Jennifer Mizenko, Professor

Jennifer Mizenko is a Professor of Movement for the Actor and Dance at the University of Mississippi, where she has run the Theater Department's dance program since 1989 and the movement program since 1996. Jennifer's duties include teaching jazz and modern technique classes, plus dance composition, dance appreciation, movement for the actor, and directing the university dance company, Mississippi: The Dance Company. Throughout her tenure at Ole Miss, Jennifer has continually enhanced her skills as a movement instructor. Graduating with a BA in Psychology from Kenyon College, and an MA in dance from The Ohio State University, Jennifer has gone on to combine these to areas of interest and bring them to her teaching and choreography. Her expanded studies have included period dance with Wendy Hilton and Richard Powers, plus the study of T'ai Chi with Maggie Newman. In 2001 Jennifer achieved certification as a teacher in the Alexander Technique at the Alexander Alliance in Philadelphia, PA and is a teaching member of Alexander Technique International. She was also certified as a Laban Movement Analyst at The Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies in New York City in the same year.

Her dance technique studies have been with Erick Hawkins, Susan Van Pelt, Heywood “Woody” Magriff, Chet Walker, and Ralph Lemon. Jennifer has taught Master Classes in Italy, England and throughout the United States. Her choreography has been recognized twice by the American College Dance Festival Association, for outstanding choreography and performance. In 2004 Jennifer was the project director for the Racial Reconciliation Choreography Project, commissioning choreographer Dwight Rhoden to create a new work based on racial reconciliation at The University of Mississippi and the Oxford/Lafayette, Mississippi, communities. The work created is entitled Before Now and After Then, and was selected by the National College Choreography Initiative/NEA and ACDFA to be performed at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in June 2004.

Jennifer has presented internationally at Laban and Alexander conferences and is recognized by the International Somatic Movement Educators and Therapists Association as a Registered Movement Educator. Her recent movement studies have been an investigation of Grotowski Physical Theatre, attending intensive training workshops in Poland and France. Jennifer is currently combining her knowledge of The Alexander Technique and Laban Movement Analysis, as well as Grotowski methods creating an exciting comprehensive approach for the training of dancers and actors. Jennifer currently serves the Chair of Alexander Technique International.

Contact Information

• Office Location: Isom 110
• Phone: (662) 915-5969
• E-Mail: jmizenko@olemiss.edu

Courses Taught

• Danc 153, 253, 353, 453 - Jazz I, II, III, IV
• Danc 152, 252, 352, 452 - Modern I, II, III, IV
• Danc 458 and 459- Concert Dance Repertory I and II
• Danc 450 and 455 - Dance Composition I and II
• Thea 210 and 211 - Sophomore Performance Studies I and II
• Thea 310 and 311 - Junior Performance Studies I and II
• Thea 410 and 411 - Senior Performance Studies I and II
• Thea 355 - The Alexander Technique

Areas of Specialization

• jazz, modern, dance composition, Alexander Movement Technique for the actor, Laban Notation for the Actor, movement and mask for the actor

Education

• BA (Kenyon College), MA (Ohio State)