April 6, 2020

Stephanie Giuliani is a senior dance major on the physical therapy track minoring in Somatics and Philosophy. Stephanie, originally from Duluth Minnesota where she studied classical ballet at the Minnesota Ballet School and Pre-Training Program, came to Drexel interested in exploring other dance forms and how movement can be a part of performance, creation, education, and health.

Since her first year, Stephanie has performed with Drexel’s FreshDance company and Drexel Dance Ensemble (DDE) directed by Dr. Miriam Giguere working with professional choreographers such as Lindsay Browning, Jennifer Morley, Sandra Parks, KC Chun-Manning, Beau Hancock, Daniel Mayo, Dinita Clark, and Jung-eun Kim. Stephanie has also recently performed at the Pearlstein Gallery throughout Janurary and February in a improvisational structure created by Brendan Fernandes. In addition to performance, Stephanie has also has choreographed on DDE two times exploring a blending of her dance background with the new skills and styles she has gained at Drexel.

As well as knowing the joys of dance on stage, Stephanie also has a strong connection to teaching and sharing movement. She has taught as a dance teacher at the Dornsife center working with people from 4 to 80 years-old, participated in Drexel’s Touring Ensemble that performs at elementary schools, and worked on choreography with students at the Vare-Washington School through Drexel’s Youth Performance Exchange.

In addition to dance, Stephanie also teaches Pilates and swimming at the Drexel Pilates studio and the Drexel Recreational Center. In June 2019, Stephanie completed Drexel Pilates’ 450-hour instructor certification under the direction of Jennifer Morley. As this love for somatic practice and pedagogy continued, Stephanie had the opportunity to present at Bill Evans Somatics Conference in Geneva NY the summer of 2019 on the overlap between Pilates somatic foundations and how to apply them in the water.

Combining interests has been a continued goal in Stephanie’s path, including the overlap of her Pilates training with her anatomy and science classes designed for her pre-physical therapy track. Together these supported her 6-month co-op in New York City where she worked with therapists at Neurosport Physical Therapy giving her insight into questions about how somatic practices, kinesiology and healing can intersect.

Before applying to graduate school for physical therapy, Stephanie plans to pursue dance in New York City after her graduation in June 2020.