Department of Theatre and Dance

• Choreographer
• B.S., M.A. - Appalachian State University
• M.F.A. - University of North Carolina-Greensboro
• Somatics, Somatic Sustainability, Pilates, GYROKINESIS®, GYROTONIC®, Modern Dance Technique, Choreography, Dance History, Creative Process, Movement and Therapy

Marianne Adams holds an MFA in Choreography and Performance from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro and an MA in Clinical Psychology from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. As a Dance Studies professor at Appalachian, she has created over thirty-five new courses in the curriculum, directed the dance program, and created the Dance Honors program. She was a founding member of the Appalachian Expressive Arts Collective from 1996-2014, and served as an Artist in Residence at the European Graduate School for Expressive Arts in Switzerland in 2003 and 2008. She served as Chairperson of the Theatre and Dance Department from 2007-2015, and was a co-creator/director of the Appalachian Pilates Teacher Training Program from 2004-2024.

Marianne's research on mindfulness, dance, and somatic sustainability has been published in the Journals of Sustainability Education; American College Health; Dance, Movement and Spiritualities; Dance and Somatic Practices; Bodywork and Movement Therapies; Dance Education; and most recently in Body-Mind Centering, and the Journal of Poetry Therapy. She currently teaches in dance, somatic sustainability and expressive arts, and holds certifications in Classical Pilates, GYROKINESIS®, and GYROTONIC®.