Jen Guy Metcalf

Associate Professor of Dance

Center for the Arts, Office 110 2800 Campus Box Elon, NC 27244

Brief Biography

Jen Guy Metcalf is an Associate Professor of Dance in the Department of Performing Arts at Elon University. She is a choreographer, dancer, filmmaker, and scholar. Her research interests include ballet pedagogy, dance technology, and dance for individuals living with Parkinson's Disease. Metcalf’s creative research focuses on producing innovative choreography and dance film work.

Metcalf has taught a variety of courses while mentoring students in the Elon College Fellows, Honors Fellows and Lumen Scholars programs. She often serves as a guest artist for professional dance companies and dance schools where she teaches and choreographs. She has been a guest at Florida Southern College, Weaver Academy, Penn-Griffin School of the Arts, Jacksonville University, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, New Bern Ballet, Sallie B. Howard School of the Arts, Southwest Virginia Ballet, Goldsboro Ballet and Florida Dance Theatre. Metcalf is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® National Training Curriculum. She has started the core training program for Dance for PD® and teaches dance classes for individuals living with Parkinson's.

As a dancer, Metcalf performed many original works with Bodiography Contemporary Ballet, Playhouse Dance Company, Jacksonville Ballet Theatre, The Kearns Dance Project, Greensboro Ballet, and for many independent choreographers. She performed leading roles in ballets such as, "Swan Lake," "Les Sylphides," "Paquita," "The Nutcracker," "Giselle," "Romeo and Juliet," "Serenade," "Coppélia" and "Con Amour" in addition to performing work originally choreographed for the New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet, and Limón Dance Company. As a member of Bodiography Contemporary Ballet, Metcalf performed at venues in Pittsburgh and on tour including the distinguished Elsie Awards at the Carnegie Museum where Oscar nominee and Emmy Award winning, Rob Marshall, was honored for his choreographic and directing work.

In 2008, Metcalf founded TERRANOVA Dance Theatre in Greensboro, North Carolina. The mission of the company is to create innovative work for the stage (concert dance), site (site-specific dance) and screen (dance for camera). She has created innovative works using video, sounds, lights, architecture, and multi-media for dance companies and festivals in the United States and abroad. Metcalf’s work has been performed by Elon Dance Company, Bodiography Contemporary Ballet, Greensboro Ballet, Goldsboro Ballet, Salem College Dance Company, Artistic Motion School of Dance, Northern Guilford High School Dance Company and Jacksonville University Summer Dance Intensive.

Metcalf is a dance photographer and filmmaker. She has been employed as a photographer with many dance schools, professional dancers, dance companies, and independent choreographers. Metcalf recently collaborated on a seventh film with Professor J McMerty at the Elon in Los Angeles program and a fourth film with Professor Renay Aumiller in the Dance program. Their films have been peer-reviewed and the official selection of nearly seventy film festivals in the United States, Ireland, Sweden, France, England, Turkey, Scotland, Brazil, Pakistan, Canada, Serbia, the Netherlands and Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Metcalf holds an M.F.A. in Choreography from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a B.F.A. in Dance with a concentration in Ballet from the Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University. She is a member of the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science, North Carolina Dance Education Organization, Dance Films Association, CORPS de Ballet International, Dance Resource Center Los Angeles, Arts for LA, Dance Films Association, and the National Dance Education Organization.

News & Notes

Education

M.F.A. in Dance Choreography, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
B.F.A. in Dance with a concentration in Ballet, Point Park University

Certifications:
Pre-Primary through Level 5 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum
Pilates Certification

Employment History

HIGHER EDUCATION EXPERIENCE
Elon University (Elon, NC)
2018-Present: Associate Professor of Dance
2012-2018: Assistant Professor of Dance
2017-2018: Coordinator of the B.F.A and B.S. Dance Program
2008-2012: Adjunct Professor of Dance

University of North Carolina at Greensboro (Greensboro, NC)
2008-2011: Adjunct Professor of Dance
2006-2011: Graduate Teaching Assistant
2005: Adjunct Professor of Dance

Courses Taught

DAN 2120: Pointe I
DAN 2800: Ballet III
DAN 2810: Ballet IV
DAN 2230: Dance Ensemble
DAN 3700: Ballet V
DAN 3100: Advanced Projects in Dance
DAN 3200: Special Topics in Dance: Pointe Conditioning
DAN 3200: Special Topics in Dance: Dance for the Camera
DAN 3220: Dance Repertory: Ballet
DAN 3350 Dance Choreography II
DAN 3985: Dance Internship/ELR
DAN 4800: Ballet VI
DAN 4985: Dance Internship
DAN 4970: Senior Seminar I
DAN 4971: Senior Seminar II
DAN 4998: Honors Thesis
DAN 4999: Undergraduate Research
COR 1100: The Global Experience
AAD 4985: Arts Administration Internship
ACT 4985: Internship

Leadership Positions

Coordinator, B.F.A. Dance Program (2022)
Coordinator, B.S. and B.F.A. Dance Program (2017-2022)
Vice President of Professional Development, NC Dance Education Organization (2020-2021)
Chair, Admissions Committee (2017-2018)
Co-leader, First-Year Summer Experience: Innovation (2015-2017)
Interim Coordinator, B.S. and B.F.A. Dance Program (Fall 2014)
Advisor, Delta Chi Xi (2013-2019)
Founder and Artistic Director, TERRANOVA Dance Theatre (2008-Present)

