Explore Movement
Halle Mathieson
Dancer, Instructor, Choreographer
The Short Story
Hi there, my name is Halle (she/her)! I'm an American girl living and working in Manchester, UK. I am incredibly passionate about all things creativity, dance, and dance education. I am a proud emerging artist and educator at the beginning of my journey, but am still keen to help others in any small way I can. I'm dedicated to maintaining a positive and encouraging community of artists and movers. To support this endeavor, I created a short podcast series titled Fostering Creativity and Building Community: a dance education podcast. It doubled as the creative element for my dissertation. You can find more information and podcast episodes themselves here on my website. Additionally, feel free to read and interact with the "Practice as Research" section of this website, which houses research contributing to the completion of my MA degree in Creative Dance Education.
If you'd like to chat inclusivity and accessibility or let me know what I can do better, please pop me an email at hallemathieson@gmail.com.
Happy Teaching!
The Long Story
Halle is a Pittsburgh-raised dancer, instructor, and choreographer. After discovering her passion for movement at Fairgrieve School of Dance, she began pre-professional training at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School. While attending LPPACS, she performed in The Nutcracker (2015), a professional production of West Side Story (2016), and premiered her first full-length choreographic work Broken Promises (2016).
Halle then went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance Performance from La Roche University (2020), primarily studying under the influential Maria Caruso. She graduated with Departmental Honors, receiving the Sister Genevieve Brandstetter Award for Leadership and Service in the Performing Arts. She was also a President's Award nominee. Halle is trained in ballet, musical theatre, jazz, modern, contemporary, improvisation, and commercial dance styles. She is a certified Bodiography Fitness and Strength Instructor.
Some of her choreography has been seen at Walk The Plank's "Green Space Dark Skies" Ilam Park event, onstage at the Byham Theatre in Pittsburgh, Little Lake Theatre, AHA 2019 Heart Walk, competed at Youth American Grand Prix, Flash-Mob-style on the streets of Pittsburgh, and at various other community events. Halle is most proud of a tribute piece choreographed in light of the tragic events at Tree of Life Synagogue.
Halle's teaching credits range from instructing fitness classes at Bodiography Center for Movement to multiple full-length musical productions for Act One Theatre School. She currently leads freelance community and creative dance classes in various spaces around Manchester (mostly in local primary schools), but can also be found delivering weekly musical theatre classes at Liminality Dance Collective. She acts as Creative Director for Liminality, alongside Xiaowei Lu. Halle previously taught after-school ballet classes in the Squirrel Hill area and contemporary classes at Allegro Ballet Academy in Pittsburgh.
Halle has recently obtained her Master of Arts degree in Creative Dance Education from the University of Salford (September 2021). While studying, she received the "International Student Award" through Salford's School of Arts & Media, chosen for her dedication and commitment to community dance work. Some of Halle's future goals include: performing in a Broadway show, choreographing/teaching/dancing in as many places as she can, appreciating stylistic influences from other countries and cultures, researching, and publishing written dance work. Eventually, Halle hopes to use her life experiences to teach dance at a University level.
For more information on Halle's teaching, choreography, and professional dance credits, click the link below to take a look at her extended CV.
Videos
Written Work
Research and Investigations
Using Dance to Heal The Body
This research (May 2020) investigates how simple dance movements can help to re-pattern and engage those affected by certain diseases and afflictions, particularly focusing on dance as a tool for patients with Parkinson’s disease.
Storytelling Through Dance Movement
This essay (Dec 2020), written as part of my MA degree in Creative Dance Education, addresses choreographic influences relevant to my dance practice and analyzes their effect both on myself as well as the wider dance world.
Sample Scheme of work (BTEC - cultural & creative dance)
This scheme of work (June 2021) was created as part of Teaching Strategy & Design in Dance module. Includes written rationale, aims/objectives/outcomes, 6-week scheme designed for BTEC dance students, and annotated lesson plan.
