Dance runs in Melissa Brading's family. Her mother was a dancer who introduced her daughter to the art form at an early age. With this family history plus a little inspiration from the “cool” dancers at the local mall, by age seven, Brading was enrolled in classes at a competition dance studio in her hometown of Topeka, Kansas.
After high school, she headed to the dance program at Oklahoma City University, eventually transferring to the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO), where she finished her undergraduate degree. At UCO, Brading discovered her style as a dancer. She found a love for modern and contemporary dance, and those disciplines became her focus. Brading gravitated toward these forms because she loved the way that they privledge the skillset of the individual rather than focusing on an ideal dancer: "I felt like modern and contemporary dance opened the door for me to figure out how my body moves and that it doesn't have to look like this [specific] person. That's interesting to me because it doesn't get boring."
After finishing her degree and driven by her passion, Brading began to work with the modern and contemporary company Ad Deum, located in Houston. Eventually she made her way to New York City, where she immersed herself in the dance scene and eventually started teaching with the Limón Institute, which educates students in techniques developed by renowned modern choreographer Jose Limón. Brading gravitated towards Limón technique because the principles can be transferred to any style of dance and even beyond: “I can relate the way they think and talk about movement to life.”
The classes Brading taught at Limón were open, meaning that students joined based on their schedules and interest. While still living in New York City, Brading traveled to UCO as a guest artist triggering her interest to work with students in a university setting, which would also offer her the opportunity to work with the same dancers on a consistent basis. After talking to one of her former teachers at UCO, she decided to pursue a master's degree.
It was meant to be. Brading sent in just one application to the school she knew she wanted to attend: the University of Michigan, where she was first on the waitlist. Finally, the good news arrived, and Brading rushed to Michigan in time for classes to begin.
While finishing graduate school, Brading discovered a posting for an Assistant Professor of Practice in Dance at Texas Tech. Although she did not have a previous connection to the school, she enjoyed her campus visit. She was excited about the prospect of working in a smaller department where she would be able to get to know all the dancers and was impressed with Interim Head of Dance Kyla Olson's leadership.
In her first semester at TTU this fall, Brading is teaching jazz, contemporary, and company classes. Next semester, she will teach classes in ballet and choreography in addition to contemporary and company. Of course, she especially enjoys teaching contemporary due to her background and passion for the style. She is excited by the variety of courses she will teach: “I enjoy being challenged to teach things that maybe I haven't taught in a long time.”
In the coming months, Brading is looking forward to setting work on the students for DanceTech and accompanying a group of them to the American College Dance Association Conference, which will be held at her alma mater, UCO. In the long term, she is also excited to get to know the students better and “see them shine in different capacities” across their classes and performance opportunities.
Brading hopes to unlock in students a “sense of curiosity.” She wants them to be curious about their body, the bodies of others, and the world around them. Brading believes that having this curious attitude will help prevent burnout.
Additionally, students have the advantage of experiencing the impact of Brading's research on her teaching. Her thesis explored the ideas of St. Teresa of Avila who described the soul's structure as an “interior castle.” Because the inner world affects the outer one, Brading is interested in theories and techniques that explore both. She plans to continue to work on ways to infuse these ideas into her teaching to create a holistic approach for students.
Those outside the dance program will also benefit from Brading's presence in Lubbock. Although Brading has engaged in dance and movement her entire life, she also enjoys teaching non-dancers.
“I've had a few occasions where I'm working with people in the community who've never danced before,” Brading says. “And finding ways to communicate movement to them and also seeing them discover things about their bodies and be creative is really exciting.”
Welcome to the faculty, Professor Brading!