Grants Awarded

Parkinson's Foundation Community Grant (2021-2022)
Faculty Research & Development Summer Fellowship (2017)
Winter Term Mini-Grant (2016)
CATL Teaching and Learning Grant (2016)
The Fund for Excellence (2015-2016)
Arts Greensboro Regional Artist Grant (2015)
CATL Travel Grant (2014)
Faculty Research & Development Summer Fellowship (2014)
New Faculty Summer Research Stipend (2013)
North Carolina Dance Alliance Mini-Grant (2012)
CATL Travel Grant (2011)
UNC/Greensboro, Summer Research Grant (2007)

Presentations

Conference Presentations, Panel Discussions and Workshops:
Metcalf, Jen. “Pilates for Life: Physical and mental health benefits of Pilates mat work with props.” ArtsR4Life Conference, 7 September 2019, Meredith College, Raleigh, NC. Conference Presentation and Workshop.

Metcalf, Jen. “Breaking Ballet: A contemporary ballet class that respects and rejects tradition.” American College Dance Association Conference, 29 March 2019, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA. Conference Workshop.

Metcalf, Jen. “Breaking Ballet.” North Carolina Dance Education Organization Conference, 16 February 2019, NC State University, Raleigh, NC. Conference Workshop.

Metcalf, Jen. “Contemporary Ballet.” American College Dance Association Conference, 17 March 2018, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ. Conference Workshop.

Jen Metcalf. “Dance for the Camera.” North Carolina Dance Education Organization Conference, 10 February 2018, Northwest School of the Arts, Charlotte, NC. Conference Presentation.

Kearns, Lauren and Jen Metcalf. “Dancing with the Camera: Faculty and Student Collaborations in Dance Filmmaking.” Dance and New Media: Integrating Dance and Technology in University Dance Programs Conference, 8 April 2017, New York University, New York, NY. Conference Presentation.

Belk, Autumn and Jen Metcalf. “Choreography for the Camera.” North Carolina Dance Education Organization Conference, 28 January 2017, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC. Conference Presentation.

Metcalf, Jen and Erika Swinney. “The Collaboration Process between Student Stage Manager and Faculty Artistic Director.” American College Dance Association Conference, 17 March 2017, Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte, NC. Conference Presentation.

Metcalf, Jen. “Contemporary Ballet.” American College Dance Association Conference, 16 March 2017, Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte, NC. Conference Workshop.

Knutson, Jaye and Metcalf, Jen. “Dance on Film.” American College Dance Association Conference, 20 March 2016, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV. Co-moderated Dance Film Screening.

Metcalf, Jen. “Contemporary Ballet.” American College Dance Association Conference, 19 March 2016, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV. Workshop.

Metcalf, Jen. “Dance Photography.” American College Dance Association Conference, 21 March 2016, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV. Workshop.

Aumiller, Renay and Metcalf, Jen. “Mad-Limbs Dance.” American College Dance Association Conference, 21 March 2016, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV. Workshop.

Metcalf, Jen. “Contemporary Ballet.” American College Dance Association Conference, 20 March 2015, Georgia College, Milledgeville, GA. Workshop.

Aumiller, Renay and Metcalf, Jen. “Mad-Limbs Dance.” American College Dance Association Conference, 20 March 2015, Georgia College, Milledgeville, GA. Workshop.

Metcalf, Jen. “Contemporary Ballet.” American College Dance Association Conference, 20 March 2014, Georgia College, Milledgeville, GA. Workshop.

Metcalf, Jen. “Contemporary Pointe.” American College Dance Association Conference, 21 March 2014, Georgia College, Milledgeville, GA. Workshop.

Beasley, Amy and Autum Belk, Carol Finley, Avis Hatcher-Puzzo, Susan Lutz, Jen Metcalf. “College Dance Panel.” North Carolina Dance Alliance Annual State Conference, 12 October 2013, Durham School of the Arts, Durham, NC. Panel Discussion.

Metcalf, Jen. “Contemporary Ballet.” North Carolina Dance Alliance Annual State Conference, 12 October 2013, Durham School of the Arts, Durham, NC. Workshop.

Metcalf, Jen. “Contemporary Ballet.” American College Dance Association Conference, 23 March 2013, University of Southern Florida, Tampa FL. Workshop.

Metcalf, Jen. “Contemporary Pointe.” American College Dance Association Conference, 23 March 2013, University of Southern Florida, Tampa FL. Workshop.

Metcalf, Jen. “Words and Deeds.” American College Dance Association Conference, 22 March 2013, University of Southern Florida, Tampa FL. Presentation.

Awards

Artist in Residence at Dance Project (2021)
FilmFest by Rogue Dancer Film of the Month in March (2020)
Women’s Independent Film Festival, First Place Experimental: The Nature of Consciousness (2018)
International Independent Film Awards, Choreography: le passage du temps (2015)
filmSPARK Film Festival, Best Experimental Film Award: le passage du temps (2015)
Fastnet Short Film Festival, Selected for Shortlist: The Window of the 11th Floor (2014)
Movies by Movers Film Festival, Honorable Mention: The Window of the 11th Floor (2013)
UNC/Greensboro, Kristina Larson Excellence in Choreography Award (2008)