, Pilates, and PT: A Collaboration for Dancer Health”
Drexel ExCite Center Philadelphia, PA

5-minute presentation on the Dance/Pilates/ Physical Therapy cycle of treatment of dancers in the Drexel Dance Ensembles.

2014 “Dance, Pilates, and PT: A Collaboration for Dancer Health”
National Dance Education Organization Chicago, IL

Presented with Sarah Wenger and Dr. Miriam Giguere on the Dance/Pilates/ Physical Therapy cycle of treatment of dancers in the Drexel Dance Ensembles.

2008 “An Equal Playing Field: Dance for All”
American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
Philadelphia, PA

A ninety-minute presentation addressing Moston Musska’s principles and focusing on empowering students of all ages and abilities to dance and move together without judgment.

2007 “Pilates for Kids”
American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance National Conference Baltimore, MD

A one-hour presentation with Dr. Victoria Morley on practical usage of Pilates in the classroom.

My research is centered on both existing and emerging embodiment practices and the cultures or value systems from which they emerge. I seek a deep understanding of how movement practices present opportunities for physical rigor, as well as healing and connection for individuals and communities. My pedagogy utilizes multiple movement modes to facilitate meaningful embodied experiences. My own daily mindfulness and somatic practices are a source of rich information and a primary resource for my overall scholarship.

My specific work in the Pilates method has been centered on the deconstruction of the biomechanics of the classical repertoire. This practice is reflected in the 400-page training manual I authored, which outlines the entire Pilates Method from this viewpoint. This approach, partnered with exploration of the kinetics of dynamic stabilization, create an important component of my dance pedagogy. Mindfulness practices, yoga, and somatic frameworks are each central elements of my body of work.

My choreographic research is focused on the development of archetypal movement modes as a starting point for the creation of inhabited landscapes. Utilizing the Jungian understanding of archetypes as energies that reflect innate tendencies that mold and transform individual consciousness that live in all humans across time, space, and culture, I work to develop movement motifs that connect to lived experiences.

Westphal College 2020 Research & Creative Works Showcase
Presentation on Embodiment Culture starts at 39 minutes 

House on Fire
This work attempts to embody the teenage archetype, drawing inspiration from Malala Yousafzi, Greta Thunberg, and Emma Gonzalez, all of whom attempted to change the world as teenagers.
Archetype: Teenager

Her Lost and Crinkled Magic
A video adaptation of a staged work called “We Wouldn’t Want the Moon to Fly Away” supported by a grant from Westphal College and performed my members of the Drexel Dance Ensemble.
Archetypal Mode: The Magical Child
Password: Magic

The We Vignettes
This piece, performed by Drexel’s FreshDance Ensemble, is an expansion of a section of Jennifer Morley’s\\ MFA thesis concert, Literal Translation.