Diana Dart Harris, M.S.
Department of Music, Theater, and Dance
College of Arts and Sciences
Education
M.S. in Exercise Science, Southern Connecticut State University
B.A. in Dance Education, Goucher College
About Diana
Diana’s passion for dance and her love for exercise science combine to create a unique approach to her teaching. Having technical training in ballet, modern, jazz, tap, and musical theatre dance, her focus is on creating healthy dancers who have greater body awareness and helping her students discover that everyone is truly a dancer.
Diana has taught and continues to teach technique classes in private studios and performing arts magnet schools, creative movement classes in Montessori schools, and general dance classes in outreach programs in public schools. She directed her own dance program, Dance Arts, from 1991-2001, created and implemented a dance curriculum for the Clinton Summer Schools program, has designed a curriculum that uses dance to teach geometry to elementary school students and another curriculum for using dance with children who are neurologically developmentally impaired. She enjoyed a long tenure at New Haven Ballet from 1992 – 2011, serving as Principal of the Guilford studio from 2004-2011 and acting as the Interim Artistic Director, directing the school’s Nutcracker in 2010 at the Shubert Theater in New Haven. Additionally, she has taught guest classes for Dance Masters of America, Eastern Connecticut Ballet, New England Ballet, Smith College and Albertus Magnus College.
Diana has over 30 years of experience in musical theatre, having worked as a director and in costuming as well as choreographing over 60 shows. Her college textbook, Beginning Musical Theatre Dance, will be published in December, 2015 by Human Kinetics. Her blog, The Healthy Dancer, combines her knowledge of dance and exercise science and seeks to aid the development of intelligent, thinking, healthy dancers and to draw attention to ways that dancers can improve their technique through cross-training, better nutrition and body awareness.
Diana serves on the board of Connecticut Dance Alliance, is the chairperson for the Shoreline Arts Alliance Dance Scholarship Committee and is a member of the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science.
At the University of New Haven, she teaches Fundamentals of Dance and Musical Theatre Dance and has the opportunity to serve as choreographer for the university’s musical productions.
Professional Affiliations & Honors
2015 Arts Standards Review Committee, Connecticut State Department of Education
2012-2013 Board of Directors, New England Ballet Company
2010-present Board of Directors, Connecticut Dance Alliance
2012-present International Association of Dance Medicine & Science, membership
2012 GFFE Grant Recipient, Learning Through Dance Project
Additional Qualifications/Skills
2014-2017 Connecticut Teacher Certification, Unique Endorsement 110, Dance
2014 Advanced Reiki Practitioner Certification
2013 Seminar in Autism Movement Therapy, New York, New York