Teaching is as central to Dana's practice as making work. As a tenured Professor of Dance at Saint Mary's College of California, she brings the same rigor and curiosity to the classroom that shapes her choreography. She also teaches open classes at Shawl-Anderson Dance Center in Berkeley, welcoming dancers from beginner to advanced. For Dana, teaching isn't separate from the artistic work; it's another way of investigating what movement can do and who it belongs to.

“Teaching, for me, is about guiding students toward a deeper relationship with alignment, breath, and the expressive capacity of their bodies. I start slowly, inviting grounding, curiosity, and clarity, and build toward movement that is fearless, musical, and deeply textured,” says Dana.

”Above all, my classroom is a space where each dancer is encouraged to bring their full self, intellect, instincts, vulnerabilities, power. We work hard, we sweat, we breathe, we research sensation, and we celebrate what becomes possible when the body is both disciplined and wildly alive.”