Focus on the Faculty: Lisa Fusillo

Professor of dance in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, Lisa Fusillo loves seeing students thrive and excel, and witnessing their successes as artists and as individuals, is her greatest joy:

My favorite courses are dance history, ballet technique, pointe and First-Year Odyssey seminars. These topics encompass everything that I love to teach! My teaching is greatly informed by my professional experience and training in classical ballet, so the ballet and pointe courses are an opportunity for me to share my passion, embodied knowledge and artistry. From enthusiastic beginners to experienced dancers, I am always excited to watch dance students grow and progress in their technique training, as well as in their understanding of dance, and in the self-confidence and self-awareness that a dance experience can provide.

While the dance studio is the center of art training and art making, dance history is my second passion. For me, the examination of dance history and theory goes hand-in-hand with the creative practice. I work hard to find new ways to challenge and invigorate students in dance history studies, including employing new teaching practices such as Reacting to the Past. Through involving students in my own research projects, I hope to entice them to become as excited about dance history as I am and to encourage their own journeys in research exploration.

I also love teaching the First-Year Odyssey seminars and getting to know and help guide new first-year students outside of my discipline. I have created new FYO courses every year and use that opportunity to focus on one particular topic that is often directly related to my current research project. It is so rewarding to have students from previous FYO classes come back and talk about how that one seminar had an impact on their experience at UGA.

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