Lawrence Jackson
Dance School Instructor
Lawrence M. Jackson is an Associate Professor of Dance at The George Mason University School of Dance. Prior to his tenure at GMU, Lawrence served as the Associate Chair of Dance, Associate Professor of Dance, Director of Graduate Studies, Artistic Director of the Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre, Dance Alabama!, The MFA Dance Concert, and Dance Collection within the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Alabama.
Professionally, Lawrence devoted several years with the internationally acclaimed modern dance company, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble. Additionally, he has performed as a guest artist in a variety of concert dance venues. Most recently, Jackson performed I Walk with Spirit at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. Choreographically, he has produced over 95 original choreographic works. Most recently, Lawrence choreographed an off-Broadway production, Separate and Equal, which was subsequently nominated for an AUDELCO Award for Best Choreography.
As a scholar, he has published in scholarly journals in the field of Black Dance. Most notably, he authored, co-edited and published a special edition devoted to Black Dance in the Journal of Pan African Studies, the second occurrence in history, where an academic journal edition was committed solely to Black Dance. He currently serves on the editorial board of Siyabonana: The Journal of Africana Studies and was recently awarded The University of Alabama’s President’s Faculty Research Award for a Mid-Career Scholar.
Jackson has served as a guest artist/choreographer/master teacher at the Rhode Island College, University of Michigan, California State University Northridge, University of Nevada Las Vegas, University of Florida, University of Wyoming, Alabama State University, Brenau University, University of Northern Colorado, West Virginia University, Western Wyoming Community College, Dancer’s Workshop, Ballet Society of Colorado Springs, Red Mountain Theatre Company, Gus Giordano Dance School, The International Association of Blacks in Dance, Men in Motion, Wichita School of Performing Arts, American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive, Alabama Dance Festival, Chicago National Association of Dance Masters, International Association of Blacks in Dance, Florida Dance Festival, Tennessee Dance Festival, Alabama Dance Festival, American College Dance Association, Academic and Performing Arts Complex, University of Alabama Opera House, Gulf Coast Dance Alliance, Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre, Snowy Range Summer Dance Festival and West Virginia University Summer Dance Festival.