Dance Program Hosts Ann Cooper Albright: Dance, Author and Scholar

Written by: Madelyn Moore, May 2026

With “rambunctious energy” and flowing silver hair, Ann Cooper Albright moved through the studio with a presence that immediately captivated the dancers around her.
 
Invited to campus by Holly Jaycox, Dance Program Coordinator, Albright taught multiple classes in the Dance Program, as well as workshops for Purdue Contemporary Dance Company and the Contact Improvisation Gathering, an event that drew 50 dancers and teachers from across the Midwest.

Ann has been sharing her newest book, about postmodern dancer and improvisor Simone Forti, through a ‘performative reading’. In this event presented on the Hansen Theatre stage on March 26, she included a performance of The Huddle, a work created by Forti in the 1960s which has been brought to life around the world in the years since. Students in the Contact Improvisation class (DANC 26100) as well as dancers from the Contact Improvisation Club had the privilege of participating in this living historic work of art, a piece that is owned by the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. It is one of several of Forti’s improvisational dance scores purchased by MOMA and the only one that is allowed to be reproduced without permission. (See the photo of The Huddle in performance.)
 
“The students were inspired by her passion, and curious about the ideas and concepts she shared,” Jaycox said. “Students have referenced her impact on them multiple times in class since she was here.”
 
While on campus Albright shared many aspects of dance coming from her perspectives on how dance can offer the ‘Three R’s:  Responsiveness, Resistance and Resilience. In both her teaching and her writing, Albright emphasizes the role of embodiment in helping empower students to connect with their communities and engage with making change in the world
 
Albright taught a class that integrated the gestures of writing with the movement in our bodies, and in Dance for the Camera she introduced Loie Fuller, the first dancer credited with using technology in her performances.
 
Jaycox said bringing in a celebrated guest artist helps reengage students who may become accustomed to hearing the same instructor every day. “They can take their instructors for granted,” Jaycox said. “Bringing in a guest wakes students up and causes them to pay more attention and engage more deeply with the course’s subject matter.”

 Students also learned how dance can support personal growth and help them navigate challenges beyond the studio. “We learned how we can show up with fierceness and gentleness when needed, and how we can practice this in our dancing,” Jaycox said.
 
Jaycox was pleased that the Department of Theatre and Dance could host such an esteemed dancer and scholar. Ann Cooper Albright has written five books, taught nationally and internationally, hosted the 50th Anniversary of Contact Improvisation at Oberlin College, and continues to dance and do scholarly research. Her work has been supported by the NEA, NEH, ACLS, The Guggenheim Foundation, the Jerome Foundation, and the Ohio Arts Council. In 2025 she was presented the Outstanding Scholarly Research in Dance award from the Dance Studies Association.
 
Looking ahead, Jaycox hopes to continue bringing distinguished guest dancers like Albright to Purdue, giving students the opportunity to learn from nationally recognized artists and educators.

 (Photos courtesy Holly Jaycox and Ann Cooper Albright)