Dance and Dance Education
Davenport is a prolific choreographer, having created more than 40 new works since her arrival at HWS. Her choreography is featured on campus as well as at such venues as the Mulberry St. Theatre in New York City, CRS Barn in Ithaca, N.Y., School of the Arts in Rochester, N.Y., Conwell Dance Theater in Philadelphia, Smith Opera House in Geneva, N.Y., and many national dance conferences.
Davenport continues to perform professionally. Most recently, she performed in an outdoor music and dance revue, "Opera Cowpokes," in Cortland, NY, on June 17, 2007; then in a Master Artists Concert directed by Claire Porter at the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) Conference in Mobile, Alabama on June 24; then in "Bill Evan and Friends" at SUNY Brockport on August 11, performing "Inside the Box," a duet choreographed with Jeanne Schickler Compisi '96; then in The Rochester Contemporary Dance Collective's showcase of modern dance choreography on September 29, 2007, at the Bush Mango Drum and Dance Community Center in Rochester, NY.
After promotion to full professor, Davenport spent her sabbatical writing and performing. She served as guest editor for the winter 2006 issue of the Journal of Dance Education, "Effective Pedagogy for Dance Composition: New Insights and Perspectives," J. Michael Ryan Publishing.
Davenport in the News:
Press releases:
Interview opportunities and additional background information may be requested through the Office of Communications, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, New York. Phone: (315) 781-3540. After business hours, Communications staff members are accessible through contact information on their answering machine at that number.
Donna Davenport has taught dance at Hobart and William Smith Colleges since 1990. She received her B.A. in psychology and her B.F.A. in dance at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, her M.Ed. and Ed.D. at Temple University, and pursued post-doctoral study in dance science, composition, and technique at the American Dance Festival for three summers. Prior to her tenure at the Colleges she taught modern dance, ballet, and jazz dance technique at Temple University.
Davenport has written for several journals, including Education, Journal of Dance Education (JODE), and Impulse. She has conducted conference workshops on interdisciplinary teaching and on composition at several conferences, and served for five years as Book Review Editor for JODE. She also sits on the JODE editorial board and served on the Board of Directors of the American College Dance Festival Association.
Davenport is currently serving as the Associate Dean of Faculty in the Provost's Office.