M.F.A. - University of North Carolina-Greensboro

Modern Dance Technique, Dance Composition and Improvisation, Somatics, Pilates, Gyrokinesis, Dance History, and Choreography

Marianne Adams began teaching at Appalachian as a graduate assistant in dance in 1982, while pursuing an MA in Clinical Psychology. She received her MFA in Choreography and Performance from UNC-Greensboro, in 1990. She has coordinated the dance program, co-directed the Appalachian Dance Ensemble, and has received numerous grants in support of her choreographic work. Over the years, stemming from a love of the new and unknown, she has added over 25 new courses to the dance curriculum at Appalachian.

Marianne is a founding member of the Appalachian Expressive Arts Collective and was recently an Artist in Residence at the European Graduate School for Expressive Arts in Seas Fee, Switzerland. She is one of the co-authors of the book, Expressive Arts Therapy: Creative Process in Art and Life, and is also a published poet. She has worked in therapeutic movement in several mental health settings and is on the Graduate faculty for Expressive Arts and Bodywork.

In 1996, Marianne began an intensive study of Pilates leading to certification by Romana Kryzanowska. In 2005, she co-founded The Pilates Teacher Training Program at Appalachian. She is also certified in Gyrokinesis and Gyrotonic, systems of bodywork developed by Julio Horvath.